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AURORA, IL 60506

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Aurora, IL

Aurora is the largest city in Kane County, Illinois. The city also lies within Dupage, Kendall,and Will counties. As reported in the 2000 U.S. census, the city was home to 142,990 people, while the city's estimated 2007 population is 175,952. About 110,000 of the city's residents reside in Kane County, while about 42,000 live in DuPage County. Only a few thousand Aurorans are in Will and Kendall Counties.

Country United States
State Illinois
Counties Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will
Founded 1835
Government
 - Mayor Tom Weisner (D)
Area
 - Total 39.4 sq mi (102.1 km)
 - Land 38.5 sq mi (99.8 km)
 - Water 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km)
Elevation 577 �735 ft (176 m - 224 (203) m)
Population (2007)
 - Total 175,952
 - Density 3,711.2/sq mi (1,432.9/km)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.aurora-il.org/

The city refers to itself as "The City of Lights" because it was one of the first communities to adopt all-electric street lighting (in 1881 - the nickname was adopted in 1908). The name Aurora means dawn. Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois.

Before white settlers arrived, there was a Native American village in what is today downtown Aurora. In the early 1830's, the McCarty brothers arrived and initially owned land on both sides of the river, but sold their lands on the west side, living and operating their mill on the east side. Aurora was originally two towns: McCarty Mills on the east side and Hartford on the west side of the Fox River. McCarty Mills was named for founders Samuel and Joseph McCarty. McCarty Mills eventually incorporated as Aurora, and Hartford incorporated as West Aurora. The name of Aurora was chosen because the Aurora Borealis, or "Northern Lights", were shimmering fantastic hues of greens and blues high above the night sky on the eve of a then-popular festival called Dairy Days. To this day, Aurora is one of few cities with official colors (of blue and green) due to this event. The two sides became one in 1835. The Aurora Fire Department was established in 1856, and took ownership of its first fire engine that year. The city incorporated in 1857. The two sides couldn�t agree on which side of the river should house the public buildings, so most public buildings were built on or around Stolp Island in the middle of the Fox River. A parking garage stands at the site of the original City Hall and Post Office. The two towns leave a legacy of rivalry between the East and West which is mostly enacted through a high school football/basketball rivalry. This is the oldest high school rivalry in the state of Illinois. As the city grew, many factories and jobs came to Aurora, along with many people. Several immagrants flocked to the city, mainly from Great Britain, Ireland, Scandanavia, Transylvania, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and Italy. Aurora was and still is the main economic center of the Fox Valley Area. Aurora was a manufacturing powerhouse until 1974, when the railroad shops began to close. Soon many other factories and industrial areas became vacant. By 1980, there were few operating industrial areas in the city. Unemployment was over 15 percent. Before things got too out of hand, the city approved the Hollywood Casino Aurora. The casino brought redevelopment to the downtown area as well as the residential areas around it. It also brought the building of several business and industrial parks on the outsides of the city. Today many of the old factories have been reoccupied as warehouses, although several large inner city factories remain vacant.

Economy
Aurora is on the edge of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. The city has a long tradition of manufacturing, making it an industrial center that could stand alone, separate from Chicago. Prominent manufacturers, past and present, included: Lyon Workspace Products, The Aurora Silver Plate Manufacturing Company, Barber Greene Ltd., the Chicago Corset Company, the Aurora Brewing Company, Stephens-Adamson Company, Caterpillar Incorporated, Allsteel Metals, and Western Wheeled Scraper Works (later Austin-Western Inc.). Olsson Roofing Company, Inc. was started in 1914 and is one of the oldest companies in the city. The most prominent employer and industry was the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (later Burlington Northern) which was headquartered in Aurora. The CB&Q Roundhouse is still standing, and is now the popular restaurant Walter Payton�s Roundhouse.

Aurora, IL Schools
According to the United States Census, of Aurora's population over the age of twenty-five, 26% hold a bachelor's degree.

Two main school systems have served the Kane County, Illinois core location of Aurora, Illinois since the 1860s, one on either side of the Fox River which physically divides the city. In addition, the far eastern portion of Aurora, within DuPage County, Illinois, has been served by Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204 since that district's formation in 1972. All three of these districts (Aurora Public Schools: West Side (District 129), Aurora Public Schools: East Side (District 131) and IPSD) have their headquarters and administrative offices within the Aurora city limits. As of 2005 there will be no less than forty public schools within Aurora city limits, serving residents of Aurora and neighboring communities.

Due to the sheer size of the city of Aurora, these are not the only three school systems serving residents - some students in the far north end of the city (north of I88 in Kane County) attend Batavia, Illinois public schools, some on the far southwest side attend the Kaneland School district (headquartered in Maple Park, Illinois), and some students in the far south end of the city (Kendall and Will County portions) attend Oswego, Illinois public schools. 4 schools of Oswego School District #308, are located within Aurora's city limits.

Aurora is also home to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), a state-funded residential magnet school for grades 10 to 12. While IMSA operates under public funds (and uses the site originally designated West Aurora High School North Campus), it is managed wholly independently of the other public schools in the city of Aurora. Young residents meeting IMSA's requirements who live in Aurora, or any other Illinois community, may apply for admission to IMSA.

The above-named districts have forty-six public schools within the city limits of Aurora (seventeen for District #131, thirteen for District #129, eleven for District #204, four for Oswego District #308 and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy). Aurora is also home to twenty-two private schools, 2 branches of the Waubonsee Community College, and the main campus of Aurora University.

Landmarks
The city is the location of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) and Aurora University. A Non-profit Organization Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple of Greater Chicago which is a major Hindu temple, and an Islamic mosque, are located near IMSA. Aurora also has its own zoo, Phillips Park Zoo. Aurora's Downtown is full of architectural landmarks, as well as historic places.

Information courtesy of Wikipedia

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