HISTORY OF AURORA

Town Hall 1922-1945 Photo Credit: Aurora Museum

When Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe gave the order for Yonge Street to be extended to Holland Landing in 1793, the way was paved for the establishment of a community where Aurora now stands.

In 1804, Richard Machell became the first merchant at the cross roads of Yonge and Wellington and the hamlet soon became known as Machell's Corners.

Charles Doan was another early businessman at Machell's Corners and became the first postmaster and later the first reeve. As postmaster, he was influential in renaming the village Aurora.
With the coming of the railway in 1853, Aurora emerged as an important centre north of Toronto. The Fleury plow works was established soon after and Aurora was on its way to becoming a flourishing industrial town.

The population of Aurora in 1863 was 700 and when Aurora became a town in 1888, the town had grown to 2,107. With some ups and downs in growth over the years, Aurora is now a flourishing town with a strong commercial and industrial base.

Worthy of note is the fact that Aurora was the childhood home of Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada from 1963-1968, when his father, Rev. Edwin Pearson, was the Methodist minister.

Fast Facts about Aurora

• Mayor - Phyllis Morris
  
• Population - 47,000 (2006)
  
• Coat of Arms - Motto - "Sol Meus Testis" - "As the sun is my witness"
  
• Aurora - Name means "Goddess of the dawn"
  • Roman name for the classical goddess
    
• Twinned with Leksand, Sweden's ice hockey capital (1976)

Establishing Our Town

• 1804 - A hamlet was established at Yonge St. and Aurora Sideroad which became known as Machell's Corner
• 1853 - First train arrived at Machell's corner from Toronto
• 1854 - Name change to Aurora
• 1859 - First Manufacturing industry was established - Fleury Plough Works
• 1888 - Aurora was incorporated as a town with a population of 2,100
• 1900 - Other industry began to establish in Aurora

Population Highlights

• 1888 - 2,100 (date of incorporation as a town)
• 1988 - 22,000
• 2004 - 44,000
• 2006 - 47,000