By Ricky Rieckert
Dear readers, subscribers, and patrons,
Happy Fourth of July!
This week, on East New York Street at Union Street, on the northeast corner, was Matt’s Texaco.
Matt Monaco owned and operated it.
He had a white flag outside of the station, for a Chicago White Sox win, and a black flag for a loss.
Across the street on the northwest corner was Roesch’s Hardware.
The front entrance was diagonal to the building, with a couple of stairs to enter.
It had the old time hardwood floors and carried a lot of stuff.
It’s now El Paso grocery store.
Next door, heading west, was a dime store, Weirich’s T.V. Store, then Bill’s Paint Store, which later, was Jack’s Paint Shop.
Starting from Johnson Drug Store on the south side was the East New York Street entrance to National Tea Grocery, which wrapped around the Drug Store, and had an entrance on North Union Street.
This later became Hensley’s Dime Store.
On Madison Street one block west, was a J&L Gas Station.
West of that was Sadler’s Music.
A few blocks west, at the northeast corner was a Sunoco Gas Station.
Just west was Root Street, on the northwest corner, was Konen’s Standard Gas Station.
On the southwest corner was the newer National Tea Grocery Store.
Moving west was the north side of McCarty Park.
On the south side was St. Charles Hospital.
It’s amazing what the City of Aurora had, many years ago.
Roesch’s Hardware Store reminded me of the old western days.
Have a great week.