Aurora, Missouri

Aurora is a small town in southwest Missouri about 30 miles from Springfield. The town hosts a small Jewish history in the 19th century, but has never had a formalized community.

History

Aurora founded in 1870 when pioneers from Tennessee settled along the nearby Honey Creek in search of lead. When galena ore, the mineral form of lead sulfide, was discovered in town in 1885, Aurora quickly boomed as a mining town. Large scale commercial mining began shortly afterwards as the mines grew deeper, leading to the discovery of zinc. The zinc from the Aurora mines was of exceptional purity and high grade. By 1893, 12,651 tons of zinc ore were mined and shipped from Aurora and mines attracted more prospectors and miners. The town's population peaked at 10,000 by 1900.

Jewish Stories from Aurora

Much like other mining towns in the region, the arrival Jewish merchants accompanied population booms. S. Levinstein, a German-Jewish immigrant, opened a millinery and dry goods store in town in 1892, having been attracted to the area by the booming population. Levinstein operated the store in Aurora until his death two years later in 1894. Local papers described Levinstein as "a thorough gentleman" and noted that when his body left for burial in Springfield's Jewish cemetery, "several hundred friends of the deceased assembled at the depot.