What are the opening hours?

Wednesday 1pm - 4pm Thursday 1pm - 4pm

Aurora Town Historian

Home
United States
East Aurora, NY
Aurora Town Historian

Aurora Town Historian ROBERT LOWELL GOLLER, Town Historian Since 1919, New York State law has required the appointment of an official historian in each town, village and city.

The Historian's Office is available as a resource for local history for both the Town of Aurora and Village of East Aurora in Erie County, New York. OUR MISSION:
—To document and promote the history and heritage of the Town of Aurora and Village of East Aurora in a
transparent, equitable and politically non-partisan manner.
—To advise local officials, boards and residents on issues related to the

history of the town and village.
—To collect, preserve and maintain the archives for the use of the public in their own research.
—To curate and present the Aurora History Museum exhibits at the Municipal Center in collaboration with the
Aurora Historical Society. RESEARCH HOURS: The Historian's Office archives are open for research Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m., and by appointment. Appointments are not necessary during regular office hours, but please feel free to call or email ahead and we can have materials from the archives ready for your visit. EXHIBIT HOURS: The exhibits of the Aurora History Museum, located throughout the first-floor hallways of the Municipal Center, are open during regular Municipal Center hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Town of Aurora social media policy: By visiting this site, you understand and agree that the Town of Aurora's social media pages are provided "AS IS". The Town of Aurora makes every effort to provide accurate and complete information of this website. The information contained on this website is not official or in any way shall it be deemed to be legal notice where such legal notice is required by law. The information contained in this site is provided as a convenience to people needing information about the Town of Aurora's local government. Portions of the information of this site may be incorrect or not current. The Town of Aurora government, its officers, employees, and agents are not liable for damage or losses of and kind arising out of or in connection with the use of performances of information including, but not limited to, damages or losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or timeliness of any such information, or damages incurred from the viewing, distributing or copying of these materials.

03/26/2025

Each week I host a livestream, during which I answer your questions about local history. In this week's livestream find out what led to East Aurora's GREAT FLOOD OF MARCH 1936. If you like what you hear, please consider following my page below and/or subscribing to my YouTube channel, where all previous weekly videos are archived (www.youtube.com/). As always, thanks for listening!
-Robert

03/25/2025

13 HOUSING LOTS FOR SALE...100 years ago this month, Elbert Hubbard II placed a large advertisement in the East Aurora Advertiser in an attempt to sell land that he had divided into housing lots at Maple and North Streets. Hubbard is shown in this photograph taken around the same time. In 1925, "Bert" Hubbard also was leading the Roycroft Campus and serving as mayor of East Aurora. (Advertisement from the March 19, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/24/2025

ELBERT HUBBARD'S LECTURES...Roycroft leader Elbert Hubbard was busy 115 years ago this month, as he traveled the Northeast on a lecture tour. This list appeared in the February 1910 issue of The Fra magazine, an original copy of which is among hundreds of Roycroft magazines preserved in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office.

Roycroft Campus Roycrofters At Large Association (RALA) Aurora Historical Society New York

03/21/2025

SUNDAY IN THE PARK...This photograph of children enjoying a slide in Emery Park is among the many 1920s images featured in our current Featured Exhibition, "The Early Days of Emery Park," which will be on display through May 30, outside the Historian's Office at the Aurora Municipal Center, 575 Oakwood Ave.

Emery Park opened near the hamlet of South Wales 100 years ago this summer. With the purchase in August 1925 of 175 acres from Helen B. Emery, Erie County established Emery Park as part of its newly formed county parks system. The land in the southeast corner of the Town of Aurora had been in the Emery family since Josiah Emery purchased his farmland nearly a century earlier. With Erie County’s purchase of additional land over the years, Emery Park has grown to more than 450 acres.

The original photographs featured in this exhibit, taken by photographer Warren L. Inskip shortly after Emery Park opened to the public, come from a binder titled “Photographic Views of County Parks, 1927.” Preserved in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian’s Office, this collection of photographs also contains images of Erie County’s other early parks, including Chestnut Ridge, Ellicott Creek and Como Lake. The binder was donated to the Aurora Town Historian’s Office by Richard S. Persons, Sr., who served as chairman of the Erie County Parks Commission when Emery Park opened in 1925. He later served as Aurora Town Historian.

