May 22 A massive wagon train, made up of 1,000 settlers and 1,000 head of cattle, sets off down the Oregon Trail from Independence, Mo., known as the “Great Emigration.” -1843. Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 gives federal workers a pension. – 1920. May 23 An estimated 100,000 textile
The historic Tanner House Museum, 305 Cedar Street, Aurora, will open for the 2025 season Sunday, May 18. The museum will be open on Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. through September 21. The Tanner House, an 1857 home, is furnished and decorated in Victorian-era style. Visitors to
By Ricky Rieckert(Final part) With this final article about the history of Aurora’s social, nationality, and service clubs, I hope you have enjoyed the stroll down memory lane. It’s a privilege to write about the history of this great city, Aurora. As the Luxies cemented themselves as a premier club
May 15 U.S. president John Adams orders the federal government to pack up and leave Philadelphia and establish the Nation’s new capital in Washington, D.C.. – 1800. The Seven Years War, a global conflict known in America as the French and Indian War, officially begins when England declares war on
May 1, 2025Dear editor; The Executive Order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” was signed March 27, targeting the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for promoting an alleged “improper ideology.” This order threatens not only the ability of institutions to engage with the
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 8) As we begin this week with Aurora’s social clubs, let us take a moment to remember our fallen heroes of our Armed Service clubs and those who have passed from the many social, nationality, and service clubs from this great City of Aurora, as Memorial Day
May 8 Both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory Day in Europe. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners and rejoice in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. – 1945. Approximately 200 construction workers in New
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 7) Dear readers, I hope everyone is enjoying the articles as we head in to part 7 of Aurora social clubs. We start with the Cosmopolitan Club. The Cosmopolitan Club of Aurora was established in 1927 as a local chapter of the international organization founded in 1918.
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
