The Library & Heritage Room support local genealogical research through our collection of over 300 circulating and non-circulating titles as well as electronic and online resources. To view a list of our books, magazines, and CD-ROMs please use the Library's online catalog.
For more information about the reference materials located in the Heritage Room please call 951-279-3593.
Family Histories
The family histories of a few local families are available including two of Corona’s founding families – the Taylors & Joys.
Taylor Family
An ancestral chart for the Taylor-Songer Family. Robert B. Taylor was one of Corona's founding fathers.
Joy Family
A more extensive family tree for the descendents of George L. Joy. Other Corona families included in the chart are the Jamesons and Todds.
Gould FamilyJanet Williams Gould was a historian who stirred interest in marking and preserving local landmarks. Her second husband, Chester accompanied Janet on her excersions through Temescal Canyon. The family history chart includes information related to Walter Dean, Janet's first husband, as well as the Williams Family.
Heritage Room Genealogy Resources:
| Sunnyslope Cemetery Records |
Headstone inscriptions, dates of birth & death, cause of death and location of burial for those buried is Sunnyslope Cemetery between 1895 and 1984 (Heritage Room only). |
| California Indexes |
Available on microfilm or fiche: the California Death Index, 1905-1939 and California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 (Heritage Room only). |
| Newspaper Clippings & Obituaries |
Articles from the Corona Daily Independent and Press-Enterprise newspapers (Heritage Room only). |
| City Directories |
Hardcover Corona City Directories for select years, as well as the Riverside City & County Directories 1889-1966 on microfiche (Heritage Room only). |
| Microfilm copies of local newspapers |
Copies of the South Riverside Bee, Corona Independent, Corona Daily Independent, Corona-Norco Independent, Press-Enterprise, and Los Angeles Times are available (these are kept on the 1st floor of the Library and can be requested at the Adult Information Desk,list of available years). |
| U.S. Census |
Microfilm copies of the 1850 & 1860 U.S. Census for 12 California Counties (Heritage Room only). |
Online Resources:
- HeritageQuest **(available from home or on the 1st floor of the Library) - U.S. Census, PERSI, Freedman’s Bank records, Revolutionary War records;
- Ancestry Library Edition (available on the 1st floor of the Library only) - U.S. Census, military records, birth & death records for various U.S. States.
- NewsBank **(available from home or on the 1st floor of the Library) - Contains newspaper and magazine articles from newspapers across the U.S., including the Press-Enterprise from September 28, 1992 to the present.
**use of HeritageQuest, Newsbank or other databases from home requires a Corona Public Library card. For more information on obtaining a library card click here.
Access to Archival Databases (AAD) - This National Archives online resource provides access to records in a small selection of historic databases preserved permanently in NARA. AAD provides access to over 85 million historic electronic records created by more than 30 agencies of the U.S. federal government and from collections of donated historical materials.
Archival Research Catalog (ARC) - The online catalog of NARA's nationwide holdings in the Washington, DC area, Regional Archives and Presidential Libraries. ARC contains a great deal of information about World War II including the Casualties: Navy, Marines & Coast Guard, Honor List of Dead & Missing: Army & Air Force, and Selective Service Registration Cards.
Early California Population Project - the Huntington Library's ECPP database includes the baptismal, marriage, and burial records of each of the California missions. This unique collection contains information on the Indians, soldiers and settlers of Alta California from 1769 - 1850.
Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery - Evergreen Cemetery lies at the foot of Mount Rubidoux in Riverside, California. The cemetery was founded in 1872 and has more than 27,000 beings interred on this site, many of regional and national significance. The website features a searchable "Who's Here" database, artistic photographs of the grounds & headstones and brief biographies of Riverside founders.
Family Search - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a collection of material that covers a wide range of continents and time periods. Much of the material is searchable or available to 'browse'. Users will find everything from Argentinian Marriages to Zimbabwe Death Notices available on the site.
Genealogical Society of Riverside - The GSOR was established in 1965 and has a collection of material housed at the Riverside Public Library's Downtown Branch. The Society's "Research" page will connect you to a list of microfilmed federal & state censuses available at the Library.
Immigration History Research Center - The University of Minnesota's Immigration History Research Center promotes interdisciplinary research on international migration, develops archives documenting immigrant and refugee life, especially in the U.S., and makes specialized scholarship accessible to students, teachers, and the public.
Local History & Genealogy Reading Room - The Library of Congress has one of the world's premier collections of U.S. and foreign genealogical and local historical publications.
Repositories of Primary Sources - From the University of Idaho this site provides a listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources.
Corona Genealogical Society
The Corona Genealogical Society meets the first Monday of each month in the Library's Community Rooms (1st floor near the entrance). An informal gathering begins at 6:30 p.m. and guest speakers begin their presentation at 7:00 p.m.
Genealogy Classes are held Tuesdays in the Library's Computer Learning Center (1st floor) from 12:30- 1:30 p.m. Topics vary and instructors are provided by the Corona Genealogical Society.
All Meetings and Classes are FREE & open to the public. For more information please visit the Corona Genealogical Society's website or call 951-739-4860.