Benjamin Franklin Hall came from New York with his brother Myron, in the 1840's; they opened the first "exchange and banking" offices in Aurora in 1848, this was so successful it led to the first bank in Aurora; they founded the Aurora Weekly Beacon in 1846. He was first mayor of Aurora, 1857. B.F. Franklin built the first "big" brick home in the village, commonly called the "Edna Smith Home". He perished in the Lady Elgin disaster, when it collided with a schooner in Lake Michigan 8 Sep 1860. His home on Park Avenue was donated to the Juvenile Protection Association (JPA) in 1944. The JPA was founded by Edna Smith in 1914.
Benjamin Franklin Hall came from New York with his brother Myron, in the 1840's; they opened the first "exchange and banking" offices in Aurora in 1848, this was so successful it led to the first bank in Aurora; they founded the Aurora Weekly Beacon in 1846. He was first mayor of Aurora, 1857. B.F. Franklin built the first "big" brick home in the village, commonly called the "Edna Smith Home". He perished in the Lady Elgin disaster, when it collided with a schooner in Lake Michigan 8 Sep 1860. His home on Park Avenue was donated to the Juvenile Protection Association (JPA) in 1944. The JPA was founded by Edna Smith in 1914.
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