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Aurora, Illinois
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HistoryBefore white settlers arrived, there was a Native American village in what is today downtown Aurora. In 1834, the McCarty brothers arrived and initially owned land on both sides of the river, but sold their lands on the west side, living and operating their mill on the east side. Aurora was originally two villages: one on the East Side of the Fox River founded by the McCarty brothers and the West Side founded by the Lake brothers. A post office was established in 1837, officially creating Aurora. In 1857, Aurora (then what is now known as the East Side) joined with the West Side. The Aurora Fire Department was established in 1856, and took ownership of its first fire engine that year. The two sides couldn’t agree on which side of the river should house the public buildings, so most public buildings were built on or around Stolp Island in the middle of the Fox River. (A parking garage stands at the site of the original City Hall and Post Office.)
As the city grew, many factories and jobs came to Aurora, along with many people. In 1856, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad located its railcar construction and repair shops in Aurora to become the town's largest employer until the 1960s. Many of the heavy industries were located on the East side which provided employment for four generations of European immigrants. Many immigrants flocked to the city, mainly from Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and Italy.The professional and managerial workers more likely came from Yankee stock and settled across the river, making the West side more affluent. Aurora became main economic center of the Fox Valley area. The combination of these three factors—a highly industrialized town, a sizable river that divided it, and the Burlington's shops—account for much of the dynamics of Aurora's political, economic, and social history. Both sides of Aurora still maintain a rivalry which is enacted through yearly high school football/basketball games. This is the oldest high school rivalry in the state of Illinois.
Beginning in the boom period, the town was inclusive and tolerant, and welcomed a variety of immigrants and openly supporting abolitionism prior to the American Civil War. Mexican migrants began arriving after 1910. Socially, the town was progressive in its attitude toward education, religion, welfare, and women. The first free public school district in Illinois was established in 1851 and a high school for girls four years later. By 1887, 20 congregations (including two African American churches) representing nine denominations were established, and a YWCA started in 1893, still in operation today.
The city was a manufacturing powerhouse until 1974, when the railroad shops began to close. Soon many other factories and industrial areas relocated or went out of business. By 1980, there were few operating industrial areas in the city, and unemployment soared to 16%. Although development of the Far East side at Fox Valley Mall brought stimulus, it helped lead to the decline of the downtown area on Stolp Island. Starting in the late 1980s, several business and industrial parks were established on the outskirts of the city. Today some of the old industrial districts have been reoccupied as warehouses. In 1993, a casino was built downtown, which brought redevelopment to the downtown area. In the late 1990s, more development began in the rural areas outside of Aurora. Subdivisions sprouted up all around the city; Aurora's population soared. Today, approximately 70,000 of the city's residents live in these areas of the city.
EconomyAurora is on the edge of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. The city has a long tradition of manufacturing, making it an industrial center that could stand alone, separate from Chicago. Prominent manufacturers, past and present, included: Lyon Workspace Products, The Aurora Silver Plate Manufacturing Company, Barber Greene Ltd., the Chicago Corset Company, the Aurora Brewing Company, Stephens-Adamson Company, Caterpillar Incorporated, Allsteel Metals, National Metalwares, and Western Wheeled Scraper Works (later Austin-Western Inc.). Olsson Roofing Company, Inc. was started in 1914 and is one of the oldest companies in the city. The most prominent employer and industry was the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (later Burlington Northern) which was headquartered in Aurora. The CB&Q Roundhouse is still standing, and is now the popular restaurant Walter Payton’s Roundhouse.
Aurora Area Convention & Visitors BureauFormed in 1987, the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AACVB) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to aggressively promoting and marketing the area as a premier overnight destination. The goal of the AACVB is to enhance the economic and environmental well-being of a region comprising nine communities: Aurora, Batavia, Big Rock, Montgomery, North Aurora, Plano, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Yorkville.
EducationAccording to the United States Census, of Aurora's population over the age of twenty-five, 26% hold a bachelor's degree.
Two main school systems have served the Kane County, Illinois core location of Aurora, Illinois since the 1860s, one on either side of the Fox River which physically divides the city. In addition, the far eastern portion of Aurora, within DuPage County, Illinois, has been served by Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204 since that district's formation in 1972. All three of these districts (Aurora Public Schools: West Side (District 129), Aurora Public Schools: East Side (District 131) and IPSD) have their headquarters and administrative offices within the Aurora city limits. As of 2005 there will be no less than forty public schools within Aurora city limits, serving residents of Aurora and neighboring communities.