These images offer a unique glimpse into what was likely a Sunday afternoon in the park in the 1920s.

Be sure to stop in to see these original photographs up close and learn more about the history of Emery Park. This and other historical exhibits may be viewed during regular Municipal Center hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.townofaurora.com/departments/historian.

03/20/2025

WHO CAN VOTE?...Preserved in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office is this notice of the voting requirements for the East Aurora village election in 1957. Voting requirements were different back then. The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18.

03/19/2025

DIAL TELEPHONE SERVICE DEBUTS...This week marks the anniversary of an important event in the history of East Aurora's telephone system. Tune in to this week's livestream to learn more about the pomp and circumstance that accompanied the transition to dial telephone service nearly seven decades ago and what it meant to the careers of telephone operators.

Each week I host a live stream, during which I answer your questions about local history. If you like what you hear, please consider following my page below, where all the previous weekly videos are available for viewing. This and all previous weekly videos may also be watched any time on my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/). As always, thanks for listening!
-Robert

03/18/2025

SOUTH GROVE AND CHURCH STREETS TO BE PAVED...In addition to deciding other matters, voters during the village election 100 years ago this week approved the paving of Church Street and part of South Grove Street. More and more streets were paved a century ago to keep up with the popularity of the automobile. This photograph from our archives shows South Grove Street looking south from Oakwood Avenue a few years earlier. (Article from the March 19, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/17/2025

GREEN CARNATIONS AND SHAMROCK PLANTS...Griggs and Ball's nursery and garden shop was ready for St. Patrick's Day with "greenery" in 1969. The garden shop was located across Riley Street from the Griggs and Ball grain mill at the corner of Main Street. It can be seen to the left of Loblaw's in this aerial image from a few years earlier. The land is now occupied by the Classic Rink - East Aurora. (Advertisement from the March 13, 1969 issue of the East Aurora Shopping Guide, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/14/2025

NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH...The East Aurora Advertiser reported on an accident that occurred at the Main Street railroad crossing 100 years ago today (March 14, 1925). Accidents like this led to the elevation of the railroad tracks above Main Street less than a decade later, in 1934. This photograph from the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office shows the Main Street crossing looking east in the early 1930s. (Article from the March 19, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/13/2025

'SAT UP & WATCHED THE ECLIPSE OF THE MOON'...If you stay up late enough tonight, you'll get the chance to see a rare total eclipse of the Moon. East Aurora was also in the path of a total lunar eclipse in mid July 1935, and we know at least one local resident stayed up to watch it. Frances A. Rosen, who at the time was a teacher at the Main Street school, recorded the event in her diary. Miss Rosen's family recently donated 65 years of her diaries to the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office.

03/12/2025

Each week I host a live stream, during which I answer your questions about local history. This week we talk about THE DAYS OF USING DYNAMITE TO CLEAR ICE JAMS. If you like what you hear, please consider following my page below, where all the previous weekly videos are available for viewing. This and all previous weekly videos may also be watched any time on my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/). As always, thanks for listening!
-Robert

03/11/2025

THE SIMPLE LIFE...An interesting letter to the editor published in the East Aurora Advertiser 100 years ago this month contains a message that could just as easily apply to conditions in 2025 as it did to those in 1925: "Hurry, running to and fro, over indulgence in anything, makes it difficult to enjoy simplicity." (From the March 19, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/07/2025

DAYLIGHT SAVING BEGINS SUNDAY...The front page of the East Aurora Advertiser reminded readers 100 years ago to "spring forward." Back then, Daylight Saving Time went into effect the last weekend of April. Without state or federal standards, the decision to "spring ahead" for a time after World War I was decided independently by local cities, towns and villages, which led to great confusion! East Aurora followed the lead of the City of Buffalo in an attempt to make things easier. National standards were not enacted until 1967. (Article from the April 23, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/06/2025

OFFICIAL HEADLIGHT ADJUSTING STATION...John Reuther & Sons placed this advertisement in the East Aurora Advertiser 100 years ago this month, about two-and-a-half years after the automobile showroom and repair shop opened in a new building at the corner of Main Street and Hamlin Avenue. The building, today home to Mister's Bar and Lanes, is pictured in the mid 1930s. (Advertisement from the March 19, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

