Auburn, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Auburn, Indiana
City
Main Street in downtown Auburn, Indiana
Seal
Nickname(s):  Home of the Classics
Location of Auburn in DeKalb County, Indiana.
Auburn, Indiana Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Auburn, Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States Auburn, Indiana Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	DeKalb
Township	Grant, Union, Keyser, Jackson
Area
• Total	8.08 sq mi (20.94 km2)
• Land	8.08 sq mi (20.94 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	863 ft (263 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,412
• Density	1,659.08/sq mi (640.54/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	46706
Area code	260
FIPS code	18-02674
GNIS ID	2394022

DeKalb County Court House, Auburn, Indiana.

Auburn is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. It is known as the Home of the Classics. In 2020, about 13,412 people lived there. The city was started in 1836 by Wesley Park. Auburn is also the main city, or county seat, of DeKalb County.

History of Auburn

Auburn was founded near Cedar Creek. Its founders, Wesley Park and John Badlam Howe, chose a spot where two important trails met. The name "Auburn" might come from a poem called "The Deserted Village" by Oliver Goldsmith. The city's official start date was April 21, 1836. The first piece of land was sold in 1837.

The first store opened in 1838, bringing supplies on horseback from Fort Wayne. A post office was set up in 1839. Auburn became an official town in 1849. By the end of the American Civil War, over 700 people lived there. In 1900, Auburn officially became a city. Important citizen Charles Eckhart helped build a public library and a YMCA building.

Auburn's Car History

The Auburn Automobile Company started in 1900. It made its first car in 1903. Famous people like William Wrigley, Jr. and Errett Lobban Cord were involved with the company. This company also bought other car brands like Duesenberg and Cord Car Company. However, the company closed down in 1937. Other car brands like Black, De Soto, IMP, Kiblinger, McIntyre, and Zimmerman were also built in Auburn.

The Auburn Rubber Company began in 1913. It first made tires for the Auburn Automobile Company. In the 1920s, it became well-known for making rubber toys. The company moved away from Auburn in 1959.

Historic Places in Auburn

Several places in Auburn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. These include:

• The Auburn Community Mausoleum
• The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
• The Downtown Auburn Historic District
• The Eckhart Public Library and Park

Geography and Climate

Auburn is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Fort Wayne. It is in Northern Indiana. The city covers about 7.10 square miles (18.39 km²) of land.

Auburn's Weather

Auburn has a typical continental climate. This means it has very warm summers and very cold winters.

• In January, the average high temperature is about 31.4°F (-0.3°C). The average low is about 17.2°F (-8.2°C).
• In July, the average high temperature is about 83.9°F (28.8°C). The average low is about 62.0°F (16.7°C).
• The highest temperature ever recorded was 106°F (41°C) in June 1988.
• The lowest temperature ever recorded was -24°F (-31°C) in January 1984.

Auburn gets about 35.47 inches (901 mm) of rain each year. June is usually the wettest month. The city also gets about 32.4 inches (82 cm) of snow each year.

Population of Auburn

In 2010, there were 12,731 people living in Auburn. Most of the people were White (96.9%). About 2.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. The average age of people in Auburn was 37.9 years old.

Arts and Culture

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, Indiana. This building was once the headquarters and showroom of the Auburn Automobile Company.

Auburn is famous for its car-related events.

• The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival happens every Labor Day weekend. It includes one of the world's largest car auctions. This festival celebrates the classic cars once made in Auburn.
• The city has several museums dedicated to cars:
  • The Early Ford V-8 Museum
  • The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
  • The National Auto and Truck Museum

The last two museums are National Historic Landmarks.

The DeKalb County Free Fall Fair is another big event. It takes place in downtown Auburn for six days in late September. Over 850,000 people visit the fair each year.

The city's official logo and nickname are related to its car history. The logo is based on the old Auburn Automobile Company logo. The nickname, Home of the Classics, refers to the classic cars built there.

Education in Auburn

Most students in Auburn attend schools in the DeKalb County Central United School District. Public schools in Auburn include:

• James R. Watson Elementary School
• McKenney-Harrison Elementary School
• DeKalb Middle School (located in Waterloo)
• DeKalb High School (located in Waterloo)

There is also a private school for all grades (K-12):

• Lakewood Park Christian School

Auburn has a public library called the Eckhart Public Library.

Media

Radio Stations

• 106.7 WFGA - Plays Classic Country music
• 1570 AM WGLL — Plays religious programs
• 102.3 FM WGBJ — Known as "Mega 102.3", licensed to Auburn but has studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Newspaper

• The Star (formerly called The Evening Star)

Notable People from Auburn

Many interesting people have connections to Auburn:

• Gordon Buehrig (1904–1990) was a car designer. He lived in Auburn while designing the 1935–1936 Auburn Speedster.
• Errett Lobban Cord (1894–1974) was an important businessman. He lived in Auburn when he was in charge of the Auburn Automobile Company.
• Will Cuppy (1884–1949) was a humorist and journalist. He was born in Auburn and went to Auburn High School.
• Don Lash (1912–1994) was a famous track-and-field athlete. He won an award in 1938 for being the top amateur athlete in the U.S. He graduated from Auburn High School in 1933.
• Rollie Zeider (1883–1967) was a Major League Baseball player in the early 1900s. He was raised in Auburn.

Port Authority

The City of Auburn has its own Port Authority. This group manages about one mile of train tracks. These tracks serve two businesses in the city. The Port Authority does not own trains or have many employees. It helps connect local industries to the larger rail network.

See also

In Spanish: Auburn (Indiana) para niños