Aurora, IL

Just 45 minutes west of Chicago, Aurora shares a musical history with the Windy City. A little known fact: much of what we know as “Blues” music originated in downtown Aurora during the 1930s. Manufacturing jobs are at the center of Aurora’s economy, which includes such firms as – Lyon Workspace Products, The Aurora Silverplate Manufacturing Co. and Barber Greene. Some of the country’s most distinctive architecture originated here as well, including the all-glass Farnsworth House; the beehive-shaped Ruth Ford House; and the ornate Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple, one of only three such Hindu temples in the U.S.