Aurora is a lovely little town not too far from where I live. “Before being incorporated as a city, it was the location of the Aurora Colony, a religious commune founded in 1856 by William Keil and John E. Schmit. William named the settlement after his daughter. The population was 918 at the 2010 census,” which I would estimate from the number of new houses has gone up considerably. (Wiki) .
It is known for its numerous antique shops all in a group of houses off of the main street, and it’s historic homes.
This is from Yelp:
Historic Aurora, Oregon became Oregon's first national historic district as one of the West's oldest communities established in 1856. The East Coast style Aurora Colony buildings began to hold antiques stores before it was "all the rage" and have continued to pass to knowledgeable antiques dealers who constantly restock with quality vintage goods. Furniture, industrial and architectural salvage, Victorian, Mid-century modern, Arts & Crafts, pottery, jewelry, glassware as well as 20th century collectibles can be found every day of the week here. Interior designers and movie set decorators purchase here regularly. The casual atmosphere, free parking and easy walking between shops (mostly in a five block village setting) make everyone feel welcome, from the professional to the first-time browser.
Walking around the town the other day I was struck by the stark contrast between a rather shabby looking ranch house flying two big Trump flags right across the street from one of the historic homes which had a Black Lives Matter and a love wins sign on their white picket fence. I took this video:
The owner of the Trump house had a second flag pole with a tattered American flag flying above a very faded U.S. Marine Corps flag. I thought this was worth a video (and a diary) because it showed pictorially how divided our country is.
I admit that I didn’t want to risk getting to the other side of the flags for another photo lest the owner confront me, so I used a program to make a mirror image of the flags.
More photos:
Charles and Christina Snyder House, the one across the street from the Trump house.
This is the house with the two signs.
When I venture into the rural areas around Portland I am acutely aware that I can’t assume that almost everyone I interact with, say at a restaurant or store, is a liberal like I am in Portland and the nearby communities. I was in Yamhill County (in the heart of wine country) now in the news because this is where Nick Kristof is from (See link to my diary in first comment). He recently quit his job as a NY Times columnist to run as a Democrat for governor. (Read story) I was in a little general store as asked the woman clerk what she thought of him and was pleased that she was supporting him. She said her mother, another supporter, went to school with him.
More about Aurora which is typical of many rural Oregon towns:
The Political Climate in Aurora, OR is Leaning conservative.
Marion County, OR is Leaning liberal. In Marion County, OR 48.9% of the people voted Democrat in the last presidential election, 47.7% voted for the Republican Party, and the remaining 3.4% voted Independent.
In the last Presidential election, Marion county flipped narrowly Democratic, 48.9% to 47.7%.
Marion county flipped Democratic in 2020, after voting Republican in four of the last six Presidential elections.
In the last 4 years (2018-2021), there were 620 contributions totaling $43,194 to the Democratic Party and liberal campaigns, averaging $70 per contribution.
In the last 4 years, there were 67 contributions totaling $20,629 to the Republican Party and conservative campaigns, averaging $308 per contribution.
.
There are more photos from Aurora and lots of photos from my drives exploring the quaint towns and lovely areas in the countryside around the suburb of Portland where I live on my blog (here).
