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Auburn, CA Area Guide

History

According to archaeological records, the Nisenan Native Americans, an offshoot of the Maidu people, were the first to establish a permanent settlement in the Auburn area after the prehistoric Martis people.  In 1849, a group of French gold miners camped out in what would later become the Auburn Ravine as they were on their way to the gold fields of Coloma, California.  The group included Francois Gendron, Philibert Courteau, and Claude Chana; young Chana discovered gold here on May 16, 1848, and the crew decided to settle the area shortly after.

Mining in this area was good, and the camp became known as the North Fork Dry Diggings.  The name was later changed to the Woods Dry Diggings after a man named John S. Wood built a cabin here and started to mine the ravine.  The area developed quickly into a successful mining camp, and was officially named Auburn in August of 1849.  By 1850, the town’s population had soared to over 1500 people, and Auburn was chosen as the Placer county seat in 1851.  In 1865, the Central Pacific Railroad reached Auburn as it was being constructed from Sacramento towards Ogden, Utah.

Parts of the Old Town have been restored and there are still houses and shops from the middle of the 19th century that can be explored here.  Other interesting finds in Auburn include the oldest fire station, the Post Office, gold mining accessories, and Indian and Chinese artifacts that can still be seen at the Placer County Museum.

Attractions

Old Town Auburn
Special events are held at Old Town Auburn throughout the year, including the Foothill Farmer’s Market featuring locally grown fruits and vegetables every Saturday morning.  Other events include antique street fairs, a summer blues festival, a wine festival in the fall, and a County Christmas event.

Parks & Recreation

The Auburn State Recreation Area covers 40 miles of land and provides a natural setting where residents can enjoy hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, and other outdoor activities.  Whitewater activities and off-highway motorcycle riding are also popular options.  Visitors can also access their wireless enabled laptops and PDAs in the Auburn SRA now that AT&T Wi-Fi service is now available.

For more information about the Auburn State Recreation Area, please see the official site.

Events

For a detailed list of the community events taking place in Auburn, please visit the city calendar.