Published on Saturday, February 06, 2010
By NITA HILTNER
Like Indianapolis, Ind., Corona is called the Circle City.
Also, like Indianapolis, Corona has hosted some international auto races.
Unlike Indianapolis, Corona's racing days are long gone; however. But, what happened at one of Corona's races had an impact on race car drivers for years to come.
In 1886, developer Robert Taylor and his partners formed the South Riverside Land and Water Co. and purchased 12,000 acres of agricultural land west of Riverside. He hired Anaheim engineer H.C. Kellogg to design a circular road around what would encompass the settlement of South Riverside, renamed Corona in 1896. The perfectly round, 2.77-mile-long dirt and oil road encompassed homes, stores, churches and schools.
As the city developed, it became a citrus-growing giant, with groves to the south of town and the packing houses and railroad to the north. Corona was shipping out more fruit than any other town in southern California by 1913.
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