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History

The Illinois Constitution of 1848 gave voters in each county the opportunity to adopt a township form of government. Kane County was one of the earliest counties to adopt the township form of government and Aurora Township was duly created in 1850.

On April 2, 1850, Russell C. Mix was elected as the first Aurora Township Supervisor, H.F. Kingsbury as Town Clerk, W.V. Plum as Assessor, I.T. Bevier as Poormaster, S. Richardson, I.M. Howell and John Douglas as Commissioners of Highways, John King and W.R. King as Justices of the Peace, and C. Pinney and W.D. King as Constables. W.D. King was also elected as Collector.

Unlike many townships in Illinois, Aurora Township was not the first local form of government. At an election held March 6, 1845, fifty-two votes were cast in favor of incorporating the village of East Aurora. The Village of West Aurora later followed suit in 1854. The two villages (pop. 7,000)  were combined in 1857 thanks to the Illinois legislature, although the two sides remained rivals. When the two towns first united, they agreed on Stolp Island on the Fox River as a ‘neutral’ site for City Hall. Russell C. Mix, the first township Supervisor, was elected as alderman in the first election for the new City of Aurora. He later served as Postmaster of Aurora.

During its early history, the Fox River served as a great attraction for manufacturers because of its abundant water power. Later, the railroad was a driving force in the growth of industry and the township. The current township building at 80 N. Broadway is located just south of the former American Well Works plant and is a short distance from the former Chicago Burlington & Quincy roundhouse and repair shops. The township, which had formerly leased space from the City of Aurora at City Hall, purchased its current office in the early 1970s. The Youth Center at 313 Gale Street was purchased from the Aurora YMCA at about the same time.

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