03/05/2025

Each week I host a live stream, during which I answer your questions about local history. This week we talk about THE DAY EAST AURORA 'LOST' 16 MINUTES. If you like what you hear, please consider following my page below, where all the previous weekly videos are available for viewing. This and all previous weekly videos may also be watched any time on my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/). As always, thanks for listening!
-Robert

03/04/2025

LOST ON THE LUSITANIA...110 years ago, on May 7, 1915, Roycroft Campus leaders Elbert and Alice Hubbard lost their lives aboard the RMS Lusitania after the passenger liner was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland. In commemoration of the upcoming anniversary, the Historian's Office has put in exhibit from our archives an original copy of the East Aurora Advertiser, published May 13, 1915.

Although some had still held out hope that the Hubbards would be among the survivors, the Advertiser reported them “undoubtedly lost.” Later in the month, on May 23, East Aurorans turned out en masse for a memorial procession down South Grove Street, followed by a memorial service at the Roycroft Pavilion in Hamlin Park.

The special exhibit will be on display through May 16. This and other historical exhibits may be viewed outside the Historian's Office at the Aurora Municipal Center, 575 Oakwood Ave., during regular Municipal Center hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Aurora History Museum is presented by the Aurora Town Historian's Office in collaboration with the Aurora Historical Society New York. For more information, visit www.townofaurora.com/departments/historian.

03/03/2025

THE ROYCROFT PLATFORM...Elbert Hubbard printed the Roycroft's social and political platform in his magazine, The Fra, 115 years ago. Interestingly, it seems that many of these also pertain to the social and political issues of today. Several original copies of The Fra and other Roycroft magazines are preserved in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office. (From the February 1910 issue of The Fra, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office).

Roycroft Campus The Roycroft Inn Aurora Historical Society New York

02/28/2025

EARTHQUAKE RATTLES EAST AURORA...The Charlevoix–Kamouraska earthquake, which struck northeastern North America 100 years ago today, rattled homes in the East Aurora area. According to the East Aurora Advertiser's account, only some sections of the village felt it: "While the shock was not at all severe, its effects were visible in some homes in the swinging of doors, rocking of chairs, moving of dishes on the tables, and other manifestations. Some sections of the village did not feel the shock at all." For more details about the earthquake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_Charlevoix%E2%80%93Kamouraska_earthquake?fbclid=IwY2xjawIlyt1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTuPv-NPQk5G-H69QPhvD09wGgoJUnEbE6ND2Im4899W-yNXKwj4PsZLVw_aem_7pqnIk70XoUE3nc7txyBLg. (Article from the March 5, 1925 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, in the archives of the Aurora Town Historian's Office.)

Address

575 Oakwood Avenue
East Aurora, NY
14052

Opening Hours

Wednesday	1pm - 4pm
Thursday	1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+17166527944

Website

http://www.townofaurora.com/departments/historian/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Aurora Town Historian posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Aurora Town Historian:

Videos

HAPPY NEW YEAR!...Take a listen as the 1902 Seth Thomas Hall Clock strikes 12 in the Aurora Town Historian's Office. Originally in the East Main Street home of Abbott Griggs, the clock was later moved to the lobby of the Erie County Trust Co. at the corner of Main and Church Streets, where Mr. Griggs served as a bank officer. The clock was donated to the Aurora Historical Society New York in May 2021 and is part of the collection of the Aurora History Museum at the Municipal Center on Oakwood Avenue. The 1902 clock is No. 27 in a series of “hall clocks” manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Company at the turn of the 20th Century. Come see the clock and the other exhibits of the Aurora History Museum during regular Municipal Center hours, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information about the clock and its history, visit www.townofaurora.com/departments/historian.

A wonderful kickoff to the holiday season in East Aurora last evening. Congratulations to everyone involved. Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce Aurora Historical Society New York Absolut Care

Shortcuts

The Historian

ROBERT LOWELL GOLLER, Historian.

Thank you for keeping history alive! Since 1919, New York State law has required each town and village to appoint a historian to promote local history and manage the archives. The research center is open Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 1-4 p.m., and by appointment on Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Monday evenings after 7 p.m. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs posted on and shared to this page are from the archives of the Aurora Town Historian’s Office. Thanks to the many donors and to the many volunteers over the past century who have helped catalog and preserve this history.