Auburn

History

Archaeological finds place the southwestern border for the prehistoric Martis people in the Auburn area. The indigenous Nisenan, an offshoot of the Maidu, were the first to establish a permanent settlement in the Auburn area. In the spring of 1848, a group of French gold miners arrived and camped in what would later be known as the Auburn Ravine. This group was on its way to the gold fields in Coloma, California, and it included Francois Gendron, Philibert Courteau, and Claude Chana. The young Chana discovered gold on May 16, 1848. After finding the gold deposits in the soil, the trio decided to stay for more prospecting and mining. Placer mining in the Auburn area was very good, with the camp first becoming known as the North Fork Dry Diggings. This name was changed to the Woods Dry Diggings, after John S. Wood settled down, built a cabin, and started to mine in the ravine. The area soon developed into a mining camp, and it was officially named Auburn in August 1849, by miners from Auburn, New York. By 1850, the town's population had grown to about 1,500 people, and in 1851, Auburn was chosen as the seat of Placer County. Gold mining operations moved up the ravine to the site of present-day Auburn. In 1865, the Central Pacific Railroad, the western leg of the First transcontinental railroad, reached Auburn, as it was being built east from Sacramento toward Ogden, Utah. The restored Old Town has houses and retail buildings from the middle of the 19th century. The oldest fire station and the Post Office date from the Gold Rush years. Casual gold-mining accessories, as well as American Indian and Chinese artifacts, can also be viewed by visitors at the Placer County Museum. Auburn was the home and birthplace of noted science fiction and fantasy poet and writer Clark…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.38%, is water. Auburn is situated in the Northern California foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, approximately above the confluence of the North Fork and Middle Fork of the American River. It is located between Sacramento and Reno, Nevada, along Interstate 80. Mountainous wilderness canyons and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada lie adjacent eastward, while gentle rolling foothills well-suited for agriculture lie to the west. The crest of the Sierra Nevada lies approximately eastward, and the Central Valley lies approximately to the west. Auburn has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) that is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. Average December temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . Average July temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . Annually, there are an average of 62.9 days with highs of or higher, an average of 7.3 days with or higher, and an average of 19.6 days with or lower. Auburn's Köppen classification and climate similarities to locations such as Napa and parts of Italy make it a suitable region for growing wine grapes. Auburn and the surrounding areas of Placer County are home to over 20 wineries.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  10,620
• Oak Titmouse

  Baeolophus inornatus (Gambel, 1845) · Aves
  10,446
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  10,399
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  10,311
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  10,182
• Acorn Woodpecker

  Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  8,702
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,150
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,035

Largest nearby schools

• Del Oro High
  High · Loomis · 1,620 students · 23.5:1 ratio
• Placer High
  High · Auburn · 1,310 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• Bowman Charter
  Elementary · Auburn · 596 students · 21.3:1 ratio
• Placer Elementary
  Elementary · Loomis · 533 students · 24.2:1 ratio
• EV Cain Middle
  Middle · Auburn · 524 students · 19.4:1 ratio
• Loomis Basin Charter
  Elementary · Loomis · 498 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• H. Clarke Powers Elementary
  Elementary · Loomis · 491 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• Franklin Elementary
  Elementary · Loomis · 469 students · 22.3:1 ratio