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player ready...For at least one day each August since 2009, Aurora’s LaSalle Street between Downer Place and Benton Street pays homage to its roots as an automobile commercial center.
This year will be no different. On Sunday, classic cars will dot the historic street as part of the seventh annual Friends of LaSalle Street Historic Auto Show.
About 100 years ago, Aurora’s historic LaSalle Street was a hub for car buying and servicing, according to Joe Dispensa, president of Friends of LaSalle Street, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “restoring the block to its original state and preserving its architecture.”
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, LaSalle Street now is a myriad of nonprofits, businesses, second-floor apartments, and some vacant storefronts.
However, Friends of LaSalle Street is on a mission to revitalize the street to a “destination” for visitors to Aurora.
In addition to its history in the car business, LaSalle Street is historically significant due to its Victorian commercial buildings, 20th century Commercial-style buildings, and fraternal lodge buildings, Dispensa said.
Years ago, Dispensa said LaSalle Street was lined with businesses, many affiliated with the car industry including one of the two buildings he owns on the street — Theiss’ Central Garage Building.
Today, Dispensa’s tenants include an assortment of organizations and businesses including a professional photographer and the East Aurora location of Community Christian Church.
Back in 1912 when constructed, the building’s elevator was used to carry Buicks, Maxwells, Appersons, and Baker Electric cars to the second and third stories of the building. Now the elevator is used to transport church supplies up to the renovated space used by Community Christian.
One of Dispensa’s neighbors, 91-year-old Kaye Mason, who serves as one of the Friends of LaSalle Street vice presidents, recently closed her commercial printing business after nearly 40 years located in a large building on the corner of LaSalle and Benton streets.
Her building often serves as a meeting place for the Friends of LaSalle Street and has a full history including a stint as a funeral parlor and a tailor shop before housing the specialized commercial printer of medical labels.
Partnering with the Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84 for the first time, Friends of LaSalle Street is dedicating this year’s auto show to local veterans, both active and retired, Friends of LaSalle Street member Pat Windsor said.
Windsor said, “We can’t do enough to honor our veterans.”
Boys Scouts, the Knights of Columbus, the Illinois National Guard, and the USO are just some of the local groups which will be lending a hand and a presence to the event.
In addition, the show has been expanded to include military vehicles including a Vietnam UH-1 helicopter and a Humvee.
A local veteran who recently turned 95 years old also will be honored. Awards will be given out to car owners, and Mayor Tom Weisner will be presenting a special award.
All the profits from the car show, raffles, and bake sale will go to support local veterans in need and the USO program, Windsor, who is an active USO volunteer, added.
“Most people don’t know that the USO program is not funded by the U.S. government,” Windsor said.
Cathy Janek is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News
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What: Seventh annual Friends of LaSalle Street Historic Auto Show
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23
Where: LaSalle Street, Aurora