Located at the heart of Placer County, California, with a population of about 13,000, Auburn is immersed in the California Gold Rush history. One of the most well known individuals of the time was Clark Ashton Smith, a brilliant short-story writer and poet. He was born in 1893 and lived in the area for a good part of his life. In addition, Stacy Dragila, a talented pole-vaulting competitor, won the Olympic gold medal, and Tomas Arana, who starred in Gladiator, was also born in the area; lastly, the famous novel “Nightrise,” from Anthony Horowitz, features the town in great detail.
The prehistoric Martis people had to have been linked to the area, as countless archaeological findings relating to them have been discovered. Moreover, the Maidu, the Nisenan, and the Native Americans were most likely first to inhabit the area. In the middle of the nineteenth century, a group of miners had came across the Auburn Ravine, and this group had originally been on their way to Coloma, California, known specifically as the gold fields. Some of these adventurers included Francois Gendron, Philibert Courteau, and Claude Chana. On the date of May 16, 1848, after discovering deposits of gold in the soil, they of course decided to stay. A town built on this kind of fortune is bound to be abundant with great energy.
The North Fork was quickly established as one of the first mining camps in Auburn, and it had brought riches to many people after its development. As a result of this abundant mining area, John S. Woods settled in, built a homestead and began to mine with great vigor. In August of 1849, the name Auburn was given to this elaborate mining camp that had been blossoming. The town’s population expanded to about 1,500 just a short year later. In 1865, the Central Pacific Railroad found its way into Auburn, which was just another example of the fact that Auburn was making a name for itself.
Currently, the town is in the process of rebuilding, yet so much of the original authenticity has effectively been held in place. There are still antique shops and old houses from over a hundred years ago; so in this way, the town still carries within it an authentic charm. The Auburn State Recreation Area has a large amount of sporting events than anywhere else in the world. Because of the prevalence of sports, Auburn has been given the name, Endurance Capital of the World. The Western States Trail Ride, the Tevis Cup, the American River 50 Mile Endurance Run, and the Half Iron-Man Triathlon are just some of the events that take place in Auburn. As far as films are concerned, Protocol, Phenomenon, xXx, Wisdom, My Family, Breakdown, and many more were filmed in the Auburn area.
Interestingly enough, Auburn has one of the oldest high schools that exist in California, and Kenneth H. Fox, a dentist nearby, has some of the most obvious sculptures in the town. Many of the statues shed light on much of Auburn’s history. In addition, Dr. Fox has gone out on a limb by creating statues of naked Native Americans. As a result, some of the sculptures were abused and mutilated, and some of the pieces have gone missing as well.
The rolling hills of Auburn are absolutely breathtaking, and at Indian Hill Road, it is possible to see them from quite a lovely perspective. The skies in the summer are a deep blue, and the air is always crystal clear and cleansing to take in. Recently, the city has become one of the most favored places to live in California making Auburn CA real estate a solid investment as well; perhaps it’s because of the location in the foothills of the stunning Sierra Nevada Mountains, or the short trip from the Pacific, or the sprawling countryside, but enough bragging! The city of Auburn does everything in its power to support its community, the arts, namely theater, music, dance, as well as the many local artists hoping to make themselves known for their work.
Commercial Street in Auburn has carried with it so much original authenticity. The red brick buildings highlight some of the past events, the infamous bank robberies, the hangings, and the trials. Not much has changed in terms of appearance, and the street descends into a verdant tree line. It is impossible not to soak up some of this brilliant history, and locals especially have a sense of what it used to be like. For over a hundred years or so, the Auburn Iron Works has developed quite a blacksmith presence, and although ownership has changed several times, it still provides great service to locals and tourists. In the past, harnesses, wagons, and useful woodworking tools were designed for the inhabitants of Auburn. It is impossible to not experience Auburn without at least sensing this mining town and all that it has become.