Due to the sheer size of the city of Aurora, these are not the only three school systems serving residents - some students in the far north end of the city (north of I88 in Kane County) attend Batavia, Illinois public schools, some on the far southwest side attend the Kaneland School district (headquartered in Maple Park, Illinois), and some students in the far south end of the city (Kendall and Will County portions) attend Oswego, Illinois public schools. 4 schools of Oswego School District #308, are located within Aurora's city limits.
Aurora is also home to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), a state-funded residential magnet school for grades 10 to 12. While IMSA operates under public funds (and uses the site originally designated West Aurora High School North Campus), it is managed wholly independently of the other public schools in the city of Aurora. Any Illinois student who meets admission requirements may apply to attend IMSA.
Aurora is also home to a few other private schools. Within Aurora there are three Roman Catholic High Schools- Aurora Central Catholic (Diocese of Rockford), Rosary (Diocese of Rockford), and Marmion Academy (Order of St. Benedict), and 7 Catholic elementary schools operated by the Diocese of Rockford. Along with these three schools is Aurora Christian High School and Elementary School.
The above-named districts have forty-six public schools within the city limits of Aurora (seventeen for District #131, thirteen for District #129, eleven for District #204, four for Oswego District #308 and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy). Aurora is also home to twenty-two private schools including Rasmussen College, 2 branches of the Waubonsee Community College, and the main campus of Aurora University.
LandmarksThe city is the location of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) and Aurora University. A non-profit organization Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple of Greater Chicago which is a major Hindu temple located near IMSA. Aurora also has its own zoo, Phillips Park Zoo. Aurora's downtown is full of architectural landmarks and historic places.
Museums- Aurora Historical Society
- Aurora Regional Fire Museum
- The Aurora Public Arts Commission
- Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall
- Phillips Park Zoo
- David L. Pierce Art and History Center
- SciTech Interactive Science Museum.
Downtown AuroraDowntown Aurora is home to the Paramount Theatre, a large live performance theater on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Hollywood Casino. There is also the Leland Tower, a former hotel which was the tallest building in Illinois outside the Chicago city limits. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places. Also located downtown is the main building of Aurora Public Library and a branch campus of Waubonsee Community College. Downtown Alive, a festival that includes live music and a variety of food booths, is held every Friday night in the summer. Roughly 8,000-10,000 people attend every Friday night. Downtown Aurora also hosts the annual Midwest Literary Festival during the second weekend in September. The Riverfront Playhouse is a not-for-profit theater that has held a storefront location in downtown Aurora since 1978.
Commemorative Street Names| Street Name | Location |
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| Blues Alley | Stolp Avenue between Galena Boulevard and Downer Place | | Dr. William Bonner Avenue | Pond Avenue changed to Bonner Avenue | | D. Lloyd A. Hall Avenue | Beach Street between Claim Street and Delius Street | | Vernon Louis Parrington Drive | White Avenue between Hartford Avenue and Terry Avenue | | Reverent Oliver Shackleford Jr. Way | Sumner Avenue between New York Street and Grand Boulevard | | Reverend Rovert Wesby Avenue | SLincoln Avenue between New York Street and Galena Boulevard | | Marie Wilkinson Boulevard | View Street between Illinois Avenue and Plum Street |
SportsAurora was once home to the Aurora Islanders/Blues/Foxes, a minor league baseball franchise that played from 1910-1915 in the Illinois-Wisconsin League. Their most famous player was Casey Stengel, who played one season with the team before being bought by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Stengel batted .352 and was the batting champion of the league for 1911, and also led the league with 50 stolen bases and had 27 outfield assists. The team played in a stadium on the west side in the former riverview park.
Waubonsie Valley High School (IPSD - District 204) Soccer has won the Northern Illinois regional championship, in this highly competitive region, for both boys and girls, almost every year since 1987. In 2007, the Waubonsie Valley High School girls team won the state championship and went on to achieve the #1 ranking of all high school girl's soccer teams in the United States, finishing with an undefeated season. Aurora has numerous youth soccer clubs, most of which have teams represented in the top five percent of the Northern Illinois Soccer League. Numerous youth soccer players from Aurora have been awarded college scholarships to, and are starting players for, major college soccer programs throughout the U.S. In addition to this legacy of success in soccer, Aurora maintains numerous developmental advantages for soccer enthusiasts. Three high quality indoor soccer venues allow for year-round soccer training and competition for children and adults alike. Additionally, several area travelling soccer clubs, as well as high schools, boast coaches and/or trainers who have played soccer professionally and/or who have been starting players for national teams from various countries, some of whom played for teams that won the World Cup. Supplementing the local soccer training regimen are professional soccer trainers from England, Brazil, Holland, Scotland, and numerous other countries. Several of these trainers played in the English Premier League, for the Brazil National Team, and for the Argentine National Team.
