By Glenn Taylor
After the birth of Corona De Tucson, this little community grew, creating its own history and enlightenment. From the 1970s thru the 1990s, Corona was classified as a close little community off the beaten trail with charisma and pride for their area. A snippet of our little history, from verbal and written communication, is included in this article for the enlightenment of our audience.
The 1970s: After the establishment of Corona de Tucson, the Santa Rita Golf Course was sprawling with life with its 9-hole fairways. The water for the local area was supplied from Citizens Water Company, later in that decade being acquired by Tucson Water. The local water fields, off north Houghton Road near the fairgrounds, are still in use today.
Within the original Baptist community, the homeowner’s association enforced restrictions on land usage and building extensions. The local area phone service was just listed as four number dial; but if a call had to be made to Tucson, one would have to contact the line exchange operator to reach outside of the community.
The 1980s: In 1980, the founding of the Santa Rita Foothills Community Association (currently the Corona de Tucson Community Alliance) was started as an active voice for the unincorporated area of Corona de Tucson. Later that same year, the Corona de Tucson Fire Department was established as an all-volunteer department. The association held local bake sales and passed the hat to help support buying the area’s first local fire truck. The main fundraising today for the Fire Department is still the pancake breakfast held every year.
Later, Blankenship Construction, along with other builders, started construction on the next phase of Corona housing with the Santa Rita Bel Air Estates development. These homes would be sought by employees of IBM, Hughes Aircraft, and active/retired military personnel. The golf course later was expanded to 18 holes with some of the original fairways being renumbered and aligned to flow with the new expansion. After a long run, the Olympic-sized pool that was a mainstay of the Santa Rita Country Club was filled in due to a sizable crack that was found during routine maintenance. Also, in the 1980s the paving of Sahuarita Road was completed, connecting Green Valley and Sahuarita with Corona De Tucson and Arizona Highway 83. This connection road eliminated a long bypass route of driving I-19 to I-10 then down Houghton to get to Corona de Tucson.
The 1990s: In 1996, the movie Tin Cup was filmed at the Santa Rita Golf Course showcasing the beautiful greens and fairways that involved the community’s local gem. Later, a tragic incident occurred in Corona’s little community. On February 14, 1997 at 11:30 PM, the main gathering social club of Corona, the Santa Rita Country Club, caught ablaze and was burned to the ground due to a faulty appliance. The country club was a full loss, devastating the community. The country club was the main focal/pub for the locals in the area and employed about 80 Corona residents. About a year after the fire, the clubhouse was replaced with a redesigned southwest style building, which fully reopened the Santa Rita Country Club and Golf Course. The new clubhouse was not as big as the original country club and did not offer all the amenities, but brought back the flair of the golf course, which stood out for Corona’s little community. Today, the clubhouse still stands as our local area Danzone dance studio.
Glenn Taylor is vice president for Corona De Tucson Community Alliance and chairperson for South East Regional Council/Corona de Tucson