Auburn, Baker County, Oregon Genealogy

Founded 13 June 1862, when William H. Packwood along with  Ed Cranston and George Hall called a meeting to  plat the area  that became Town of Auburn.

The area was settled following the discovery of the gold in the Griffin Gulch nearby. Today only trace of Auburn is a field of washed stones in the Blue Canyon.

Auburn was Baker County's first county seat before a daring raid by town leaders of Baker City in 1875 taking the county records and moved to Baker City.

Events leading to the establishment of the city, gold was found on Griffin Creek in October 1861, and within a few weeks the eastern Oregon gold rush was in full fever. Thousands of miners and prospectors poured into the Blue Mountains and also into parts of Idaho where there were similar discoveries. A camp sprang up in the Blue Canyon district, a little south of Griffin Creek. This camp was about eight miles airline southwest of Baker City and it rapidly became one of the largest settlements in eastern Oregon.

Post Office was established 1 November 1862 with William F. McCrary first postmaster, and it was the first post office in northeastern Oregon. It was in operation until 31 October 1903 when it closed to Baker City.