Fastpitch softball has been in Aurora since World War II and gained popularity in 1950 when the Aurora Sealmasters finished fifth in the nation. The Sealmasters went on to win National Championships in 1959, 1961, 1965 and 1967 and World Championships in 1966 and 1968. There were many different and competitive men's leagues in Aurora from the 1960s through the mid 1990's. There are still a few leagues and teams playing to this day.
Stonebridge Country Club, on Aurora's far northeast side was home to the LPGA Keebler-Kellogg classic from 2002-2004. Stonebridge was also a course in the 1991-1995 Men's Senior PGA tour.
Aurora University has Men's and Women's Basketball, Golf, Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country. It also has a men's football and baseball team, as well as women's softball and volleyball teams. Aurora University athletics are division III.
High school athletics are a major event in the city, as East and West Aurora High Schools have been rivals in all sports for over 100 years.
ClimateThe annual precipitation for Aurora is about 40 inches. The record high for Aurora is , on July 14, 1936. The record low is , on January 20, 1985. The average high temperature for Aurora in July is , the average January low is .
On July 17-18, 1996, a major flood struck Aurora, with of rain in a 24 hour period, which is an Illinois state record, and the second highest ever nationally. Flooding occurred in almost every low lying area, and in the Fox river valley. The flooding was just as bad in Blackberry creek, on Aurora's far west side.
Aurora has not been struck by any major tornadoes in recent history, although they occur in the area annually. The city can still receive heavy snowfall and experiences blizzards periodically.
Aurora was hit with one of the strongest earthquakes ever to strike Illinois on May 26,1909. It put cracks through chimneys and could be felt around.
In 1906 a tornado went through the Aurora Driving Park, a large recreation/amusement park and race track located where riddle highlands now stands. The tornado hit during the afternoon performance of the Ringling Brothers "Greatest Show on Earth" circus, when the park was crowded . It killed 2 people and injured 22, but the grandstand was still filled for the evening performance.
GeographyAurora is located at (41.759879, -88.298482).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.4 square miles (102.1 km²), of which, 38.5 square miles (99.8 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (2.26%) is water.
While the city has traditionally been considered as being in Kane County, Illinois (and in fact its downtown is still entirely in that county), Aurora is one of only three cities in Illinois where the city limits actually cover parts of four counties (the others are Barrington Hills & Centralia, Illinois): Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will.
Regions of AuroraAurora is generally divided into three regions, though politically the city is divided into several wards.
- The West Side is all of Aurora west of the Fox River
- The East Side,is the city east of the river excluding the DuPage County part.
- Fox Valley, also referred to as the Far East Side is the DuPage County part of the city. This is a misnomer because the region is not on the Fox River. In fact, some parts lie in the DuPage watershed instead of the Fox watershed. It is nicknamed because of its proximity to Westfield Fox Valley Mall; one of the first housing developments to be constructed simultaneously with the mall in Aurora is the "Fox Valley Villages".
Neighborhoods| Neighborhood | Location | Description |
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| Cherry Hill | Far West Side | An upper middle class neighborhood south of Galena Boulevard, near Blackberry Historical Farm. Cherry Hill was badly damaged in the 1996 flood, but has since recovered. A tornado related to the 1990 Plainfield Tornado storm also came close to this neighborhood, but with mostly roof and siding damage. | | Copleyville | East Side | The neighborhood surrounding the now vacant Copley Memorial Hospital. The neighborhood is east of Dutchtown and South of the Near East side. This neighborhood is one of the most densely populated in the city. | | Downtown | Northwest Side | | | Dutchtown | East Side | The neighborhood once predominately populated by German immigrants during the first half of the 20th century. The neighborhood is east of Copleyville and south of Uptown. | | Foxcroft | Far Northwest Side | A middle class neighborhood with moderate single family homes and townhomes. It was primarily built in the 1970s and was expected to be an epicenter of growth, which did not materialize for several decades. The West Aurora School district built a high school (commonly called North Campus) in 1978 to serve the population. After only a few years, the school was sold and it eventually became the Illinois Math and Science Academy state magnet school. Foxcroft is located west of Edgelawn and north of Indian Trail Road. | | Frontenac | Far East Side | | | Hometown | Southeast Side | | | Lakeside Sans Souci | Far West Side | A continuation of Sans Souci. It was built in the 1980s and 90s. Some homes are early McMansions. West of Orchard Road. This community suffered heavy damage in the 1996 flood. | | Little Italy | West Side | Neighborhood once