West Banning
West Banning (north of highway 10 and west of 8th Street to Highland Springs Road) has a mixture of older homes closer to town, and newer neighborhoods built along Wilson St. westward to Highland Springs. Businesses run east to west along Ramsey St., and north to south along Highland Springs Rd. The majority of medical coplexes including the Pass Hospital can be found north of Ramsey at Highland Springs.
Neighborhoods | Community | Shopping
Neighborhoods
While the older neighborhoods have stayed the same, there have been new housing tracts built mostly off of Wilson St westward to Highland Springs road.
Historical Note
Indian School Lane was named after the St. Boniface School for indians established in the late 1800s to educate and train local tribes. It was located at the west end of Indian school lane past 8th st. ( City-of-Banning-History )
Community
Syvan Park has a baseball field, play ground, basketball courts and plenty of picnic tables. The the Historic Gilman Ranch has been restored with a stagecoach museum , hiking trails and a park. The 2 schools are Nicolet (elementary) and Susan B. Coombs. Coombs which was the jr high school for years, is now Alternate Education. Syvan Park has a baseball field, play ground, basketball courts and plenty of picnic tables. the San gorgonio Hospitakl is still located on Highland Springs rd. between Ramsey st and Wilson st.
Historical Note
The first permanent landmark in the Banning area was an adobe house constructed by Jose Pope in 1854 on the present Gilman Ranch site . John Gilman purchased the land and began construction on the 2 story house in 1879 while living in the adobe. The house was lost to fire, and rebuilt. ( Historic Gilman Ranch - History )
Business
As Banning grew businesses expanded along Ramsey St. East of 22nd street is the fast food and motel corridor. The Midway (Ramsey west of Sunset to highland Springs) Hasn't changed much with the exception of Beaver Medical complexes just before you reach Highland Springs.
Historical Note
The junction of Highland Home Rd. and Ramsey Street is the approximate center of the "Midway" section. The unofficial borders have changed through the years as Banning annexed more land to the west of Sunset Avenue. Lewis Robertson remembers the area being known as "Midway" as early as the 1930s and 1940s. ( Midway )