Historic Old Town Auburn Walking Tour

CLAUDE CHANA STATUE

It is important to start at the point where Frenchman Claude Chana discovered gold in the Auburn Ravine Creek on May 15, 1848. His chance discovery of three sizable nuggets of gold brought gold seekers to this area and a community soon formed. In time, Auburn became not only a gold discovery site but also a commercial center for the mining communities in the region. Behind the statue is an interesting assortment of antique mining tools and equipment.

FIRE HOUSE NUMBER II

This Old Town Firehouse once stood where the freeway runs now. It was built in 1891, and the Queen Anne style influence can be seen in the use of patterned shingles of varied styles and colors. This firehouse was home for the Auburn Hook and Ladder Co., organized in 1852. In the tower is the original bell used to sound the alarm and bring volunteers from nearby mines and fields.

AUBURN CITY HALL

The old City Hall was built in 1862, and burned in 1905. Some of its original walls remained after the fire and were used in the construction of the present structure. They can be seen on the left side of the building.

EMPIRE LIVERY STABLE

This stable is the only survivor of a number of such buildings in the area. Serving the Empire Hotel, it was built in 1864. It is one of the oldest wood structures in Auburn.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL

Now occupied by the Shanghai, this is the location of an early Auburn hotel. It also served as the original Auburn stagecoach office. First built in 1852 it quickly fell victim to fire. Rebuilt with bricks an iron doors, it was said to be "fireproof" but burned again in 1861. Rebuilt as a single story building, the bottom of the old second story windows can be seen on the left wall of the building.

CHINESE MERCHANTS SECTION

Once extending further up Sacramento Street, th remaining three buildings were constructed with wood in 1852. Auburn's devastating fire of 1855 started in this area and burned everything down this side of the street, including the American Hotel and several other commercial buildings. Because goods and provisions were so vital to local miners, the buildings were quickly replaced with brick structures complete with iron doors. The Wing Chong General Merchandise store, Quong Hi Grocery, and Yi Yick Grocery were important parts of the Chinese community, supplying provisions and ethnic goods for the large Chinese population. Much of the activity, however, was found in the basements, where card games, dominoes, "Chi Moy", keno, and lottery games were played. Opium was commonly smoked and some of the small rooms were found with women's names attached.

THE WEBER HOME

Next door to this home on the hill overlooking Old Town, the Weber family lived as respected community members. It was Weber's son, Adolf, who robbed the Placer County Bank (the original building is still intact on Commercial street, see Item U.) and then killed his family and burned down their house. Weber'S trial was held in Auburn, but he was hung at Folsom Prison where two inch pieces of souvenir rope sold for $1.50 after the hanging. The Patricide Law came into being as a result of the Weber trial.

TRAVELERS REST HOTEL & THE BERNHARD WINERY

Originally known as the Traveler's Rest, this former stage stop may be one of the oldest wooden structures in Auburn. The long brick and stone building facing the street is known as the Winery. The wooden two-story house was constructed in 1851 and operated by Bishop and Long as a stage stop and travelers rest until it became Bishop's home in 1858. The property, including 30 acres of land was purchased in 1868 by Benjamin Bernhard for $3,000. In 1870 Bernhard added the single story porch to the house and turned the property into a productive farm. Though Bernhard's try at raising silkworms in 1872 was a failure, he built the winery in 1874 and enjoyed success until his death in 1902. A tunnel goes from the winery to the basement of the house. The winery is now actually in use again.

GOLD COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS AND MUSEUM

One of Placer County's museums is located inside the fairgrounds. A WPA era stone facility features exhibits on the Gold Rush and historic minin technology. The museum is open daily.

THE CHINESE JOSS HOUSE

Known as the Joss House, this structure was built after the fire of 1855. It was the temple, house of worship, and social center for the Chinese population in this area. In the 1880s, this block of Sacramento St. was known as "Chinatown Hill" because the Chinese were concentrated here and built most of the buildings.

THE HOP SING LAUNDRY

Still functioning in the 1950s, this laundry had a unique wood stove for heating the irons and a copper steam sprinkler.

THE OLD OPERA HOUSE

This building was used as a boarding house for Japanese farm workers in the 1920s. An opera house located at this location met the same fate as many Auburn buildings when it was destroyed by fire.