mainly populated by Italian immigrants south of downtown on the west side, near South Lake Street and West Jericho Road. The neighborhood was once home to many manufacturing jobs. | | Near East Side | East Side | One of the oldest neighborhood of Aurora. This neighborhood is located between Downtown and Uptown. There are several large older homes, some dating back to the 1870s. | | Near West Side | West Side | A neighborhoods on the west side of downtown. It has similar architecture and age to the near east side. | | Newport Hill | Far East Side | | | Marywood | Northeast Side | | | Pigeon Hill | East Side | The former neighborhood where Romanian and other eastern European immigrants once flocked to in the late 1800s. This neighborhood is located just east of the Fox River, north of Indian creek. | | Riddle Highlands | West Side | Located on the West Side, off of North Lake Street and West Illinois Ave. It’s a very charming section of the city, with large, older homes dating back to the early 1900s. The Northgate Shopping Center is located on its eastern boundary. | | Sans Souci | Far West Side | An upscale neighborhood built primarily in the 1960s and 70s. It has long winding streets. Many affluent residents on the West Side live here. Many of the original residents later moved to the even tonier neighborhoods in Sugar Grove, Illinois. It is found northeast of Orchard Road and Prairie Road. | | Scraper-Moecherville | Southeast Side | | | Southpark | Southeast Side | | | Uptown | East Side | The center of Aurora's strong Hispanic culture. The area was an area just east of downtown, booming with large homes and bustling shops in the first half of the 20th century. Today, some old store fronts are still there. | |
InfrastructureTransportation
The city is the final stop of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line of the Metra commuter rail system, allowing rail service into Chicago. The city uses Pace bus for public busing. Along with Metra trains and Pace buses, Greyhound buses also stop at the Aurora Transportation
Center. Aurora does not currently have a stop for Amtrak trains, as the old station where they did stop closed in the 1980s. Aurora City Lines, the old city bus lines, was closed in the late 1980s, in favor of regional bus service. Aurora also used to have an extensive streetcar system that served most neighborhoods.
The Aurora Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport located in Sugar Grove, IL just outside of Aurora, Illinois. Although the airport is located within Sugar Grove, it is operated by the City of Aurora. The Aurora Airport is designed as a reliever airport for Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports, and also handles a lot of international cargo. It is capable of landing boeing 757 aircraft.
HealthcareAurora currently has two hospitals, one on the west side, Provena Mercy Center, and one in Fox Valley, Rush-Copley Medical Center.
There are other area hospitals, including Edward Hospital in Naperville, Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Central DuPage in Winfield and a Level 1 Trauma center at Good Samaritan in Downers Grove.
Aurora at one point had three hospitals, St. Joseph Hospital, on the west side, St. Charles hospital, in uptown, and Copley Memorial Hospital, on the east side. St Joseph and St, Charles hospitals have been converted into living centers, and the old Copley hospital, which was one of the largest hospitals in the area, sits vacant. The city of Aurora recently demolished the old smokestacks from the hospital, as they were starting to crumble and fall down.
Dreyer Medical and several other independent clinics and medical groups are spread throughout the city. The area surrounding Provena Mercy has evolved into a diverse healthcare district with services and offices.
MediaMany of Aurora's former television and radio stations were closed as stations from Chicago were favored among residents.
Television- Telefutera Channel 60 WXFT Aurora
- Channel 24 W24AJ Aurora
- Channel 54 W54EB Waubonsee Community College
- Channel 6 ACTV Aurora
- TLN Total Living Network
Radio- AM 1280 WBIG Aurora
- FM 95.9 WERV Aurora
- FM 107.9 WLEY Aurora
NewspaperThe Beacon News has been Aurora's Daily Newspaper since 1846. The Chicago Sun Times Newsgroup now operates the company. The Beacon prints 3 different editions : The Aurora edition, the Kendall county edition, and the Kane county edition. The paper has been recognized by the Associated press, the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, the Illinois Press Association, and the Chicago Headline Club as one of the best daily newspapers in the state of Illinois.
CrimeAurora has developed a reputation of being a crime ridden city, although crime has declined since a recent high in 2002. Gang presence is very strong in some Aurora neighborhoods. There are also several developing gangs in certain neighborhoods. Gang violence reached a high in the 1990s, with the city averaging nearly 30 murders per year. In July 2007, the Aurora Police Department and the FBI conducted a sweep and arrested 31 alleged gang members suspected of 22 murders dating back to the mid 1990s. There have been several recent, successful programs adopted by the city and the police department to reduce gang violence and prevent youths from joining gangs. Crime has dropped every year since 2002.
