It was in early summer in the late 1890′s back when the land now occupied by the current library was mostly trees when a strange occurance happened. Damien Matthews, Rush McComas and a few of their friends had just gotten back from a visit to Mr. Tonner’s house down on Fifth Street (now Mission Blvd. where the Pomona Police Station stands).

Having been entertained by Tonner’s recitation of prose and verse, the children departed to enjoy the cool ocean breeze brought in from the coast over by the orange groves. When they arrived, they found an old
lady in her early thirties along with her dog sitting underneath a tree, reading a book. As little boys often do, they picked up small oranges that had fallen from the trees and started to throw them at the old woman and her dog much to her annoyance.

When one orange struck her in the head, she stood up, slowly enough to make sure the boys did not run away. She pointed at them with her finger, hand shaking from age, and with a loud, shrill voice, she yelled
“You who dare disturb the tranquility of these grounds, the best place I have found in all of Pomona to read a book in peace and enjoy the pleasant winds on a summer afternoon…YOU — may you and the generations after you find the same peace, and find the same cool ocean breeze on this ground…but NEVER at the same time.”

As she sat back down to read, the cool breeze ceased and the boys had to walk a long distance away to find a cool spot to relax. As they turned back, the old lady and her dog had disappeared.