WADDLE'S MEAT MARKET

At the turn of the century, the proprietor of this structure kept cattle in a barn on Brewery lane in order to assure fresh meat for his customers. Water in the creek, which runs under the building, was used to generate power for the early butcher shop. The original brick walls, which are over 125 years old, can still be seen at the sides and back of the building.

THE BUDDHIST CHURCH

The site occupied by Tsuda Market today once was the site of the local Buddhist Church. Next door, where the small park is now located, was a dry goods store owned by J. Abrams. The store was destroyed by fire and a portion of the back wall remains standing

THE UNION BAR

The Union Bar gained its name and some fame as the favorite gathering place for soldiers stationed in Auburn during the Civil War. The soldiers were assigned to protect gold being shipped by train to Washington in support of the Union cause. The original front of this building had become unstable, and had to be rebuilt in 1999.

THE JOHN BOGGS HOME

Built by Sheriff John Boggs in 1885, an Eastlake style influence can be seen in the use of tapered round porch posts, spindle and spool-like balusters, moldings and brackets. The fence surrounding the yard is original. It was Sheriff Boggs who headed up the last posse to go after "Rattlesnake Dick" a notorious, local bandit.

METHODIST CHURCH, ODD FELLOWS, AND AUBURN GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The Methodist Church was built in 1858, and the main sanctuary of this Victorian Gothic Revival building has pointed arch windows. The bell tower, added in 1904 is capped by a steeple roof. The historic features of the building were preserved when it was remodeled in the 1990's. Up Lincoln Way is the Odd Fellows Hall built in 1856. At the time it was considered one of the finest lodges in the state. Built with square symmetry, this building has the typical formality of an Italianate Classic Revival structure. The classical influence is revealed in the use of simulated pilasters in framing the upper story windows and shop entrances on the first floor. Across the street is the Auburn Grammar School building, which has been restored to house the Auburn Civic Center. The building is an adaptation of the Beaux Arts Classicism style that was popular during the 1900-1920 decades, and was designed by Wm. Henry Weeks, recognized as one of the west's significant institutional architects.

THE PLACER COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Established in 1848, Auburn became the Placer County seat in 1851. Prior to that time and following California being admitted to the Union, Auburn was the Sutter County seat, this becoming the only city in California to be the county seat of two counties. This hilltop was the site of bull and bear fights and public hangings. In 1851, a wooden courthouse was built, along with a log jail complete with a hanging tree. The current courthouse was designed by John M. Curtis a prominent early California architect. A grandiose three-story Classical Revival structure, it is topped by a bracketed cornice and a simple Renaissance Revival inspired dome. The monumental stairs on the north and south side of the building lead to the main floor of the building. It is one of four surviving historic California courthouses which retain most of their architectural ornamentation and magnificent domes. The building has been the continuous home of the Placer County Superior Court system since its construction in the 1898. A county museum is housed on the basement level of the building and tours of the restored courthouse are available. Don't miss the large exhibit of gold nuggets found here in Placer County!

LAWYERS ROW

Lawyers row was named because so many lawyers practiced their trade here in the shadow of the Courthouse. This original building was built of brick laid with lime mortar, (though the southeast corner has been rebuilt using cement) and placed on a mortared rock foundation. There originally was a wooden porch and roof overhang across the building's front. Note the locally quarried granite steps. Across the street is a collection of antique mining equipment including an old stamp mill used for crushing gold bearing ore.

COMMERCIAL STREET BUILDINGS

The first structure is the old Masonic Hall. It later became a mortuary, and caskets were sold next door. These store fronts appear much as they did in the early days. The Placer County Bank building, located in the middle of the block, was the site of a famou robbery by Adolf Weber as mentioned under Item G.

OLD "MAIN STREET SHOPS"

Numerous businesses have been located here over the years. Note the hand hewn curb stones with the imbedded iron rings used to secure horses prior to the arrival of the automobile.

THE JAMES BLOCK

This block dates back to Auburn's earliest days. Built directly over a branch of the Auburn Ravine.The Wells Fargo Express Co. was located at the west end of the block. Gold and mail were shipped from this point to locations around the world, and according to one local storyteller, the building's facade still holds bullets fired at local outlaw "Rattlesnake Dick." The post office, known as Station A, is the oldest post office in California still in its original building. The first regularly scheduled mail was delivered to Auburn in March of 1851. Step inside and notice the old boxes and counter still in use.

OLD STAMP MILL

This old gold stamp mill from the Gold Bug Mine was built in the 1880s and was a typical mill for a small hardrock mining operation.