2327 "D" Street Returns To Its Roots

   As I have spent time walking around Old Town La Verne the last few years, I have looked for new things that I can relate to the past. I was quite interested when Roots Hair Salon moved into 2327 "D" Street, which had most recently housed a Post Office Substation. My research led me to discover that for most of its existence from 1939 until the present this little building was part of the larger building to the South, numbered 2325.

   However, as early as 1912 the Raley Brothers, Oscar and Leslie, operated a barber shop in the building that was then numbered 323 North "D" Street. They also offered baths, cigars, tobacco, soft drinks and served as a laundry agency. By 1914 Leslie was pursuing ranching but Oscar continued barbering. By 1918 he was joined by Orville Haines, as evidenced by this advertisement from the February 21, 1918 issue of the La Verne Leader:

   Although both Raley and Haines acquired Real Estate licenses in 1920, they both continued barbering until at least 1922 but by 1924 Raley had entered into the Real Estate business with William Leslie and had an office on the East side of "D" Street, in the same block. Haines continued in the same location (the street number was changed to 2327 in 1927 as a result of a major revamping of the numbering system) until 1939 when he had a new building built at 2344 "D" Street, a location that is now occupied by the outdoor dining area of Warehouse Pizza. When Haines moved out, Van Dusen Department and Variety Store, which had been occupying 2325 "D" Street, then expanded into the former barber shop. The two stores became one with the number 2325 and remained so until Roots Hair Salon began occupying 2327 in January of 2012.

   

   Here are some more ads for Haines Barber Shop:

1923 La Verne College Orange Blossom Yearbook

1931 Bonita High School Echoes Yearbook

Oscar Raley's son Wallace graduated from Bonita Union High School with my mother in 1929.

Orville Haines' son Robert (referred to as Bob in the above ad) graduated from Bonita in 1932 and went on to become a teacher and was principal of Roynon Elementary School at the time I attended from 1957 to 1960. Another of Haines' sons, Thomas, was our family dentist for years.