Aurora in Portage County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The James Converse & Hopson Hurd Store ⎯⎯⎯ A Commercial Site Since 1825
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 9, 2026
1. The James Converse & Hopson Hurd Store side of the marker
Inscription.
The James Converse and Hopson Hurd Store, also, A Commercial Site Since 1825. .
The James Converse and Hopson Hurd Store. James Willard Converse (1806-1892) opened his store in 1825 at 10 South Chillicothe Road. Serving residents, merchants, and travelers, the store proved central to Aurora's early commercial development. Converse's Daybook survives as a glimpse into the habits of early citizens, who regularly purchased whiskey along with household items. Surprisingly, such sales surged on George Washington's February 22 birthday. Converse deeded the business to employee Seth A. Gillett in 1834. Hopson Hurd Sr. (1793-1869) purchased it from Gillett in 1845. Hurd's store was popular with local farmers who used their homemade cheese as legal tender and enjoyed the barrel of whiskey kept in Hurd's basement for customers who paid their bills. Hurd added a cheese warehouse to his store and, as a major exporter of cheese to Cleveland, Warren, and Pittsburgh, amassed a sizeable fortune.,
A Commercial Site Since 1825. The Greek Revival building, sitting at the corner of two commercial routes, served as a mercantile business as well as a fabric store, real estate office, and insurance agency for almost two centuries. Andrew Guy Hanes Sr. (1895 - 1977) acquired the former store at auction in 1948. He modernized it while retaining the original woodwork, windows, beams, and flooring. From 1956 to 1990, it housed the Country Development Company, a major real estate developer in Aurora following World War II. The building was rented to The Edward H. Sutton Insurance Agency for almost forty years. In 2023, the City of Aurora purchased the building to preserve its Aurora history. The Converse-Hurd Store is part of the Aurora Center Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The James Converse & Hopson Hurd Store
James Willard Converse (1806-1892) opened his store in 1825 at 10 South Chillicothe Road. Serving residents, merchants, and travelers, the store proved central to Aurora's early commercial development. Converse's Daybook survives as a glimpse into the habits of early citizens, who regularly purchased whiskey along with household items. Surprisingly, such sales surged on George Washington's February 22 birthday. Converse deeded the business to employee Seth A. Gillett in 1834. Hopson Hurd Sr. (1793-1869) purchased it from Gillett in 1845. Hurd's store was popular with local farmers who used their homemade cheese as legal tender and enjoyed the barrel of whiskey kept in Hurd's basement for customers who paid their bills. Hurd added a cheese warehouse to his store and, as a major exporter of cheese to Cleveland, Warren, and Pittsburgh, amassed a sizeable fortune.
A Commercial Site Since 1825
The Greek Revival building, sitting at the corner of two commercial routes, served as a mercantile business as well as a fabric store, real estate office, and insurance agency for almost two centuries. Andrew Guy Hanes Sr. (1895 - 1977) acquired the former store at auction in 1948. He modernized it while retaining the original woodwork, windows,
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beams, and flooring. From 1956 to 1990, it housed the Country Development Company, a major real estate developer in Aurora following World War II. The building was rented to The Edward H. Sutton Insurance Agency for almost forty years. In 2023, the City of Aurora purchased the building to preserve its Aurora history. The Converse-Hurd Store is part of the Aurora Center Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Erected 2024 by City of Aurora; Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 20-67.)
Location. 41° 19.04′ N, 81° 20.765′ W. Marker is in Aurora, Ohio, in Portage County. It is at the intersection of West Garfield Road (Ohio Route 82) and Chillicothe Road, on the right when traveling east on West Garfield Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13 W Garfield Rd, Aurora OH 44202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Chillicothe Turnpike (within shouting distance of this marker); Aurora Veterans Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 9, 2026
2. A Commercial Site Since 1825 side of the marker
3. The James Converse & Hopson Hurd Store / A Commercial Site Since 1825 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 15, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
