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Historical Encyclopedia

of

Illinois and Clark County

1907

Aurora

On July 17, 1821, Joseph Shaw and John Chenoweth, two of the County Commissioners of Clark County, met at Aurora to stake out the new county seat, and designate the main street and Public Square. No courthouse was ever built at Aurora, but the county seems to have utilized a log house, about 12 by 15 feet, for that purpose. In after years, when the glory of Aurora had forever departed, this rude first courthouse of Clark County was made to preform the humble but useful duty as a corn crib for John Stockwell. Not a vestige of Aurora, or of Clark County's first court house now remain, and it is doubtful if any living man or woman can tell with anything like certainty, the exact spot where this court house stood or even to within rods of it.1


**To be continued**

Notes & Sources:
1H. W. Beckwith, Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Clark County,  1907, pp. 623-624. Transcribed by L. K Ortman

If you have any information about, or historical picture of Aurora, its residents, farms, schools or business establishments, please send it to ortmank@yahoo.com.

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