A history of Auburn,
since 1836
Postcards, papers and photographs of Auburn from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Inhabited in antiquity by the Creek, the land on which Auburn sits was opened to settlement in 1832 with the Treaty of Cusseta. The first settlers arrived in the winter of 1836 from Harris County, Georgia. These settlers, led by Judge John J. Harper, intended to build a town that would be the religious and educational center for the area. War soon broke out between treaty violators and the Creeks, which led to the Creeks being forcefully moved towards Oklahoma.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Auburn’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
5 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1950 Census Enumeration District …, 1880: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Auburn, decade by decade
CommonsEXTERIOR (FRONT). - Cauthen House, East Drake Avenue, Aubur…1933
CommonsFIREPLACE AND DOOR IN S.E. BED ROOM - Meadows House, 342 No…1933
CommonsFIREPLACE IN N.W. BED ROOM - Meadows House, 342 North Colle…1933
CommonsFRONT AND SIDE VIEW, S.W. - Meadows House, 342 North Colleg…1933
CommonsFRONT DOOR TREATMENT - Meadows House, 342 North College Str…1933
CommonsHALL AND FRONT DOOR TREATMENT, W. - Meadows House, 342 Nort…1933
CommonsHALL DOOR TREATMENT AND WINDOW IN N.W. ROOM - Meadows House…1933
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Alabama - Lee County - Auburn - ED AL 41-26 to 32 (1880) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (12). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.