Aurora is the second largest city in the state of Illinois. It is composed of six school districts and several townships and stretches over four counties. Aurora has four historical districts as well as a number of individual landmarks. These landmarks include the Paramount Theater, where a scene from the hit movie "Public Enemies" was filmed. Phillips Park is also a popular attraction with its zoo and Sunken Garden. Prior to white settlers came, a Native American village was located in what is now downtown Aurora. The city was officially formed after the Black Hawk War in 1834 when Joesph McCarty of New York went west in a search for a new home. He found the Fox River to be a great location for a new community and sent for his family. Together, they formed the McCarty settlement and built a grist mill and sawmill.
The town became known as Aurora (goddess of the dawn) when a Post Office was established. Because it was the first to use electric lights for public lighting across the whole city, Aurora is known as the "City of Lights" in the Fox Valley River community.
Currently, Aurora is continuing to grow in population. With the growth, the athletic rivalries between high schools are becoming even more popular as a major part of the city. The biggest rivalry is between West and East Aurora high schools. This rivalry has gone on for over 100 years, and it continues to build with time, especially during basketball season.
Some famous individuals from Aurora include: Kenny Battle (former NBA player), Dennis Hastert (former Speaker of the House), Tom and Jeffery Skilling (meteorologist and former CEO of Enron Corporation respectively), and Edna Murray (Depression-era outlaw).
For more information, visit: http://www.aurora-il.org/
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