Corona’s history extends back before the town was founded in 1886, to the Luiseno and Gabrieleno Indians. Both groups established villages in the Corona area, the Gabrielenos to the east near Prado Dam and the Luiseno farther south in the Lake Elsinore and Temecula area. The future of these California Indians was forever altered when Spain colonized California in 1769 and established the San Luis Rey and San Gabriel Missions.
In 1886 Robert B. Taylor, Adolph Rimpau, George L. Joy, A.S. Garretson, and Samuel Merrill purchased 12,000 acres of land from the Yorba family in what was then southwestern San Bernardino County. The land was quickly developed to bring water to the area and the Santa Fe railroad established a depot in the new town dubbed South Riverside.
A thriving and profitable citrus industry was soon established with grapefruit, orange, and lemon fruit providing the backbone of the local business community. On July 13, 1896 the citizens of South Riverside voted to incorporate the town into the newly developed Riverside County and to change the name of the city to Corona. By this time Corona had already established itself as the “Lemon Capital of the World”.
Timeline
1769 Spain colonizes California
1857 Tin is discovered in Temescal
1886 R.B. Taylor, Adolph Rimpau, George L. Joy, A.S. Garretson, & Samuel
Merrill, purchase 12,000 acres of land and develop the community South
Riverside.
1887 South Riverside Bee, the town’s first newspaper begins circulation
First citrus grove is planted in South Riverside by Patrick Harrington
1888 Over 150 acres of citrus groves have been planted in South Riverside
1893 Riverside County is formed.
Temescal Tin Mine closes
1895 A reading room opens in the Gleason Building in South Riverside.
1896 South Riverside incorporates under the new name Corona.
1899 Woman’s Improvement Club is formed
1906 Carnegie Library opens at 8th & Main Street
1911 Corona Lemon Foothill Company is formed
1912 Marshal G.C. Alexander is murdered during a raid
Association Charities is formed, later this organization will be renamed
Settlement House.
1913 First Corona Road Race
1914 Second Corona Road Race
1915 Exchange Lemon By-Products Company opens, it is the first plant of its
type in the U.S.
1916 Third & final Corona Road Race
1929 Lake Norconian Club opens, the luxury resort hosted celebrities such as Walt Disney, Bob Hope, and Shirley Temple.
1941 On December 6th the Navy takes possession of the Norconian Club and begins the conversion of the resort into a military hospital.
1962 Highway 91 is constructed through Corona
Rena Parker is the first woman to run for Corona City Council, she was
defeated.
1963 Rena Parker is the first woman appointed to Corona City Council to fill a
Vacancy
1964 Rena Parker is the first woman to be elected to Corona City Council.
1971 Carnegie Library closes its doors and the new Library at 6th & Main Street
opens
1982 Sunkist plant closes
1984 Olympic torch is carried through Corona
1989 I-15 through Corona is completed
1993 Current Corona Public Library building opens