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.
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 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
By Ricky Rieckert Greetings, The Voice readers! This week, as we start another week of The History of Aurora: Buildings, businesses, and streets on the History of Aurora Tour Bus, we’re heading from the start of Jackson Street at E. Downer Place, (originally Fox Street), to the south. On the
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.
