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670AD
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Migratory people re-buried the bones of a man and boy along what will one day be known as Tollgate Creek. Found and excavated in 1989.
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1600s- 1800s
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People who will be known as the Arapaho and the Cheyenne passed through on the annual nomadic cycles.
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1803
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Area joined the United States of America through the Louisiana Purchase.
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1819
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Major Stephen H. Long explored the South Platte River valley. His expedition camped on the future site of Denver in 1820. He named the region “The Great American Desert”.
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1858
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William Green Russell found gold on the headwaters of cherry Creek at Russell Gulch near present day Parker. This began the Gold Rush.
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1860
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First recording of European settlers in this area. Thomas and Magdalen Fahey operated an open range cattle ranch with headquarters at present day Colfax and Sable streets. They ran 10,000 head of cattle from the South Platte to Colorado Springs area onto the prairie east of Aurora.
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1864
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Smoky Hill Trail surveyed and opened. Divided into three trails: North, South and Starvations (middle). All three trails passed through present day Aurora on the way into Denver.
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1868
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Homestead Act brought a rush of settlers to claim 160 acre plots. Aurora area began to fill with ranches. The DeLaneys, Gullys, and Kennedys settled here.
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1870
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Kansas Pacific Railroad completed its lines from Kansas City directly west to Denver, passing on the northern edge of present-day Aurora (Smith Road).
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1877
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John and Elizabeth Gully opened the first Tollgate School, 25th school in all of Colorado.
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1883
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Highline Canal finished. Existing today, it is 75 miles long with 12 ½ miles in present-day Aurora. The extra water made farming possible. William Smith takes up homesteading in the current Del Mar park area.
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1885
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William Smith founded a school on his land which eventually became the Aurora Public Schools.
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1879s
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Donald Fletcher arrived in Denver for his health. He decided the way to wealth is through land development.
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1891
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The town of Fletcher was incorporated on Aril 30
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1893
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Colfax Ave. Electric Railway opened a streetcar line in January of 1893 from the State Capitol to Dallas Street. This connected the people of Aurora to Denver.
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1893
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The Silver Panic left Fletcher broke and land values low. Fletcher left the state.
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1902
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Denver achieved “Home Rule” and became the City and County of Denver. Voters ratified Home Rule in November 1902 and Governor Orman signed it into law on December 1 1902. This legislation split what remained of Arapahoe County into Adams and Arapahoe counties with Colfax as the dividing line.
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1902
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By this time the Town of Fletcher had several lawsuits filed against it due to inconsistent water delivery.
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1907
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The town’s residents voted to Change the name of Fletcher to Aurora.
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1918
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Gutheil Nursery is purchased by Denver Civic and Commercial Association and leased to the US Department of the Army. Army General Hospital No. 21 began construction in April. The first group of building was dedicated on October 13 and began receiving patient that month though construction was not finished until 1919. The hospital treated WWI soldiers suffering from chemical warfare and tuberculosis.
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1920
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Army General Hospital No. 21 was renamed Fitzsimons Army Hospital on June 26 after Lt William T Fitzsimons, the first US casualty of WWI.
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1926
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Colfax Avenue became Highway 40, part of the nation’s first federal highway system. This spurred growth in the tourist industry; motels, gas stations and eateries lined the road.
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1929
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Aurora Public Library opened on February 13th in Mrs. Sarah Wood’s home at 1536 Dallas St. Remained in use until 1954.
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1929
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Stapleton opened on October 17 as the Denver Municipal Airport. Later renamed Stapleton Airfield and, later, Stapleton International Airport.
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1930
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Aurora reached “city” status with census population of 2,295. Minimum population for a city was 2,000.
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1931
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Public Service Company of Colorado installed gas lines and provided Aurora with gas for the first time.
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1932
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Denver Tramway Company streetcars made their last trip to Aurora on October 11.
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1933
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Aurora National Bank failed. The Great Depression hit Aurora hard.
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1933
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William Smith High School opened at 13th and Florence, honoring Mr. Smith’s 50 years on the school board. This was the first school in Colorado with a gymnasium.
