May 1 New York City’s Empire State Building officially opens. Construction involved 3,400 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe, and hundreds of Mohawk Native American iron workers. Five workers die during construction. – 1931. A record-breaking wave of tornadoes begins across the southern and midwestern United States on this day in
By Ricky Rieckert(Part Six) Welcome back to part six about service clubs in Aurora; the ones that once were, and the ones that are still out there, fighting for good causes to help people. We’ll start with the Optimist Club. I believe they’re no longer existent in Aurora. Their mission:
April 24 On Easter Monday in Dublin, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret organization of Irish nationalists led by Patrick Pearse, launches the so-called Easter Rebellion, an armed uprising against British rule. They riot and attack British provincial government headquarters across Dublin and seize the Irish capital’s General Post Office.
By Ricky Rieckert (Part 5) Welcome to the fifth part, of fraternal, nationality, social clubs, and social clubs of Aurora. This week, I want to start out by stating that I have belonged to all of the clubs, except the Seventh Ward Club, which I went to a few times.
Public viewing of the Viking, a replica longship displayed at Good Templar Park, 528 East Side Drive in Geneva, will begin Saturday, April 20. Guided and self-guided viewing hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Additional dates will be May 17, June 15, 21, 22; July 19, Aug.
By Woodrow Carroll Frank Lane, Charlie Dressen, and Buddy Parker. Three names from the sporting world that were often mentioned in the 1950s. Each one a study in how not to operate when things were in your favor. At least for the moment! First up we have Frank Lane. Lane
Art deco metal housewares dating to the 1930s are showcased in the Aurora main library’s new exhibit. The display on the third floor of Santori Aurora Public Library, 101 S. River Street in Aurora, runs through June. Admission and parking are free. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.
April 17 Heavy eruptions of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia are letting up by this day in 1815. The volcano, which began rumbling April 5, killed almost 100,000 persons directly and indirectly. The eruption was the largest ever recorded and its effects were noted throughout the world. – 1815. The
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 4) Dear readers, This week I’ll begin with part four of, what I think will finish with part five as the grand finale, of this informational article from my memory archives. Hope you totally enjoy the rest of this historical and factual article. Let’s continue with organizations
“Locked up in prison, surrounded by barbed wire.” That’s how Morton Grove storyteller Anne Shimojima described her parents’ and grandparents’ experiences in World War II internment camps. With photos from her family and the National Archives, the retired educator turned storyteller and workshop presenter gave “Hidden Memory: An American Story”
April 10 The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by philanthropist and diplomat Henry Bergh. – 1866. U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an innovative federally-funded organization that put thousands of Americans to work during
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 3) Dear readers, Here is part three of Aurora’s nationality social clubs and other social clubs. I hope you have enjoyed parts one and two, along with the entire paper. In part two, I forgot to mention, the Aurora Moose Lodge #400, a fraternal organization, resided in
April 3 The first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously leaves St. Joseph, Mo., and Sacramento, Calif.. Ten days later, April 13, the westbound rider and mail packet completed the approximately 1,800-mile journey and arrives in Sacramento to beat the eastbound packet’s arrival in St.
Gray’s Mill, 211 N River Street in Montgomery, will be host to a lecture on “The Early History of Montgomery and the Story of Daniel Gray” at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6. The speaker will be Montgomery resident Debbie Buchanan. Debbie currently serves as Village Clerk and is active on
By Ricky Rieckert Part 2 of 3 Dear readers, As we return this week with part 2, I hope everyone enjoyed the article last week and the newspaper. There were a lot of good stories and pictures throughout the paper. Let’s start. In part 1, the Luxembourg Club, on High
March 27 The University of Oregon defeats The Ohio State University, 46-33, in the championship game of the first NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Northwestern University in Evanston. The tournament, which started with eight teams, since has grown to 68 teams and has grown exponentially in popularity since 1939. –
By Penny Panayiota Deligiannis In June 1964, several Aurora Hellenes met with Bishop Meletios of Chicago representing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America to consider the facts. The requirements to establish the first Greek Orthodox Church in Aurora were met and approved by the Bishop, Illinois Secretary
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 1 of 3) Dear readers, This week, on Aurora’s Buildings, Businesses, and Streets, we’re heading to the Luxembourg Club (Luxie’s), 416 High Street. We’re parking the History of Aurora Tour Bus, up front in the north lot, off of Front Street, used by Art’s Body Shop during
By Woodrow Carroll It’s a week that sports fans especially relish. And, we are talking about the first week of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. A total of 68 teams have earned a spot in this season’s men’s tournament. From the time the first men’s final took place in 1939,
March 20 U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson notifies Alabama’s governor George Wallace that he will use federal authority to call up the Alabama National Guard in order to supervise a planned civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. – 1965. Several packages of deadly sarin gas are set off in
