Auburn ─ The Classic City

The citizens of Auburn, Indiana ensure that their city is truly special among the 22 Auburns in the United States. From the time of foraging hogs and cows roaming its streets to nude swimming at the YMCA pool, the landscape of this small town is ever changing and often surprising. Auburn's past is full of many exceptional instances of residents fighting against injustice, including hosting stops along the Underground Railroad and raising Company K of the 44th Indiana Volunteer Infantry to serve the Union during the Civil War. Even before Auburn became a city in 1900, her devoted people displayed how difficulties can be turned into opportunities, and they have always risen to the challenge.

Auburn: The Classic City reveals these stories and much more about this big-impact city with the small-town feel. Once called "Little Detroit," Auburn featured prominently in the automobile era, producing 24 different makes of cars before 1937, a heritage now preserved in its world-class museums. This lush transportation history also earned the town the name "Home of the Classics." Featured here are highlights from this time as well as such tales as the raid on the police department by John Dillinger's gang. Readers journey alongside the persistent people who transformed this community into the DeKalb County seat where the tree-lined streets, historic residences, and beautiful city parks belie the city's illustrious tradition of industry and innovation. In Auburn: The Classic City, more than 100 never-before-published photographs accompany the artful narrative.