Auburn, Kansas

Infobox Settlement|
official_name = Auburn, Kansas
settlement_type = City
nickname =


imagesize =
image_caption =


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in the state of Kansas


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Kansas
subdivision_name2 = Shawnee
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name =
established_date =
area_magnitude = 1 E7
area_total_km2 = 1.5
area_total_sq_mi = 0.6
area_land_km2 = 1.5
area_land_sq_mi = 0.6
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
population_as_of = 2000
population_total = 1121
timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_m = 330
elevation_ft = 1083
latd = 38 |latm = 54 |lats = 24 |latNS = N
longd = 95 |longm = 49 |longs = 0 |longEW = W
website =
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 66402
area_code = 785
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 20-03250GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0479054GR|3
footnotes =

Auburn is a city in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,121 at the 2000 census.

History

In July 1854, Mr. John W. Brown came to this area and found it highly suitable for a homestead. He acquired 800 acres through bartering with local Indians. He built a large brick farmhouse and later returned home to Missouri and told his family and friends about the area. Some returned with him. In 1856 Mr. Brown along with M. C. Dickey, Loring Farnsworth and Henry Fox pre-empted convert|320|acre|km2|1 for the purpose of a town. They platted it and christened it Auburn. Although for many years it was known as Brownsville. It was located on the California Road and work began at once on the many buildings needed in a town of Auburns' size. Two daily stage lines brought mail and people to Auburn and business was very good.

Robert Simmerwell was a missionary to the Indians in Auburn. He originally served as a missionary among the Pottawatomie Indians in Michigan Territory, while he apprenticed to a blacksmith and attended school at night. He later came to the Baptist Shawnee Mission on Pottawatomie Creek in eastern Kansas. In 1848 the government set up a new mission a few miles west of Topeka. In a three-story stone building with twelve rooms, boys and girls were given instruction in the manual arts, as well as in reading, writing, arithmetic, and religious subjects. In the fall of 1854, he and his wife had retired from active work in the Pottawatomie Mission, to homestead on convert|160|acre|km2|1southwest of the town.

In the 1850's, the city grew fast, and was often referred to as a "boom town". It was one of the largest in the state, and nearly became the state capitol. However, Auburn was cast aside as an option, as the railroad bypassed the city. Topeka was chosen to be the capitol because it had the railrod, and an important ferry site along the Kansas River. The population dwindled, but continued to hover around 100 for many decades.

A description of the town from a 1912 volume of "Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history" is as follows:

"Auburn, a money order postoffice of Shawnee county, is in the township of the same name, about convert|15|mi|km|0 southwest of Topeka and convert|8|mi|km|0 west of Wakarusa, which is the nearest railroad station. It is a trading center for that section of the county, has Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, telephone connection with Topeka and other adjacent points, and in 1910 reported a population of 72. Two rural free delivery routes start from the Auburn office and supply daily mail to the farmers of the vicinity."

Auburn finally began to grow in population in the 1950's. An important issue at this time was the city's small school system. It consisted of Auburn Grade School (grades K-5) and Auburn High School (grades 6-12). The Highschool was quickly becoming overcrowded, and in the late 1950's, a new building was built. However, it was eventually decided that the Auburn School district would merge with the Washburn School District to increase efficiency. In 1962, that was finalized. The highschool was closed and converted to a community center, and the gradeschool remains open to this day.

In the 1960's and 70's, the city's population dwindled, but was re-vitalized with a large housing project. Between 1975 and 1985, roughly 100 new split-level homes were built. Since then, many more have sprung up.

During the years of 2000-2006, a 10-acre pasture on the northeast side of Auburn was developed. A retirement home and three small, two-story apartment complexes have been built, resulting in the creation of residence for around 100 people.

In October of 2009, Auburn's annual Grange Fair will be 100 years old.

Auburn Today

Currently, city Founder John W. Brown's historic farmhouse and the surrounding land sit 3/4 miles southwest of city limits on a gravel road. However, it is not an official historical site. The Property is owned by a local family by the name of Kresie. The Kresies purchased it in 1918 from the farm's second owner, and currently, it is 305 acres in size and produces row crops.

The city itself contains several buisnesses. It can be noted there is a grocery store, a Phillips 66 gas station, a full-service Vicker's station, a law office, a dentist, a chiropractor, a pizza parlor, a liquor store, a Bar-B-Que diner, and others. Most Auburn residents commute to other surrounding cities for work, often Topeka. Currently, there are four churches in Auburn: Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist and Baptist. Many people in Auburn also belong to groups such as the Kiwanis Club, the Boy Scout troop, the Baseball Association and the Boys and Girls Club. There is also an inactive Masonic Lodge.

Auburn has three police officers, one police car, and a fully equipped volunteer fire department. There is also a sizeable road maintenance and utilities department and several Civil Defense volunteers.

Geography

Auburn is located at coor dms|38|54|24|N|95|49|0|W|city (38.906709, -95.816789)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,121 people, 385 households, and 301 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,920.5 people per square mile (746.2/km²). There were 400 housing units at an average density of 685.3/sq mi (266.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.63% White, 0.18% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.

There were 385 households out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,632, and the median income for a family was $44,934. Males had a median income of $31,699 versus $22,222 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,679. About 2.3% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Trivia

Auburn is the hometown of Cameron Mitchell, a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, though, the episode showed Auburn as having a population of 21,211.

References

External links

* [http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/shawnee/stahl/toc.htm One-Way Ticket to Kansas: Autobiography of Frank M. Stahl]