Auburn, Maine

, Welcome to Auburn's Museum in the Streets^® Historic Walking Tour. , Auburn's history is a manifold tale of Native Americans and settlers; entrepreneurs and visionaries; industrialization and the American Dream. Illustrated panels will guide you along the Riverwalk and through the downtown, to discover snippets of Auburn's past, including notable people, buildings, and events of historical significance in the founding and building of this community., The people of Auburn have been intricately tied to the Androscoggin River throughout history, which has helped shape the community, the land and the river itself over time. The western side of the Androscoggin River between the Great Falls and the Little Androscoggin was originally settled by the Anasagunticook tribe. In 1684, Chief Warumbee sold land to Richard Wharton. After Wharton's death, the land passed on to the Pejepscot Proprietors. After decades of legal battles over land rights, the claim was incorporated in 1802 as the Town of Danville. In 1842, the eastern section of the Town of Minot became the Town of Auburn. The name was inspired by the Goldsmith poem, "The Deserted Village.", When Androscoggin County was formally established in 1854, the legislature provided that the voters decide whether to locate the county seat in Lewiston, Danville, or Auburn. The bill's sponsor presumed Lewiston would be chosen, but Danville and the towns west of the river voted for Auburn. Five years later, Auburn absorbed the portion of Danville north of the Little Androscoggin, and in 1867, the state legislature voted to annex the remaining area of Danville to Auburn. Auburn was incorporated as a city in 1869 and elected Thomas Littlefield as its first mayor. In 1917, Auburn became the first city in Maine to adopt the council-manager form of government., Beginning in 1835, shoe manufacturing quickly grew into Auburn's largest industry. During the Civil War, the output of shoes and boots roughly doubled. The following three decades saw a tenfold increase in industry mechanized, peaking at roughly 6,000,000 pairs per year. A labor strike in 1937 caused failure of some companies, and later foreign imports largely ended Auburn's reign as the "shoe capital of the world.", Today, leading economic sectors of employment are healthcare, retail trade, education, and manufacturing. Auburn has taken advantage of its large geographic area to become home to shopping centers, car dealerships, industrial parks, an airport, and an intermodal transportation center. In addition, Auburn is fortunate to be an urban area with twenty sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population is about 23,000., This walking tour consists of 30 panels, 15 of which are located in downtown Auburn. As you walk this trail, please be respectful of both public and private property. Enjoy the tour!,