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History · Aurora Township

Aurora Township dates to 1880, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1964 on and the census since 1910.

1880founded
0on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Aurora Township began, and where its name came from

When was Aurora Township founded?

1880

Aurora Township dates its founding to 1880 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 236 in 19102020 census: 257146 years

How did Aurora Township get its name?

Aurora Township was named after Aurora, Illinois, by a settler from that place.

Founding year: Wikipedia. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Aurora Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Aurora Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew 6-fold.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Aurora Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Aurora Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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People over time

Aurora Township, census by census

02004006008001,000192019401960198020002020246 in 1920Low: 166

Lost a third of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew 6-fold.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Aurora Township’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Aurora Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Aurora Township.

Read it all →

Aurora was platted in 1880. It was named after Aurora, Illinois, by a settler from that place.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Aurora Township, 1880 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880
    FoundingAurora Township is established
  3. 20th century
  4. 1964On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 21st century
  6. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 1,047
By decade

Aurora Township, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Aurora SD ATT Speed Test Results2020Aurora SD ATT Speed Test ResultsAurora SD ATT Signal Survey Map2020Aurora SD ATT Signal Survey MapMapAurora Ballpark (c. 2008)2008Aurora Ballpark (c. 2008)SDMap-doton-Aurora2004SDMap-doton-Aurora
On the map

Aurora Township on the map, 1964 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Aurora Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Aurora Township on the 1964 USGS mapAurora Township on the 1985 USGS map1964Aurora sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Aurora Township.

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Brookings27 historic placesB+AuroraIts storyC−Trenton TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townAfton TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBushnellIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townAlton Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBrookings Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Aurora Township’s history

What year was Aurora Township founded?

In 1880, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1910 counted 236 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.