This year Feb. 17 will be a special day in Aurora as it marks the 200th birthday of a man many refer to as one of the city’s founding fathers: William Tanner.
Trained as a surveyor back home in upstate New York, Tanner, who lived from 1815 to1892, arrived in 1835 and spent his first winter here in Illinois in a small shack shared with two other men. He split rails to make enough money to buy food, and eventually would go on to buy a hardware store which remained operational and within the family’s control until 1979. when a wrecking ball took it down in order to build a parking lot.
“My theory about him was that he was a very clever man,” said Mary Clark Ormond, president of the board of trustees for the Aurora Historical Society. “His contributions to the city of Aurora really encompass the 19th century. We regard him as an American hero.”
The Historical Society recently threw a birthday party for the hometown hero which included dishes representing various ethnicities ranging from German Black Forest cake to African-American sweet potato pie. The party, which drew about 200 people, also kicked off a new exhibit entitled “The Life and Times of William A. Tanner” which runs from now until May 9.
John Jaros, executive director of the Historical Society, along with museum curator Jennifer Putzier worked to develop the exhibit over the past several months. Jaros said discussions about the new exhibit began late last year after recognizing that the bicentennial celebrating Tanner’s life was approaching.
“We actually had about two weeks to set this all up, once the previous exhibit we had here was taken down,” Jaros said. “As you know, we have the Tanner House which was donated to us years ago by his family, and we didn’t want to be hauling furniture and large heavy things down here to this location.”
Jaros said the new exhibit is organized around various legacies of Tanner, including his farm which remained in the family for years, his hardware store which operated for 125 years throughout four generations, and the Tanner House, which was donated as a museum in the 1930s.
“I think Tanner’s greatest contribution was the hardware store in terms of his impact on our local history and economy,” Jaros said. “One of things people have enjoyed seeing is the original sign that hung above the door which we preserved before the building was torn down. People who have lived here for years remember seeing that sign.”
Putzier called the new exhibit “a more accessible way” for people to learn about the Aurora icon.
“A lot of people don’t really like the museum house and would rather visit something like this in a gallery,” she said. “Since the house is only open seasonally, this gives people a lot more access. We’ve received a lot of new artifacts from the family recently and we have more things that define the Tanner story.”
Ormond noted another highlight is a handwritten manuscript by Tanner himself detailing accounts of his life, the family Bible, glassware and clothes worn by him.
Putzier predicted visitors would also enjoy some of the material that has been collected showcasing Tanner’s wife Anna.
“She seems to have been very much her own woman, and we’ve learned that before she agreed to marry her husband, she asked for his references,” Putzier said.
“The Life and Times of William A. Tanner, 1815-1892” is on display at the Pierce Center, 20 E. Downer Place, Aurora. The exhibit will run Wednesdays to Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m. through May 9. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter
