Auburn is a city in south-central

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, within the United States. Settled in the foothills of the Western Lakes and Mountains region of the state, The city serves as the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Androscoggin County. The population was 24,061 at the 2020 census. Auburn and its sister city Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston–Auburn (L–A).

History

The area was originally part of the Pejepscot Purchase, land bought in 1714 by an association of people from

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

following the Treaty of Portsmouth, which brought peace between the

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

Indians and the settlers of present-day Maine. In 1736, however, the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...

granted a large section of the land to veterans of the 1690 Battle of Quebec. Conflicting claims led to prolonged litigation; consequently, settlement was delayed until after the

French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...

. Auburn was first settled in 1786 as part of Bakerstown, renamed

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

when it was incorporated by the

in 1795. It was then part of Minot, formed from parts of Poland and incorporated in 1802. Auburn would itself be formed from parts of Minot and incorporated on February 24, 1842. The name was apparently inspired by "Auburn", a village (real or fictitious) featured in the 1770 poem " The Deserted Village" by

Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish poet, novelist, playwright, and hack writer. A prolific author of various literature, he is regarded among the most versatile writers of the Georgian e ...

. Originally part of

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberl ...

, the town became

of Androscoggin County at its creation in 1854. By annexing land from towns around it, including part of

in 1852, Minot in 1873, and all of Danville (first called Pejepscot) in 1867, Auburn grew geographically into one of Maine's largest municipalities. Incorporated as a city on February 22, 1869, Auburn in 1917 would be the first city in the state to adopt a council-manager form of government. Farms supplied grain and produce, but with construction of the bridge across the river to Lewiston in 1823, and especially after arrival of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad from Portland in January 1848, the community developed into a mill town. Mills were built to operate by water power from falls on the Androscoggin River and

Little Androscoggin River } The Little Androscoggin River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 30, 2011 river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock () to its confluence with the A ...

. In 1835, the factory system of shoe manufacture originated at Auburn. Other firms manufactured cotton and woolen textiles, carriages, iron goods, bricks and furniture. The population in 1860 was only about 4,000 but by 1890 it had tripled to 12,000 as a result of its shoe factories attracting many

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

immigrants, many of whom arrived by train from

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. Steady population growth continued until around 1960, plateauing at roughly 24,500.Auburn Historical Highlights
In Auburn, shoe manufacturing became the dominant industry by the late 19th century. The City Seal, depicting a spindle with different types of shoes at each outside point, with the adopted latin motto ''Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum'' (loosely translated as "No Backward Steps"), was designed when Auburn was positioning itself as the shoe manufacturing center of Maine in the mid-19th century. In 1917, one factory in Auburn was producing 75 percent of the world's supply of white canvas shoes; however, after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the shoe industry began to decline, and between 1957 and 1961 the largest manufacturers closed their factories. The area became noted in 1985 due to the plane crash that took the life of Samantha Smith. In 2023,

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

became the first sitting

United States president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...

to visit Auburn in 111 years, with the previous being

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...

in 1912.

Lewiston-Auburn Shoe Strike

In 1937, one of the largest labor disputes in Maine history occurred in Lewiston and Auburn. The Lewiston-Auburn Shoe Strike lasted from March to June and at its peak involved 4,000 to 5,000 workers on strike. After workers attempted to march across the Androscoggin River from Lewiston to Auburn, Governor Lewis Barrows sent in the Maine Army National Guard. Some labor leaders, CIO Secretary Powers Hapgood, were imprisoned for months after a

Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. Between 1820 and 1839, justices served lifetime ...

judge issued an injunction seeking to end the strike. Main Street, Auburn, ME.jpg, Main Street Bobbin Mill Brook, East Auburn, ME.jpg, Old mill Goff Block, Court Street, Auburn, ME.jpg, Court Street High Street, Auburn, ME.jpg, High Street in 1907

Geography

Auburn is located at (44.089, −70.241). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Auburn is drained by the

and Androscoggin River.

Demographics

Auburn is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area (which is part of the Portland-Lewiston- South Portland, Maine combined statistical area).

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 23,055 people, 9,974 households, and 5,818 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 11,016 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 9,974 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 23,203 people, 9,764 households, and 5,907 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 10,608 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.04%

, 0.59%

, 0.30% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population. There were 9,764 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were

living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a family was $44,012. Males had a median income of $32,088 versus $22,349 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,942. About 9.0% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over. Voter registration

Government

Auburn is in

Maine's 2nd congressional district Maine's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. Covering , it comprises nearly 92% of the state's total land area. The district comprises most of the land area north of the Portland and Augusta metr ...

Maine Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the st ...

District 20, and

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...

Districts 68, 69, and 70. Due to Auburn's relatively expansive land area, the city is divided up into five wards. The city's governing body is a

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

, consisting of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

and 7 councilmembers (one from each of the five wards, and two elected at large). The mayor is elected at large. Auburn's current mayor is Jeff Harmon. John Jenkins was a former mayor and state senator from Auburn.

