Incorporated in 1896 as a small farming community best known for its produce, Corona is now a quality community with a population of more than 147,428 and a diverse economic base.

The City of Corona is located approximately 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles in western Riverside County. The City limits encompass 39.2 square miles and the population is approximately 147,428. A city whose heritage spans more than a century, Corona has emerged as an ethnically diverse community, where a significant percentage of the population is made up of young, well educated families.

The Corona community boasts many amenities that provide a first-rate quality of life for residents. The City has more than 394 acres of parks, with sports fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, tennis courts, two skateparks and an outdoor pool.

Corona was founded at the height of the Southern California citrus boom in 1886, advantageously situated at the upper end of the Santa Ana River Canyon, the only significant pass through the Santa Ana Mountains. The town of Corona, once laid claim to the title “Lemon Capital of the World.” A museum there presents the lemon’s former role in the local economy. It derived its name (and its nickname, The Circle City) from the curious layout of its streets, with a standard grid enclosed by the circular Grand Boulevard. The street layout was designed by Hiram Clay Kellogg, a civil engineer from Santa Ana who was an influential figure in the early development of Orange County. Also, the renowned circular Grand Boulevard is where three international road racing events took place in 1913, 1914 and 1916. Corona was also home to the Corona road race, a Grand Prix race in the early 20th century.

In more recent years it has been known as the Gateway to the Inland Empire. Prior to the 1980s, Corona was a largely agricultural community, dominated by citrus orchards, ranches, and dairy farms. Sky-high real estate prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties made the area’s land desirable to developers and industrialists, and by the late 1990s it was considered a major suburb of Los Angeles.

In recent years, Corona has become an elite working-class bedroom community for Orange County and the larger cities of the Inland Empire. The development of commerce and industry in the city has been accelerated by congestion on the Riverside Freeway, with many firms leaving northern Orange County to be closer to their employees’ homes in Corona and Riverside.

The construction of the Chino Valley Freeway nearby has also linked Corona to the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys, with the result that the once largely white city has experienced an influx of Asian American residents who commute to Asian-oriented businesses in cities such as Alhambra and Diamond Bar.

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General Information, Facts & Symbols

The United States of America accepted California as the 31st state to enter the union on September 9, 1850.

Abbreviation:
CA

Capital of California State:
Sacramento

Primary Agriculture:
California grows more food than any other state in the country. among these crops are almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwi, raisins, strawberries, walnuts and wine.

Primary Industry:
California industries include manufacturing (transportation equipment, machinery, and electronic equipment), agriculture, biotechnology and tourism. Principal natural resources include timber, petroleum, cement and natural gas.

California State Nickname:
The Golden State

California State Tree:
California Redwood (Legislation of 1937)

California State Flower:
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
(Legislation of 1903)
California State Bird:
California Quail (Callipepla californica)
(Legislation of 1931)

The California Quail (Callipepla californica, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the quail family that breeds in shrubby areas and open woodlands in western North America.

The California Quail have a curving crest that droops forward (black in males and brown for females), their flanks are brown with white streaks. Males of the species have a dark brown cap, a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and light brown belly. Females of the species and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light colored belly.

California State Fish:
Golden Trout (Legislation of 1947)

California State Insect:
California Dogface Butterfly (Legislation of 1972)

California State Gemstone:
Benitoite (Legislation of 1985)

Official State Seal:
Depicted is the state seal of California. The seal of the state of California is a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of the state and is a valuable asset of its people. It is the intent of the state government to ensure that appropriate uses are made of the state seal and to assist the secretary of state in the performance of the secretary’s constitutional duty as custodian of the seal.

The Official California State Flag

Depicted to the left is the state flag of California. The flag of the state of California is a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of the state and is a valuable asset of its people. The California flag is flown over all state buildings just below the country flag of the United States of America.

