In previous essays, I highlighted some of the streets of Aurora because of their historic value. Herewith, I will concentrate on the oddities of some of the City’s streets. Get out your map of Aurora, dear reader, and follow along. (What? You don’t have a map? Shame!)
First up: Some streets which have disappeared.
• Elm Street: It bordered Wilder Park on the near North Side, running from North Lake Street east to North River Street. In 2002, it became an extension of West Park Avenue.
• Ogden Street (not to be confused with Ogden Avenue, as if any street could be!: It was west of South River Street and ran from Second Street to the CB&Q trunk line. In 1986, that segment from Second Street to Third Street became an extension of Middle Avenue, and the remaining segment was subsumed by Richards-Wilcox’s employee parking lot.
• Jericho Circle: It began and ended on the south side of Jericho Road, east of Terry Avenue. It serviced a low-income-housing complex which was, unfortunately, not properly maintained; more trash and garbage than you could shake a stick at littered the entire property. The city had profuse problems with the residents and so, took decisive action; in 2016, everyone was evicted, and all the buildings were razed. There is now an empty space behind the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry.
Next: Some streets which exist in pieces.
• On the West Side, Russell Avenue (as piecemeal as they come!): Starts at Lakewood Place and the north entrance to Lincoln Park and runs north to West Park Avenue. It skips a couple of blocks and resumes from Hoyt Avenue to Illinois Avenue to form the eastern border of Greene Field. It used to be accessible from Plum Street, but that block is now part of a lumber yard. Another one-block segment starts at New Haven Avenue and disappears into an industrial park. The next piece runs from North Russell Circle to Old Indian Trail, its only access point. Finally, the last section goes from Cedarwood Place to West Sullivan Road, again, its only access point.
• And while we’re in the neighborhood, let’s look at Lancaster Avenue. It starts at Hardin Avenue and runs north to Illinois Avenue. A short block, it’s framed by Robert Street and Richard Street and finishes off Lancaster.
• Nearby Morton Avenue begins at Charles Street (it was not named after me – more’s the pity!) and goes north to New Haven Avenue. There’s a short piece between Robert and Richard Streets, and the last piece runs from Old Indian Trail to Huntington Drive
• On the East Side, Calhoun Street starts at Liberty Street and runs south to Kane Street. It picks up one block later at East New York Street and continues to East Galena Boulevard. Another break finds us at some where north of North Avenue and finishes at some where south of Binder Street where it disappears.
• Staying in that same neighborhood, we have Sumner Avenue, beginning at Liberty Street and running south to Kane Street. It picks up again at East New York Street and goes to East Galena Boulevard. The final segment starts at Fifth Avenue and disappears south of Binder Street.
• In the same area, Loucks Street begins at Dearborn Avenue and goes south to Second Avenue. It skips to Fifth Avenue and ends at the intersection of Binder Street and Kriss Drive. FYI, these last three streets end in the subdivision known historically as “Moecherville.” To the south, there was a field and the site of the old Hi-Lite 30 drive-in movie theater. A new subdivision now occupies this area and quite possibly, those streets may have been extended to Montgomery Road (and beyond). I haven’t been in this area since I stopped driving a taxi in September 2001.
Are you ready for a jiggedy-jog, dear reader? No? Too bad — you’re getting one anyhow.
North Avenue begins at South River Street on the West Side and continues east to Jackson Street. You jiggedy-jog south a few paces to where North Avenue continues to Hill Avenue. North Avenue belongs in the pieces category, because there is another segment which begins west of Kendall Street and disappears some where east of South Farnsworth Avenue.
There are many more odd streets in Aurora, of course, but I’m over my word limit. So, as they say in the newspaper business: “to be continued.”
Just a thought.