Corona

by Mary Bryner Winn

Book Overview

Several times in the late 20th century, Corona was cited as the fastest-growing city in California, doubling and tripling its former sleepy-town size of around 25,000 in the 1970s to 150,000 in a matter of just decades. Corona has come a long way from its former offshoot identity as South Riverside in the late 19th century. Incorporated as Corona in 1896, it survived as a dry-farming community until the arrival of citrus crops. Its status as a way...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738529915
• ISBN13: 9780738529912
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

I used to work here!

I indeed worked for the City of Corona, and participated in some of the growth. I was laid off during the recession in the early 1990's, when developer fees and revenues, on which the city government was very dependent, dried up. But I have still kept in touch with the city's development. I do remember Corona from the 1950's, when it was just a place to drive through on the way to Riverside and points east or north, such as Idyllwild, Palm Springs or the Mojave Desert. But it was caught between two rapidly growing areas, Riverside/San Bernardino and Orange County. This book is a living, breathing history, showing many of the people as well as the buildings of old Corona. Two particular points of interest are circular Grand Avenue (the old racetrack), which is one mile in diameter and has as its focus the intersection of Sixth and Main Streets, and the old Corona High School, which later became City Hall and was my place of employment (The city offices have since moved to new quarters just north, but the old buildings are being rightfully preserved). The new Corona High School buildings are just to the southwest (I have a personal connection there--former San Diego Padre Mike Darr, whom I saw play but who unfortunately died in an automobile accident in 1992). This book is a good look back into how Californians lived in days gone by.