March 13 The German-born English astronomer William Hershel discovers Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun. Herschel’s discovery of a new planet was the first in modern times, and the first by use of a telescope, which allowed Herschel to distinguish Uranus as a planet, not a star, as previous
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, We start off this week in our tour of Aurora, on W. Benton Street, heading west toward S. River Street, from the former Post Office and Sci-Tech building. As we cross over the west branch of the Fox River, take notice that between the east
March 6 With the Great Depression under way, hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers demonstrate in 30 cities and towns; close to 100,000 filled Union Square in New York City and were attacked by mounted police. – 1930. March 7 Twenty-nine-year-old Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for his revolutionary
By Ricky Rieckert Dear faithful subscribers, readers, and all. This week, the Aurora History Tour Bus, is at the northwest corner of Benton Street and Stolp Avenue, (originally known as Island Avenue). This building, was home to the Aurora Elks Club. It was a beautiful two-story brick building. When I
By Woodrow Carroll There are a number of high schools around the country that as soon as you mention the school’s name there is almost instant recognition. And, very often the recognition is based on the school’s athletic achievements. With that in mind let’s hone in on McClymonds High School
February 27 A group of masked and costumed students dance through the streets of New Orleans, La. to mark the beginning of the city’s famous Mardi Gras celebrations. – 1827. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides for female suffrage, is unanimously declared constitutional by the eight members
February 13 Italian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, Galileo Galilei, arrives in Rome to face charges of heresy for advocating Copernican theory, which holds that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Galileo officially faced the Roman Inquisition in April of that same year and agreed to plead guilty in exchange for
By Ricky Rieckert Greetings one and all. Board the Aurora history tour bus, as we proceed on Benton Street. This week, heading west on E. Benton Street, the wrong way from Lincoln Avenue to Lasalle Street. On the southwest corner was, from what I know of, the Aurora Barber College.
February 6 After a long illness, King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, the eldest of the king’s two daughters and next in line to succeed him, was in Kenya at the time of her father’s
By Ricky Rieckert Hello fellow The Voice followers. This week, we’re going to start at E. Benton Street, starting at S. Ohio Street. On the northwest corner is Beaupre School, on the Northside built in 1908, I believe, along with Bardwell School on S. Lincoln Avenue, at the same time.
Aurora University’s Schingoethe Center museum will exhibit “Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories” Jan. 28-March 14. The event at the museum in the Hill Welcome Center, 1315 Prairie St. in Aurora, will display photos from a permanent exhibition at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Ariz. “Away” explores off-reservation
January 30 During a funeral service in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol to honor the late U.S. representative Warren R. Davis of South Carolina, a man discharged two pistols in the direction of U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Both weapons misfired, and the shooter was promptly subdued and arrested.
By Ricky Rieckert Last week, I finished up at W. Downer and S. River Street in Aurora’s past. This week we’ll start there and head west. On the northwest corner of Downer and River is the Old Second National Bank. I believe it’s the oldest bank in Aurora. The bank
January 23 An earthquake in Shaanxi, China, kills an estimated 830,000 persons. Counting casualties is often imprecise after large-scale disasters, especially prior to the 20th Century, but this disaster is still considered the deadliest of all time. – 1556. Elizabeth Blackwell graduates with the highest grades in her class when
By Ricky Rieckert To start with this week in an historical look back at Aurora, I forgot to add the addresses of both Fox Theaters. The Original, on Fox Street, was 24-28 Fox Street (three units). The New Fox Theater on Main Street, was 54 E. Main Street. Just west
January 16 The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes,” is ratified on this day in 1919 and becomes the law of the land. – 1919. Faced with an army mutiny and violent demonstrations against his rule, Mohammad
By Ricky Rieckert As we enter the New Year, I hope everyone had a great time with family and friends, over the holidays. I had some feedback on Fox Street (now E. Downer Place) from some friends. First off, directly across from the present City Hall, is the building that
January 9 Southern Tenant Farmers’ Union leads Missouri Highway sit-down of 1,700 families. They were evicted from their homes so landowners wouldn’t have to share government crop subsidy payments with them. – 1939. Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs unveils the iPhone, a touchscreen mobile phone with an iPod, camera, and
By Ricky Rieckert Dear subscribers and readers of The Voice. I would like to wish everyone, a Happy New Year and I hope the quarter century mark of 2025 will be a prosperous year for everyone. With 2024 at the end, we always wonder what happened to the year. Boy
January 2 Georgia votes to ratify the U.S. Constitution to become the fourth state in the modern United States, and was one of the original 13 colonies. – 1788. Albert Fall, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, resigns in response to public outrage over the Teapot Dome scandal.
