A Brief History of Aurora, Colorado

Donald Fletcher founded what is now known as Aurora in 1891, naming it Fletcher. In 1907, the town of Fletcher was renamed Aurora (Latin for dawn), and in 1921, the U.S. government selected Aurora as the site for Fitzsimons Army Hospital to treat the wounded. Aurora was a small community until after the Second World War. After World War 2, suburban development transformed the town into what became the fastest growing city in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1960, Aurora had 50,000 residents, and by 2000, Aurora's population had increased to 292,393 residents.