Aurora, Illinois

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City of Aurora, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will
Townships	Aurora, Naperville, Wheatland, Sugar Grove, Batavia, Winfield, Oswego
Founded	1835
Government
- Mayor	Tom Weisner (D)
Area
- Total	39.4 sq mi (102.1 km²)
- Land	38.5 sq mi (99.8 km²)
- Water	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²)
Elevation	577 –735 ft (176 m - 224 (203) m)
Population (2007)
- Total	175,952
- Density	3,711.2/sq mi (1,432.9/km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.aurora-il.org/

Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 175,952 (2007 est.). Aurora lies within four counties: Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will. About 110,000 of the city's residents reside in Kane County, while about 42,000 live in DuPage County. Will and Kendall County together only account for a few thousand of Aurora's total population. The city refers to itself as "The City of Lights" because it was one of the first cities in Illinois to implement an all-electric street lighting system in 1881. Aurora officially adopted the nickname in 1908.^[1]

History

Downtown Aurora, IL: Fox River and Galena Boulevard dam, Paramount Theatre, Aurora Riverwalk, Civic Center, and Leland Tower

Before 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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.^[2]

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%.^[2] 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.

Economy

Aurora 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 Bureau

Formed 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.

Education

According 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.

Landmarks

The 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.

The Phillips Park 'Sunken Garden'.

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.

The Paramount Theatre under renovation, downtown Aurora.

Downtown Aurora

Downtown 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.^[5]

History of Entertainment

Aurora has a rich history of entertainment. There were several theaters in the downtown area and several large community parks with baseball stadiums, circus acts, and race tracks.

Aurora has had at least 20 theaters and playhouses in its existence. Some of the more popular were:

Commemorative Street Names

Sports

Aurora 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.

Climate

The annual precipitation for Aurora is about 40 inches. The record high for Aurora is 111 °F (44 °C), on July 14, 1936. The record low is −26 °F (−32.2 °C), on January 20, 1985. The average high temperature for Aurora in July is 84 °F (29 °C), the average January low is 10 °F (−12 °C).

On July 17-18, 1996, a major flood struck Aurora, with 16.9 inches (430 mm) 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 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 km²) 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.

Geography

Aurora is located at 41°45′36″N, 88°17′55″W (41.759879, -88.298482).^[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.4 square m