AURORA: Where All Roads Lead Home Every Day

Aurora, Missouri, is a colorful community with a historic Houn’ Dawg mascot and a collective heart of gold. When there is a need in this town, there are people who jump in the trenches to solve problems and take care of business. That’s just the way it has always been.

The rural community is a treasure trove of history, culture, flea markets, restaurants and opportunity. Key groups that portray that One Town…One Team…One Heartbeat approach include: GRO Aurora, Project Rise, Create Here, Main Street Aurora, Aurora Rotary, the Aurora Houn’ Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Aurora Lions Club, Youth Empowerment Project and Aurora Beautification Company, just to name a few.

The downtown area is rich in architecture, possibilities and tradition. The corridors leading in and out of the community of 7,274 people are lined with residential areas, businesses and projects in the making. The district boasts close to 2,000 students in grades pre-K-12, while the Chamber of Commerce has close to 170 members on the books these days.

Local chatter includes conversations about the community’s comprehensive plan, the town’s two mural projects, plans for a third mural, the school district’s comprehensive plan, key leadership roles, a downtown pavilion, a recreation center, an aquatic center and some new housing developments, too.

A recent sense of place project included the planting of 1,000 daffodils throughout the Summit City of the Ozarks. Procured by Youth Empowerment students through the help of the Aurora Affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the grant for the daffodils was launched to commemorate 50 years of philanthropic CFO efforts in Southwest Missouri.

Aurorans decided to paint the town yellow in honor of CFO’s success here with a variety of local folks in leadership positions. Helping to promote the Daffodil Project were Aurora Schools, Project Rise, the City of Aurora and the Aurora Chamber of Commerce.

The community is the site of several sense of place projects sponsored by the Aurora Houn’ Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center with some help from the Youth Empowerment Project at Aurora High School. Additional entities, individuals and organizations have jumped on board to help preserve the past, protect the stories and promote a vision for the future.

Two All Roads Lead Home murals are showcased near the downtown square. Raine Clotfelter, America’s Muralist, led the design efforts to create these two masterpieces in 2021 and 2022. These artistic depictions portray pieces of the town’s past to help commemorate its 153 years of existence and the rich history preserved here. The most recent mural is located on the south wall of Pawnderosa Pawn. It also features an interactive component created by local artists Diana and Hannah Estes to allow for selfies with butterfly and dragonfly wings.

“These sense of place projects are designed to promote dialogue, preserve history, create interest in the arts and help connect the past to the present through collaboration, research and creativity,” said Kim McCully-Mobley, co-director of the Youth Empowerment Project and the Houn’ Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center, adding, “Ultimately, this is all about celebrating who we are, where we’ve been and where we’re heading.”

Upcoming projects at the Houn’ Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center include a digital storytelling studio, a veterans honor garden and third mural, additional landscaping, a renovated classroom area and a new and improved website to archive historical documents, stories, photographs and more.

A staunch supporter of the Aurora Houn’ Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center previously mentioned is the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. In fact, Shannon Walker, the chamber’s executive director, is the newest board member to join the ranks of the advisory panel. Other members include Jake McCully, Jack Muench, Michele Parbury, Marcia Sadler, Bob Journagan and Scott Pettit. Brad Boettler serves as the other co-director. Dr. Billy Redus is the liaison for the school district.

Something these folks have in common is their love for Aurora and the surrounding communities. They are friends, colleagues and family.

“After living in Aurora for over 30 years, Aurora is HOME. I have been the chamber director for 17 of those years. I am passionate about the Aurora Chamber and the community. I have been fortunate to make so many strong connections with people in the community. These are people who have become family,” explained Walker. February 2023 will find two additional members being added to the ranks of the Houn’ Dawg Hall of Fame, launched in 2018 by the Aurora Houn’ Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center. Induction ceremonies will spotlight the efforts of Walt Pettit, a longtime local attorney and civic leader, as well as Brian Fogle, an Aurora alum who currently serves as president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in Springfield. Both men have been involved in Rotary International and a variety of service projects to help benefit the people they serve as, once again, All Roads Lead Home.