List of mayors

* Thos. Littlefield, 1869, 1871–1874 * S. P. Miller, 1870 * James Dingley, 1875–1876 * Hannibal R. Smith, 1877–1878 * Thomas Littlefield, 1879–1880 * Geo. S. Woodman, 1881–1883 * B. F. Sturgis, ca.1884-1885 * L. W. Haskell, 1885–1886 * Albert M. Penley, 1887–1888 * Albert R. Savage, 1889–1891 * Winchester G. Lowell, 1892 * W. W. Bolster, 1898 * Hillman Smith, 1894–1895 * Nathan W. Harris, 1896–1898 * Wm. H. Wiggin, 1899 * J. S. P. H. Wilson, 1900–1901 * Eben G. Eveleth, 1902–1908 * A. Q. Miller, 1904–1905 * David R. Hastings, 1906 * J. R. Webber, 1907 * Irving L. Merrill, 1908–1911 * Charles E. Williams, 1912 * Alvin W. Fowles, 1913–1914 * Henry R. Porter, 1916–1916 * Ralph F. Burnham, 1917–1919 * Henry E. Goss, 1920–1921 * Charles S. Cummings, 1922–1925 * Fred R. Walton, 1926–1929 * Lloyd H. McFadden, ca.1930-1933 * George C. Wing Jr., ca.1934-1935 * Ernest E. Estes, ca.1936-1937 * L. Kenneth Green, ca.1938-1944 * Rosaire L. Halle, ca.1949 * Edward M. Field, ca.1949-1953 * Merle Merrill, ca.1954 * Normand Guay, ca.2006 * John Jenkins, 2007–2009 * Richard Gleason, ca.2010 * Jason J. Levesque, ca.2017-2023 * Jeff Harmon, 2023–present

Education

Public primary and secondary education is provided by the Auburn School Department, including Edward Little High School. In addition, there are the following schools in the city: * St. Dominic Regional High School, a Catholic high school * Central Maine Community College, community college

Media

Newspapers

* The '' Sun Journal'' prints a daily newspaper in two different editions statewide. The Sun Journal was the recipient of the 2008 New England Daily Newspaper of the Year and the 2009 Maine Press Association Newspaper of the Year.

Transportation

Roads

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

* US Route 202 * State Route 11 * State Route 4 * State Route 121 * State Route 136 * State Route 122

By air

Auburn is the home of the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, located off Hotel Road.

Rail

Two freight railroads pass through the city.

Pan Am Railways Pan Am Railways, Inc. (PAR) is a subsidiary of CSX Corporation that operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine, to Rotterdam Junction, New York. Pan Am Railways is primarily made up of former C ...

(formerly Springfield Terminal Railway and Maine Central Railroad) is the primary rail connection for the city. Pan Am's main line from Rotterdam Junction, New York to Northern Maine Junction, Maine closely parallels US Route 202 through much of Auburn. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad's main line from Portland to Montreal also runs through the southwestern section of the city, passing near the Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport; at Lewiston Junction, a branch leased from the Lewiston and Auburn Railroad runs northwest through Auburn. The branch formerly crossed the Androscoggin River into Lewiston.

Sites of interest

* Lost Valley Ski Area * Mount Apatite Park * Auburn Riverwalk * Lake Auburn * Festival Plaza, completed in 2002—public park and performance space along the Androscoggin River. Two public water sculptures designed by artist Ross Miller operate seasonally – the Falls Fountain, that references the Androscoggin River and Native American legends of being able to hide behind the falls; and the Shoe Fountain, a series of cast bronze shoes recalling the early shoe manufacturing history of the area. A map of the Androscoggin River is cast into the plaza with colored concrete. * Hamster Point—Majestic river side gardens * Auburn Mall * Androscoggin Historical Society & Museum — artifacts of local history,

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

memorabilia, farming tools and a bird collection * Knight House Museum (1796) – the oldest frame house downtown, with a pre-1835 handwork shoe shop * Auburn Fire Department Museum—a collection of antique fire equipment from the city * Good Shepherd Food Bank distributes food to agencies across the state from its main warehouse in Auburn

National Register of Historic Places

* A. A. Garcelon House (1890) * Androscoggin County Courthouse and Jail (1857) * Auburn Public Library (1903) * Barker Mill (1873) * Charles A. Jordan House (1880) * Charles L. Cushman House (1889) * Edward Little House (1827) * Engine House (1879) * First Universalist Church (1876) * Frank L. Dingley House (1867) * Free Baptist Church * Gay-Munroe House (1878) *

Holman Day House The Holman Day House is a historic house at 2 Goff Street in Auburn, Maine. Built in 1895, it is one of the state's finest examples of Queen Anne architecture, and is further notable as the home of Maine author Holman Day. It was listed on th ...

(1895) * Horace Munroe House (1899) * Horatio G. Foss House (1914) * Lamoreau Site * Main Street Historic District * Roak Block (1871) * William A. Robinson House (1874) * William Briggs Homestead (1797)

Notable people

* Tony Atlas, wrestler * John Bower, skier * Lenny Breau, jazz guitarist * Erwin Canham, American journalist and author * Alonzo Conant, judge, Auburn Municipal Court (1946–1958) * Aaron S. Daggett, last surviving Civil War general * T. A. D. Fessenden, U.S. congressman * Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk, speech pathologist * John Jenkins, mayor * Adam R. Lee, state legislator * Edward Little, philanthropist, educator * Robert Luce, U.S. congressman * Cynthia McFadden, correspondent for ABC News * Dana T. Merrill, U.S. Army brigadier general *

Elmer Drew Merrill Elmer Drew Merrill (October 15, 1876 – February 25, 1956) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He spent more than twenty years in the Philippines where he became a recognized authority on the flora of the Asia-Pacific region. Through ...

, botanist * George Perkins Merrill, geologist * Julie Parisien, skier * Deborah Simpson, state legislator * Billy Silverman, referee * Charles Small, center fielder with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Snowe (; born February 21, 1947) is an American businesswoman and politician who was a United States Senate, United States Senator, representing Maine for three terms from 1995 to 2013. A lifelong member of the Republican Party (Unit ...

, U.S. senator and congresswoman * Peter T. Snowe, Maine state legislator * John H. Sturgis, Maine state legislator

References

External links

City of Auburn, Maine

Auburn Public Library

Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce

Three Auburn women: 100 years of friendship 1919 to 2019
NPR, December 22, 2019 * {{authority control Cities in Maine County seats in Maine Populated places established in 1786 Cities in Androscoggin County, Maine Portland metropolitan area, Maine