Vintage Photos of Corunna: The Home of Michigan's 10th Governor

How many times have you heard someone mispronounce the town of 'Corunna' as 'Corona'? And did you even notice when they did? Corunna is in Shiawassee County, a stone's throw east of Owosso. The town is believed to have been named by Andrew Mack after the Spanish town 'A Coruna'.

In 1832, Jonathan Kearsley was the first to buy land here, and a few years later in 1836, the John Davids family from New York were the first settlers.

FAST FACTS:
1837: The village was platted
1838: Post office opened with Joel Ankrim as postmaster
1840: Became the county seat
1858: Incorporated as a village
1869: Incorporated as a city

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The Corunna dam has been around since the mid-1800s, providing power for the mill...however, the mill burned down in the 1950s. Now in constant disrepair, no one seems to know the rightful owner(s) of the dam, although the city has taken over responsibility. The dam has been the site of several drownings over the last century and a half.

On the west side of town just below the Shiawassee River is McCurdy Park, named after Hugh and Emma McCurdy who donated the land to the city in the early 1900s. The park has become a favorite recreation spot with a ball field, fishing, two pavilions, playground, rest rooms.....and best of all, a recreated historic village, with vintage buildings that have been transferred from other Michigan locations for the sake of preservation.

Corunna was the home of Michigan's 10th Governor Andrew Parsons from 1836 until he passed away in 1855. He is buried in Corunna's Pinetree Cemetery.

Take a look at some old photos in the gallery below...