Finkbiner Park/West Oaks Grove

This is Glendora's original city park, and the only park in existence for years. It was named Recreation Park in 1949. It was located just north of Foothill Boulevard between Cullen and Wabash. The land was part of a big strip of land donated to Henry Huntington and his Pacific Electric Railroad to encourage him to extend his railway from Monrovia out to Glendora. For years, this property was was used to store Red Rail line cars. During the years that the Railroad owned the property the city was allowed to have a softball diamond on the property, close by where the current diamond sits.

It was the Chamber of Commerce that helped generate interest in the importance of developing a park and recreation center for Glendora's youth. The Chamber was instrumental in raising funds for park improvements. In 1950, with a generous donation from the Frank J. Gard family, the legion hall was built. The city's first lawyer, Rolfe Bidwell, donated the funds to construct the scout building and tennis courts in the early 50's, were donated by the La Fetra family. The Youth Center was built in the 1960's with funds raised by Harry Geyer and the Glendora Coordinating Council. The Women's Auxiliary the raised funds to donate the playground equipment. In the 1970's the city purchased three acres on the north eastern part of the park, now known as West Oak Grove after former Mayor Merrill West and the pioneer West family. In September of 1980, the park was renamed Finkbiner Park, in honor of Glendora's longest serving mayor, Joe Finkbiner. In 1983, the band shell was built from an abundance of community donations to house summer Concerts in the Park. Today Finkbiner Park is over 10 acres in size.

Finkbiner Park. The Glendoran. Jan/Feb, 1996.