October 17 Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000 to signal the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. – 1931. Olympic Gold Medal winner Tommie Smith and Bronze Medal winner John Carlos are forced...
Garry Adelman, chief historian of the American Battlefield Trust will present “The Battle of Gettysburg In-Depth”, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday Oct. 20 at Garfield Farm Museum, 3N016 Garfield Road, Campton Hills. This event will be an immersive, educational experience featuring the 8th Illinois Cavalry Reenactors, 1860s music...
By Ricky Rieckert This week, I’m going to start on W. Galena Boulevard, heading east, from Constitution Drive. On the Northside, right off Galena Boulevard, was a department store called Zayre’s. It was open for a long time. However, due to theft and it becoming trashed, it was closed. Walmart...
In a nod to election season, “Buttons, Banners and Ballots” is an exhibit featured at the Aurora Historical Society’s Pierce Art and History Center. The public is invited to the show at the center, 20 E. Downer Place in Aurora. Admission and parking are free. The exhibit runs to Nov....
By Ricky Rieckert This week, I’m starting on N. Farnsworth and E. New York Street moving north. At the southwest corner, of Liberty Street was a small grocery store called the Bread Box. Don, who was Greek, I believe, owned it for many years, since I was a little boy....
The Aurora Historical Society’s newest exhibit is now open. “Buttons, Banners, and Ballots: Political Memorabilia of the Past,” includes political buttons, signs, images, commemorative memorabilia, and more, from the 1860s to the 2000s. Items from both local and national elections are included. The exhibit, which will run through Saturday, Nov....
By Ricky Rieckert I’m sorry, but I left a few things, out of my article, last week. First off The Mug Tavern, was a great place to see live bands on the weekends. I saw quite a few. I saw the bands Off Broadway and Survivor. Jim Peterik, from Berwyn...
September 26 For the first time in U.S. history, a debate between major party presidential candidates is shown on television. The presidential hopefuls, John F. Kennedy, a Democratic Party senator of Massachusetts, and Richard M. Nixon, the vice president of the United States, meet in a Chicago studio to discuss...
By Ricky Rieckert This week, we’re starting from E. New York Street and Broadway, going South. About the third building, on the Westside was the Paradise Inn. One of the best Chinese restaurants in Aurora, owned by the Park family. Moving south, on the south westside of Galena Boulevard (Main...
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Aurora Public Library District (APLD) is offering a unique opportunity to dive into the rich history of Aurora. Monday, Sept. 23, the Library will welcome historian and author Dr. Alejandro Benavides, to speak about his research in the program titled Olivia & the...
Aurora police and fire departments were host to Aurora’s annual Sept. 11 memorial ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 11. Beginning at 7:30 a.m., Aurora’s public safety officials and City leaders were joined by community members at APD headquarters, 1200 E. Indian Trail. Marking the 23rd anniversary of the tragedies in New York,...
By Ricky Rieckert Dear reader’s, It was brought to my attention that when I wrote about S. Lake Street, a couple of weeks ago, I forgot to include Hardee’s, which was between Gayle and Prairie Street’s, on S. Lake Street. They had a store on N. Farnsworth Avenue and Indian...
September 12 Six months after the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev succeeds him with his election as first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Khrushchev, in 1961, authorized construction of the Berlin Wall in East Germany. – 1960. Hurricane Gilbert slams into Jamaica. Approximately...
By Ricky Rieckert Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day. This week in Aurora, I’m going to touch base about the Blue Lantern Restaurant on E. New York Street. Some people wanted to know more about the restaurant. In the Summer of 1973, my brother, a year younger and I...
September 5 Between 20,000 to 30,000 marchers participate in New York’s first Labor Day parade with the demand for an eight-hour work day. – 1882. In the early morning hours of September 5, six members of the Arab terrorist group known as Black September, dressed in the Olympic sweat suits...
By Ricky Rieckert I hope everyone has a beautiful upcoming Labor Day weekend. This week in Aurora, we take off at Broadway and Illinois Avenue and go south. On the riverside, west of Illinois is Carl Stirn’s Boat Marina. It’s been around a long time. I purchased my first yacht...
August 29 Atahuallpa, the 13th and last emperor of the Incas, dies by strangulation at the hands of Francisco Pizarro’s Spanish conquistadors. The execution of Atahuallpa, the last free reigning emperor, marked the end of 300 years of Inca civilization. – 1533. At a remote test site at Semipalatinsk in...
By Ricky Rieckert This week, I will finish up with North Lake Street in Aurora. On the northwest corner of North Lake Street and Indian Trail, on the corner, was Ed Fanning Chevrolet car dealership. Set back, in a strip mall, was Gaylord’s Department Store. It then became a Jewel...
August 22 The Geneva Convention of 1864 for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick of Armies in the Field is adopted by 12 nations meeting in Geneva. The agreement calls for non-partisan care to the sick and wounded in times of war and provided for the...
By Ricky Rieckert This week, we start at Illinois Avenue and North Lake Street in Aurora. At the northeast corner was Golden Bear Restaurant. I remember going there at midnight, with a couple of friends on a Friday night. There was a waiting list, to be seated. One friend, gave...
