By Ricky Rieckert
Welcome back again to this week’s Aurora History Tour. We start our tour on the East Side, on North Avenue heading west from Jackson Street.
As we head west, the first street is Bevier Place, which heads north to Benton Street and runs south to Fourth Avenue.
The next street is T Street, which runs north into Clark Street. Clark Street has a short run from east to Bevier and west to Fifth Street, which makes T shape with T Street. Hence, T Street.
There are a lot of old houses on T Street and North Avenue, to Broadway Street (Route 25).
Cruising to North Avenue and LaSalle Street, on the northwest corner, is Jennings Terrace, with a storied history in Aurora, that occupies the land from North Avenue north and runs from LaSalle Street to Broadway.
Starting in the old five-story limestone building, in 1859, the Clark Seminary opened to students, named after the vision of the Reverend John Clark.
In 1864, Eliza Wallace Jennings donated $15,000, and the school was renamed to Jennings Seminary.
Jennings became an all girls school in 1898. In 1942, the school closed, and interest and need for a senior residence grew.
March 16, 1943, Jennings Terrace received a charter as a not-for-profit organization. July 5 of the same year, 64 senior residents moved into the refurbished Jennings Terrace.
March 13, 1959, a disastrous fire destroyed the 100 year old building. Four residents perished in the fire: Alfred Franzen, Jasper Davis, Charles Bartholomew, and Ernest State.
The organization received an outpouring of help from the community with support in housing and donations.
In 1961, the newly-completed one-story building opened with an expansion and updates to accommodate more than 100 residents.
In 1985, the Kemmerer Annex, a 60-bed nursing center, was completed.
We move to S. Broadway and North Avenue, on the northeast corner is Jennings Terrace.
On the southwest corner is very large brick building, which I believe was one of the first houses built in Aurora. I have never been in it, but I bet it was incredible when it was built. I think it’s been an apartment building for quite a few years.
On the southeast side of the intersection, I believe it was always a filling station/gas station. At one time, it was a J & L gas station, then it was Hicks-atomic, when I was growing up. Today it’s a Mobile gas station and mini-mart.
Next week, we’ll continue with the Northwest Side of the intersection, with a great history to read and remember.
Remember, time flies by, as we get older, but memories, last forever….
Have a great week!