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About The City
Auburn . . . As It Was Then
The picturesque Auburn Fire House of 1892 greets visitors to Old Town, and other streets lay beyond for exploration. Here, the Auburn Ravine, Rich Ravine and Baltimore Ravine first echoed with the miners' cries of "Gold! Gold! Eureka! I found it!" All this happened on the date most remembered by Claude Chana as May 16, 1848, four months after the Coloma gold discovery. Chana, Woods and the Stevens parties were all part of the early exploring groups in the late winter and spring of 1848, finding gold nuggets in these waterways and forming new trails heading eastward to Coloma.
A mining camp became officially known as Auburn in 1849, and in 1850 the population had grown to 1,500. By the 1860s, Auburn was a full-fledged town with a sense of permanency. First by horseback, then wagons and stagecoaches rattled along Nevada, Sacramento, Auburn Folsom and Foresthill trails, which were later to become streets that are still in use today. The Central Railroad came to Auburn in 1865, following a heated contest with its competitors. Auburn was first incorporated in 1860 and again in 1888. Auburn has three museums, with two more in progress, and numerous historic buildings. The stately Placer County Courthouse was constructed in 1898 at the site of the 1853 Court House Building structure.
Auburn is bursting with energy, optimism and spirit as in the "Days of '49." Emphasizing the endurance rides and runs of eons past, today the spirited Tevis Cup ride and the UltraMarathon run combine the best of the original trails through numerous mining camps, ending near the early gold rush site in Auburn.
As It Is Now
The City of Auburn has 12,500 residents within the city limits and an estimated 44,000 population in the greater Auburn area. Auburn owns and operates the Auburn Municipal Airport. The city encourages industrial growth through its Airport Industrial Park and light industry in other parts of the city. Visitors can enjoy one-of-a-kind shopping and dining experiences in the commercial business districts of Downtown, Old Town, Auburn Town Center, and Highway 49. The combined business districts have 49 great restaurants to satisfy diverse appetites, specialty clothing and gift stores, antique stores, art galleries, book stores, museums, and area wineries and wine tasting. Visitors from out of town can stay at the Auburn Holiday Inn, with 96 rooms, conference rooms, nearby restaurants and located an easy walking distance to all business districts. Auburn also has a new multiplex movie theater. And speaking of movies . . . Auburn has been the filming locale for such movies as "Overboard," "Phenomenon," "Rocky and Bullwinkle," "Breakdown," and "XXX."
The City Services
The city operates its own Auburn Transit bus system and, in cooperation with Placer County, offers bus transfers between the two systems. The city's new Auburn Station has been completed and provides travel access for the Amtrak Capitol Corridor and local bus transportation. The historic Placer County Courthouse houses the superior courts and a museum, and it is conveniently located between Downtown and Old Town business districts. A number of interesting museums are located for easy access from Downtown and Old Town. Historical walking tours are available in Old Town. The Sutter Auburn Faith Community Hospital is a few short miles from town. The Auburn Public Library is conveniently located, as well as churches to meet the needs of many different faiths. The Downtown district is home to the very active Boys and Girls Club and Teen Center, as well as the state-owned and operated Gold Country Fairgrounds. And the new Auburn Skate Park is within walking distance from Downtown. Auburn Recreation District sponsors numerous organized sports programs for all ages, which are offered at the recreation center and several recreational parks in the immediate area.
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