History of Aurora Colorado begins with Indigenous travel routes, prairie ranches, the Smoky Hill Trail, railroads, and the town of Fletcher. Located east of Denver, Aurora now extends across Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties. Transportation, farming, military installations, water projects, and postwar development shaped the city’s growth.
Cheyenne and Arapaho people traveled through the region long before Aurora developed. The plains provided seasonal hunting grounds and travel routes. Later, American settlement changed land use across the area. Therefore, Aurora’s history begins before its nineteenth-century townsite.
American settlement increased during the 1860s. Thomas and Magdalen Fahey operated a large open-range cattle ranch near present-day Colfax Avenue and Sable Boulevard. Additionally, families including the DeLaneys, Gullys, and Kennedys established farms and ranches as settlement expanded.
The Smoky Hill Trail opened through the region in 1864. Its routes connected travelers heading toward Denver from points east. All three main branches crossed areas within present-day Aurora. As a result, transportation became important to the area’s early development.
The Kansas Pacific Railroad completed its line between Kansas City and Denver in 1870. The route passed along the northern edge of present-day Aurora. Meanwhile, improved transportation encouraged settlement and strengthened connections with Denver and eastern markets.
The High Line Canal was completed in 1883. It brought additional water across parts of the dry plains east and south of Denver. Because of that water, farming became more practical in areas around present-day Aurora.
Aurora began as the town of Fletcher, incorporated on April 30, 1891. The community was named for developer Donald Fletcher. It covered about four square miles of prairie east of Denver. Early development included homes, businesses, a hotel, and plans for a water system.
Fletcher’s early optimism quickly encountered economic problems. Drought damaged plans for a dependable water system. Additionally, the Silver Panic of 1893 caused property values to fall sharply. Donald Fletcher eventually left, but the small community survived.
Residents changed the town’s name from Fletcher to Aurora in 1907. Growth remained gradual during the early twentieth century. Later, Aurora surpassed 2,000 residents and gained official city status in 1928.
Colfax Avenue became an important transportation and commercial corridor. An electric railway reached the Fletcher area during the 1890s, connecting residents with Denver. Over time, businesses and neighborhoods developed along the route as Aurora expanded eastward.
Army General Hospital No. 21 opened east of Aurora in 1918. It was later renamed Fitzsimons Army Hospital. The federal government expanded the facility during World War II. Consequently, military personnel, patients, workers, and families became increasingly important to Aurora.
Lowry Field opened southwest of Aurora in 1938 and became a major military training installation. Its activities expanded during World War II. Later, parts of the former base became connected with redevelopment in both Denver and Aurora.
Military development continued east of Aurora during World War II. A bombing and training facility established in 1942 eventually became Buckley Air National Guard Base and Buckley Air Force Base. Today, Buckley Space Force Base continues Aurora’s long military connection.
Military installations helped transform Aurora from a small community into a growing suburb. The city’s population stood near 3,000 in 1940. By 1950, it had reached roughly 10,000. As a result, new housing and services spread across the community.
Rapid growth created increasing demand for dependable water supplies. Construction of the Homestake Project began in 1963 to bring water from Colorado’s Western Slope. The first Homestake water reached Aurora in 1967. This additional supply helped support continued development.
Aurora voters elected Norma O. Walker mayor in 1965. She became the first woman to serve as mayor of a United States city with more than 60,000 residents. Her election marked an important chapter in Aurora’s civic history.
Aurora protects landmarks representing its farming, residential, military, and community history. The John Gully Homestead House dates to the nineteenth century. Other landmarks include the DeLaney Round Barn, William Smith House, Aurora Fox Arts Center, and surviving Lowry buildings.
Aurora grew from Indigenous travel lands and prairie ranches into Fletcher, a small town east of Denver. Railroads, Colfax Avenue, military installations, water projects, and postwar housing transformed the community. Today, historic farms, neighborhoods, and military landmarks preserve important chapters of Aurora’s past.