When the average person hears “Corona,” images of the coronavirus pandemic come to mind. Others might think of a popular brand of beer or of a crown. But some, when hearing “Corona,” think of The Circle City. That Corona is a dense suburban city in Riverside County, California. One of its most attractive features is Grand Boulevard, its circular center, which was once a race car track. Visitors can quickly see that Corona is a peaceful, prosperous suburban city, but Corona had more humble beginnings.

In 1886, Robert B. Taylor, Adolph Rimpau, George L. Joy, A.S. Garretson, and Samuel Merrill purchased 12,000 acres, with the goal of starting a large citrus community. Soon, a thriving citrus industry emerged, and Corona was first named South Riverside. On July 13th, 1896, its citizens voted to be included in Riverside County and changed the city’s name to Corona.

Among the most notable events that occurred in Corona were the Corona Road Races. Not long after its founding, Robert B. Taylor hired an engineer to carve a circular street, used as the race track and which still stands as Grand Boulevard. The starting point of the races was at a location now known as Corona Fundamental Intermediate School. With prizes totaling 10,000 dollars, many influential, famous, racers at the time drove in the first race. Unfortunately, in the second race, a driver veered off the race course and crashed into the crowd, killing himself along with a few spectators.

During the early 1900s, Corona’s lemons production exceeded national demand, and it became known as the Lemon capital of the World, employing over 700 people to manufacture citric acid, lemon oil, lemon extract, lemon juice, and pectin. The lemon production continued, but unfortunately, in the 1970s, the demand for houses became greater than the demand for lemons, and most of the citrus trees were felled to clear the way for housing. During this time period, the population of Corona doubled. As a result, Chula Vista has now inherited the title of “Lemon Capital of the World”

Today, Corona is a lively city. Although developers chopped down most of the lemon trees, some still remain. One of the best things about living in Corona is its location. Like any typical city in Southern California, it is always warm. Its location is very central to what southern California has to offer. It is approximately an hour away from Downtown Los Angeles, from dessert Palm Springs, from the beach, and from the snow-capped mountains. Residents can ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon. Of course, the best thing about Corona are the friendly people who live here.

Ellie Byun 9th Grade / Santiago HS

<Ellie Byun 9th Grade / Santiago HS>