VIDEO: Slow Death of An Old Landmark

The business first opened in 1884 in Banning. A few people who visited over the years came to watch the demolition this week, and one of them described the old place as "an oasis."

Another former visitor came to look Wednesday evening where the San Gorgonio Inn used to be.

"It's a big part of history gone here," said Percy Patrick, 53.

Patrick said he moved from Mississippi to Banning in 1971, when he was in junior high school.

"It was thriving then," Patrick said. "I ate at the San Gorgonio Inn about a year after I got in town. It was always such an upscale type of place. And I finally went in. You could have breakfast, lunch, dinner. It was wonderful."

It took contractors three days to tear down all but one small section the inn, which remained standing Wednesday evening.

Patrick, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church on North Gilman Street, said he stopped by each day this week to watch the demolition.

"I actually thought each day that I watched them tear down, was a bit of history going each day," Patrick said. "A little more, a little more, there's nothing really being saved of that. And it's, you know it's a new age, but it's kind of sad to see some of the old stuff go out.

"It's just that it was a part of what made Banning . . . Banning, and now we're catching up to what is called the new age and sadly enough we're leaving everything behind us . . . behind," Patrick said.

"I understand progress and moving forward. It's just that I made this my city when I moved here and I love what Banning has been and I just don't want to see it all go away, you know," Patrick said.

"It has been the quiet little peaceful town that lures me. I don't know if that works for everyone. But that works for me. And to see us move forward, and I understand moving forward, I just don't want to see all of the little things that made Banning the small quiet little community that it always was . . . But I understand progress waits for no one."