The Grand Army of the Republic started in Illinois in 1866 and spread throughout the nation as a fraternity for Civil War veterans. Aurora Post 20 of GAR was a large post consisting of upwards to 700 Civil War veterans from around 70 Illinois regiments. In 1878, GAR Memorial Hall, Post 20, was built with the financial help of Aurora citizens as a memorial for the fallen and as a meeting place for GAR. The building also served as the first free public library for Aurora. The building is now on the National Register of Historical Places

As a women's auxiliary to GAR, the Women's Relief Corp and their Aurora branch, the Aurora Women's Relief Corp, assisted GAR in remembering the fallen of the Civil War.

This virtual exhibit includes GAR artifacts such as flag stands and a chair, as well as photographs of GAR members and photographs, painting, and plats of the GAR memorial hall. The virtual exhibit also contains organizational documents such as meetings, membership, and documents pertaining to GAR, in addition to documents on memorials and burials of Civil War Veterans and GAR members in the area.

This collection also contains organizational documents pertaining to the Aurora Women's Relief Corp (AWRC), the auxiliary of GAR.