- Source: , Year: 2005 number of crimes per 100,000
Demographics City of Aurora
Population by year
| | 1850 | 1,200 | | 1870 | 11,162 | | 1890 | 20,000 | | 1900 | 24,147 | | 1910 | 29,800 | | 1920 | 36,300 | | 1930 | 46,589 | | 1940 | 47,200 | | 1950 | 50,600 | | 1960 | 63,715 | | 1970 | 74,200 | | 1980 | 81,293 | | 1990 | 100,279 | | 2000 | 142,990 | | 2007 | 175,952 (est.) |
As of the census of 2000, there were 142,990 people, 46,489 households, and 34,215 families residing in the city. The average number of residents to one household is 3.6 residents. The population density was 3,711.5 people per square mile (1,432.9/km²). There were 48,797 housing units at an average density of 1,266.6/sq mi (489.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.07% White, 11.06% African American, 0.36% Native American, 3.06% Asian American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.52% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.56% of the population.
There were 46,489 households out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,861, and the median income for a family was $61,113. Males had a median income of $41,429 versus $30,150 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,131. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residentsArts
Entertainment- Francis Laity, rock guitarist and song writer ( Beowulf, metal truck, strange brew).
- Kimberly Donley, adult model and actress.
- Andrea Evans, actress.
- Gene Greene, former ragtime entertainer.
- Dave Johnston, banjoist and singer for the bluegrass group Yonder Mountain String Band.
- Randy Shilts, author and journalist.
- Carl Thomas, R&B singer.
- Josh Gilbert, screenplay writer and actor.
- Maud Powell, violinist.
- Vernon Parrington, Pulitzer Prize winning author and former college football coach.
- Nicole Narain, adult model
- Bruce Newton, creator of children's television show character Garfield Goose.
- Paul Scheuring, Screenwriter and Director.
- Phillip Edward Van Lear, Actor.
- Bobby Z, Monster Truck Driver.
- John Barrowman, Scottish actor. Moved to Aurora at the age of 9
Politics and Law- Frank R. Reid, U.S. Representative from Illinois.
- Scott Palmer, former Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Dennis Hastert.
- Charles Henry Dietrich, former governor of Nebraska.
- Linda Chapa LaVia, member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
- Chris Lauzen, member of the Illinois State Senate.
- Roy Solfisburg, former Illinois Chief Justice.
- Dennis Hastert, Former Speaker of the House.
- Ira Clifton Copley, former United States statesman and newspaper publisher.
- Lewis M. Long, Former Member of the U.S. House of representatives from Illinois.
- Patricia Reid Lindner, member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
- Robert W. Pritchard, member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
- Tim Mahoney, Member of the U.S. House of representatives from Florida.
Other- James Compton, former president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League.
- G. David Tilman, ecologist.
- Nathaniel Popp, the current archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America's Romanian Episcopate.
- Edna Murray, Depression-era outlaw.
- Dean O'Banion, mobster.
- James F. Phillips, Environmental Activist.
- Jeffrey Skilling, former CEO of Enron Corporation.
- Tom Skilling, Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV meteorologist
- John Drury, longtime anchor of the Chicago 'Eyewitness News' on the Chicago ABC affiliate.
- Walter E. Truemper, American war hero.
- Lester W. Weber, American war hero.
- Jim McGuinn, Former Radio program director.
- James H. Monroe, Recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Sports- Chick Hearn, former sportscaster.
- Kurt Becker, former NFL player.
- Brad Childress, current NFL coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
- Rich Becker, former MLB player.
- Kenny Battle, former NBA player.
- Don Beebe, former NFL wide receiver.
- Joe Krakoski, former NFL linebacker.
- Mark Catlin, former College Football Coach.
- Jim Platt, College Basketball Coach.
- Bob Kipper, former MLB reliever.
- Chris Ziemann, NFL player.
- Mike Small, PGA golfer.
- Quavas Kirk, Major League Soccer player.
- Zachary Taylor Davis, architect of Old Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field.
- Josh Harmony, professional skateboarder.
- Jenny Jaquez, SIUE Track and Field school record holder
- Randy Melvin, defensive line coach of the Cleveland Browns.
- Steve Thompson, former NFL player.
- Tom Petranoff, former Olympic record holder.
- Bob Johnson, former MLB pitcher.
- Mario Ramos, MLB pitcher.
- Roy Horstmann, former NFL player.
- Marger Apsit, former NFL player.
- Keith Terceira, Boxing Coach.
- Billy Taylor, Head Coach, Ball State University.
- Michael Bowden, MLB pitcher
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