Aurora Historical Society New York

At our request Town Historian Robert Goller found a lot of evidence of some of the historic flooding of Tannery Brook in East Aurora. These floods mostly were d...ue to ice jams or extreme rains. A lot of this can be prevented by enlargement of the bridge culverts on the Brook and keeping it clear of debris. We are using this evidence to attach to Bridge NY grants to continue replacing more of these structures in the future. As most people are aware we replaced both North Grove and Whaley in the past 2 years and increased the flow through each of them by 50 percent. We are hoping to add Church Street next with East Fillmore to follow with this funding. Thanks Rob for doing all of this hard work to help increase our chances of getting funding! See more

THE FRANK NYE HOME, pictured during different eras, was located on Main Street, across from the Aurora Town Public Library and west of the Presbyterian Church. The house was later torn down.

Thanks to The Buffalo News for featuring the Historian's Office and local connections to historic pandemics in the "Refresh" supplement last weekend. If you sub...scribe to The Buffalo News, the article is available on their website: https://buffalonews.com//article_8eb75d54-828e-11eb-9516-8. And be sure to pick up Dr. Thomas C. Rosenthal's historical fiction novel, Bloodletting and Germs, inspired by the life of Dr. Jabez Allen, who practiced in East Aurora in the 1800s. See more

DIAGONAL PARKING...A cropped version of one of these photographs was recently shared on social media, but here are broader images that show the diagonal parking... on both sides of Main Street, looking west from Church Street, in the 1940s. With the widening of Main Street (and the narrowing of the sidewalks), diagonal parking was brought to both sides of the uptown business district in June 1934. However, following a state Department of Transportation directive, the village reverted to parallel parking in November 1948. See more

Our Speaker Series is back! Come join us on March 25th as we welcome Chuck LaCiusa of 'Explore Buffalo' and learn all about the relationship between the Larkin Soap Company founders and Frank Lloyd Wright! Visit our event page for details!

GROVER CLEVELAND AND AURORA...Today is Presidents Day. Millard Fillmore might be East Aurora’s most prominent connection to the presidency, but he’s not the onl...y one. There is little doubt that Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president, spent time in East Aurora. As Erie County sheriff, from 1871 to 1873, Cleveland would have likely taken the train to East Aurora from time to time for official business. However, he was also a Town of Aurora landlord before becoming Buffalo mayor in 1882 and New York governor a year later. An 1880 map of the Town of Aurora indicates that a G. Cleveland owned 64 acres on the southwest corner of what is today Route 20A and Davis Road. It is unclear how Cleveland came to own the property, but a small article in the March 14, 1879, issue of the East Aurora Advertiser confirms that the G. Cleveland on the map was, in fact, the future president: On Tuesday night the entire farm buildings, house, barn, etc., on what is known as the John Hambleton farm on Quaker Street, and now owned by Ex-Sheriff Cleveland of Buffalo, were burned to the ground. (Image from the 1880 Illustrated Historical Atlas of Erie County, N.Y., published by F.W. Beers & Co., in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian’s Office). See more

Normally around this time of year, we’d be busy guessing who the special guest will be at our annual fundraiser! Due to the current circumstances, we don’t currently have plans to hold what would have been our 30th annual fundraising dinner. BUT, we aren’t counting it out completely and we are open to the possibility of holding a summer fundraising event in its place! Stay tuned! (Photos from last years fundraising dinner with special guest, Susan B. Anthony!)

OLEAN ROAD AT THE RAILROAD TRACKS...looked much different when this wintertime image was captured looking south in the early 1930s. The railroad tracks, located near the intersection of South Street, were later elevated in 1934.

STUCK IN THE SNOW...1945 was a particularly tough year weather-wise for our region. Several severe snowstorms made their way through the area, including this one, which resulted in a commuter train becoming stuck--and then buried--in the snow.

Happy 221st birthday, Millard! Sorry we can’t party with you in Forest Lawn this year! With your sad experiences with cholera, we know you understand our pandemic limitations!

THE NEW PONTIAC...was available 80 years ago at Oakwood Motor Sales at 542 Oakwood Ave., across from Sycamore Street. The building, which today serves as an apa...rtment building, had previously served as a horse livery. (Advertisement from the Nov. 21, 1940 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office). See more

Did you stop to see our Christmas tree in the Judges Stand this year? These guys did! Thanks to Lisa, Julie, and Sampson for tagging us after their visit!

CLEMENT MANSION BURNS...The Clement Mansion, also known as Honeywood Hill and The Homestead, on Mill Road burned to the ground this past weekend 50 years ago, J...an. 2, 1971. The former home of the late Dr. Stephen Clement, banker, businessman and owner of Elmhurst Dairy, was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The photographs show the home around 1915. See more

NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS...These "New Year Reflections" appeared on the front page of the East Aurora Advertiser as the year 1909 came to a close. They seem just as... appropriate 111 years later as we close out 2020. "Don't drown yourself in doubt, but buoy up your life with hope." (From the Dec. 30, 1909 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office). See more

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who stopped by to support us today! And thank you to MUSEjar for graciously letting use their sidewalk space, and for letting us warm up our toes every half hour...! We really hope we can have our usual Christmas Sale next year, but this won’t be the last of our pop-up shops, for sure!

Sending historic Christmas wishes to everyone!

We’re here til 4! Stop by and say hi - hot chocolate donations accepted.