A history of Aurora,
since 1870
Postcards, papers and photographs of Aurora from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The Honey Creek area, near Aurora, was originally settled by pioneers from Tennessee, including James D. Hillhouse, E. B. Hillhouse, Reverend A. A. Young, James Barrow and James Gibson. They were later instrumental in founding Aurora. Their descendants include actor Brad Pitt and novelist and national security analyst Raelynn Hillhouse.
Aurora was platted in 1870 by Stephen G. Elliott. It was reportedly named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn.
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 viewAurora, Mo., from the west, 1907: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Aurora
See all 8 →
Aurora, decade by decade
CommonsBasil Roberts and James Hopper, both 12 years old, go to sc…1910
LOCA Boy (may be over 14) at Heavy Work. Shoveling Ore at Dais…1910
LOCThree Boys Shoveling Zinc Ore from Car Into Wagon, Near Big…1910
LOCBasil Roberts and James Hopper, both 12 years old, go to sc…1910
LOCBasil Roberts and James Hopper, both 12 years old, go to sc…1910
CommonsScoville Tabernacle, Aurora, Mo1915
CommonsScoville Tabernacle, Aurora, Mo1915
LOC"The Menace Family" April 15, 19151915
LOCHome of The Menace1915
LOCThe Menace composing and make-up room1915
LOCThe Menace linotype battery1915
LOCA section of The Menace subscription list1915
LOCSeveral views, Menace editorial staff1915
LOCThe Menace Force ready to join patriotic parade at Aurora, …1917
LOCCity Hall1919
LOCCity Hall1919
LOCPatriotic convention19191990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Aurora, Mo., from the west (1907) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (7) and the Library of Congress (14). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.