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1938
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US Army began work building Lowry Air Corps Base of Denver land that is adjacent to Aurora. This began a building boom. Renamed Lowry AFB in 1946
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1942
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WWII sparked growth spurt with development of Lowry II on land 15 miles east on 6th St. Flight training school established here. At later dates renamed Buckley Airfield, Buckley AFB, Buckley Space Force Base
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1943
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First zoning codes passed
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1946
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Aurora Planning Commission established to provided guidelines for the post war boom.
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1946
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Aurora Fox Theater opened; built on Colfax out of war surplus Quonset Hut.
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1950
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Aurora population 11,421. Police dept. consisted of nine men.
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1953
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First City Manager, Earl Sandquist, is hired.
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1954
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Hoffman Heights annexed to Aurora with 1,704 homes and 7,000 people.
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1953-1955
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Lowry AFB served as Summer White House for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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1955
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Lowry AFB became the temporary home of the US Air Force Academy. First class entered on July 11, 1955. Moved to Colorado Springs in 1958.
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1959
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Aurora became Colorado’s fourth largest City.
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1959
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Lowry Bombing Range became a Titan missile launching site.
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1961
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Aurora approved its home rule charter. This meant Aurora had the power to choose its own form of government and certain aspects of it.
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1963
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Construction on the Homestake Project began with the goal of bringing water from the Western Slope to Aurora. This source continues to supply Aurora with much of its water to present day.
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1965
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Norma O. Walker was elected Mayor of Aurora. She was the first female mayor of a US city of more 60,000 residents.
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1966
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Last flight left Lowry AFB and runways closed in 1969.
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1967
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First water from Homestake Reservoir flowed to Aurora.
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1970
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Historical Commission set up to establish a museum.
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1971
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Buckingham Square Mall opened at the intersection of a two-lane paved road (Havana) and a two lane dirt road (Mississippi).
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1972
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Aurora’s population reached 100,000 with the birth of Brenda Lynn Johnson on June 6 at Fitzsimons. She received 100,000 pennies from the newspaper.
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1972
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I-70 opened
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1973
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Quincy Reservoir was completed.
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1975
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Aurora Mall opened
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1974
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Aurora Community Hospital (later Human) opened.
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1975
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Aurora Presbyterian Hospital opened.
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1974-1975
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Vickie Lovato, Pam Whitman, and Eileen Elhard applied to the Police Academy but were rejected after failing part of the physical test. Lawsuit filed and settlement reached in 1975. Vickie Lovato, Pam Whitman, Kathy McGann, and Eileen Elhard entered the Police Academy in 1976. Only Elhard did not complete training.
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1979
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Aurora History Center opens at 1633 Florence Street.
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1980
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Aurora became the 3rd largest city with a population of 158,588.
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1982
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Spiney Reservoir completed.
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1981-1975
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Aurora Fox Theater suffered major damage during a fire. It was restored throughout 1983-1985 and reopened in March 1985 as the Aurora Fox Performing Arts Center.
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1989-1990
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Construction of the Aurora Reservoir is completed.
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1991
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Aurora History Center moves to the former Court Building and renamed Aurora History Museum.
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1994
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Military downsizing closed Lowry AFB.
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1995
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Stapleton International Airport closed and DIA opened.
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1997-1999
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Military downsizing ended operations at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in 1997 with some exceptions. Fitzsimons officially closed and deactivated 1999.
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2000
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Anschutz Centers for Advanced Medicine, the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and the University of Colorado Hospital campus began construction at Fitzsimons site.
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2001
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Children’s hospital announced plans to relocate to Fitzsimons site.
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2003
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Aurora Municipal Center opened.
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2012
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Gunman opened fire on movie-goers in an Aurora theater killing 12 and injuring 70.
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2014
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Aurora’s population reaches an estimated 347,953. 133 different languages spoken by local students.
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2015
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Immigrant and Refugee Commission established.
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2018
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Rocky Mountain Regional VA Hospital opened on old Fitzsimons site.
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2020
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Aurora City Council unanimously approved a resolution in support of refugee resettlement in its community.
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