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Colfax Ave. circa 1920s
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Aurora was incorporated as the town of Fletcher on April 30, 1891. The new town, one of many suburbs sprouting up around Denver, was four square miles of prairie reaching from Yosemite Street east to Peoria Street and 6th Avenue north to 26th Avenue. Named after one of the developers, Donald Fletcher, the town boasted 39 citizens, the beginnings of a water system and 14 new brick homes designed with indoor plumbing.
The high hopes of the new residents and the developers were short lived. A drought soon put an end to the water system and the Silver Panic of 1893 caused a severe drop in property values. Nonetheless, the town of Fletcher persisted and in 1907 the town was renamed Aurora. In 1928, after reaching a population of more than 2,000 citizens, the Colorado Secretary of State recognized Aurora as a city.
Growth boomed during the post-war years due primarily to the three military bases: Lowry Air Force Base, Fitzsimons Army Hospital, and Buckley Air Base. Since the 1970s Aurora has doubled in size and now occupies 163.5 square miles and has more than 381,000 residents. Aurora history is one of change, growth, diversity, and community.