State Commemorative Quarter:
From the 1999-2008 United States Mint

The first quarter released in 2005 honors California, and is the 31st in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. California was admitted into the Union on September 9, 1850, becoming our Nation’s 31st State. Nicknamed the “Golden State,” California’s quarter depicts naturalist and conservationist John Muir admiring Yosemite Valley’s monolithic granite headwall known as “Half Dome” and also contains a soaring California condor. The coin bears the inscriptions “California,” “John Muir,” “Yosemite Valley” and “1850″.In 1849, the year before California gained statehood, the family of 11-year-old John Muir emigrated from Scotland to the United States, settling in Wisconsin. In 1868, at the age of 30, Muir sailed up the West Coast and landed in San Francisco. He made his home in the Yosemite Valley, describing the Sierra Nevada Mountains as “the Range of Light” the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have seen.” He devoted the rest of his life to the conservation of natural beauty, publishing more than 300 articles and 10 books that expanded his naturalist philosophy.In 1890, Congress established Yosemite National Park, and in 1892 John Muir helped form the Sierra Club to protect it, serving as that organization’s President until his death in 1914.

Important Historical Figures of California

John Sutter
1803-80: In the 1840′s, businessman Sutter ran a trading empire from a fort he built (with Native american help) in what is now mid-town Sacramento. He also was owner of Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, where gold was first discovered in 1848 by James Marshall.

Jedediah Smith
1798-1831: This early 19-th century trapper and explorer is believed to have been the first non-Native american to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains. He was also among the first white men to explore the state’s far northern coast. A beautiful redwood state park and the scenic Smith River are named after him.

John Muir
1838-1914: an explorer, naturalist, and writer, Muir helped preserve many of California’s greatest scenic wonders, such as Yosemite Valley and Kings Canyon, now both national parks. He also founded the Sierra Club, a well-known San Francisco-based conservation group. Muir Woods National Monument, a redwood grove north of San Francisco, is named for him.

Leland Stanford
1824-93: This tycoon helped map out a route for the first transcontinental railroad, which linked California to the East Coast in 1869. He also started Stanford University in Palo alto.

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Looking Back Over the Years

This begins a year-long celebration of the City of Hesperia’s 20th anniversary since incorporation. To commemorate this event, each issue of the Horizon in 2008, will include an article highlighting important historical events that have shaped us into the City we are today.

From the Beginning

The City’s history stretches far beyond its 1988 incorporation. Hesperia’s past is rich with the history of the Mojave Indian Tribe, Spanish settlers and the westward travelers of the Mormon Trail.

The first major turning point in present day Hesperia occurred in 1874, when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad tracks were completed. This resulted in Hesperia’s first industry, providing juniper wood to bakers in Los Angeles by way of train. Juniper is a very hard wood that was used as fuel for kilns up until the early 1900’s, when oil became the principal fuel for bakers.

That change in technology did not slow Hesperia’s progress. The 1900’s were a booming time with the increased popularity of automobiles and Route 66. The City served as the last stopping point before travelers made the treacherous trip down the Cajon Pass.

City of Hesperia Prepares to Celebrate 20 Years
“Celebrating our past while building our future.”
The City of Hesperia celebrated 20 years of change and growth on June 28, 2008. Beginning as a stopping place along the Mojave River; through the Wild West years; developed as the “great escape from LA”; to incorporation in 1988, Hesperia has earned its name “star of the west”. A thriving community to over 90,000 residents, the City of Hesperia enjoys clear air, fine weather and plenty of wide open spaces. Join us for a daylong anniversary celebration and discover why so many people choose to come home to Hesperia, the gateway to the High Desert.

The Celebration took place at the new Hesperia Civic Plaza Park, located just west of City Hall. Thousands joined us for a trip down memory lane, celebrating Hesperia’s past, present and future, with a day of patriotism and fun, featuring festivities including:

• Military Recognition Ceremony
• Swing Music Featuring “Wiseguys”
• Police & Safety Fair
• Sanctioned BBQ Cook-Off
• Vendors
• Patriotic Wagon Contest & Children’s Patriotic Parade
• Kid’s Activities & Magic Show
• Face Painting & Balloon Art
• Bounce Houses
• Evening Concert Featuring “Beatless”
• Fireworks Display

Regardless of the season, the growing City of Hesperia offers a centralized location for a wide variety of nearby activities for you and your family to enjoy.

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