A history of Aurora,
since 1819
Postcards, papers and photographs of Aurora from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Aurora was platted in 1819. It was named for Aurora, the goddess of dawn in Roman mythology. Aurora was incorporated as a town in 1822 and became a city in 1848, though some sources say 1845.
Aurora is known for its historic downtown area and the ornate Hillforest mansion built for Thomas Gaff who earned his fortune shipping goods on the Ohio River by steamboat. The mansion was designed by architect Isaiah Rogers and was completed in 1855 in the Italian Renaissance style. The design is symmetrical. Details include deep overhangs, arched windows and balconies and porches. Hillforest was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Aurora’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewPostcard (unsent) showing wharf b…, 1910: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Aurora
See all 11 →
Aurora, decade by decade
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…1875
MapAtlas of Dearborn County, Indiana - to which is added a map…18751970s
1990s
11 historic places in Aurora
Aurora has 11 listings on the National Register, and they protect 284 historic buildings, because Downtown Aurora Historic District alone counts 272. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier, which fewer than 3% of listings reach.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Postcard (unsent) showing wharf boat at Aurora, Indiana, Ohio River mile 497 (1910) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (13) and the National Register (5). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.