Auburn, Indiana

from	Sasha Kaun
to		jms@counselorsmith.com
date		Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 6:25 PM
subject		Auburn, Indiana

Hello,

I have heard that you are most expert on Auburn, Indiana. I know you will be able to answer my question. Did George Washington start the town of Auburn? I did not think this was the case, but that is what it said on Wikipedia. I am doing a research paper and I do not want to have any incorrect information. Information on Wikipedia is generally correct as it is written by experts. However, I had always heard that the name came from the expedition of Lewis and Clark when one of the people burnt themselves starting a fire and said "Ah! Burn!" Thus, the name stuck and a city was born. Please confirm that George Washington did not start the town. He started many great things in the world, but I do not think Auburn is one of them, although it would have been his crowning achievement (would you agree?). I want to get the best grade possible on my paper.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sasha

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	from	John Martin Smith
to		sasha.kaun24@gmail.com
date		Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 11:33 AM
subject		George Washington

Sasha:

No, George Washington did not start the town of Auburn. He died in 1799, and Auburn was not founded until 1837. The founders were Wesley Park and John B. Howe. The name "Auburn" came from a poem by Oliver Goldsmith titled "Deserted Village" with the opening line "Auburn, sweet Auburn, loveliest village on the Plain". There are 22 towns named Auburn in the United States. You should read my book entitled "Auburn, The Classic City", which is available in most school and public libraries. I also wrote a 2 Volume History of DeKalb County. Good Luck on your paper!


John Martin Smith
DeKalb County Historian
P.O.Box 686
Auburn, IN 46706
Phone: 260-925-4560
Fax: 260-925-4563
Email: jms@counselorsmith.com