Auburn, Kansas

Auburn is a city in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. The population was 1,121 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Auburn is located at (38.906709, -95.816789).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²), all land.

History

In July of 1854. Mr. John W. Brown came to this area and returned home to Missiouri and told his family and friends about the area and some returned with him. In 1856 Mr. Brown along with M. C. Dickey, Loring Farnsworth and Henry Fox pre-empted 320 acres for the purpose of a town. They platted it and christened it Auburn. Although for many years it was known as Brownsville. It was located on the California Road and work began at once on the many buildings needed in a town of Auburns' size. Two daily stage lines brought mail and people to Auburn and business was very good.

Robert Simmerwell was a missionary to the indians in Auburn. He originally served as a missionary among the Pottawatomie Indians in Michigan Territory, while he apprenticed to a blacksmith and attended school at night. He later came to the Baptist Shawnee Mission on Pottawatomie Creek in eastern Kansas. In 1848 the government set up a new mission a few miles west of Topeka. In a three-story stone building with twelve rooms, boys and girls were given instruction in the manual arts, as well as in reading, writing, arithmetic, and religious subjects. In the fall of 1854, he and his wife had retired from active work in the Pottawatomie Mission, to homestead on 160 acres of virgin land farther south.

A description of the town from a 1912 volume of Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history is as follows:

Auburn, a money order postoffice of Shawnee county, is in the township of the same name, about 15 miles southwest of Topeka and 8 miles west of Wakarusa, which is the nearest railroad station. It is a trading center for that section of the county, has Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, telephone connection with Topeka and other adjacent points, and in 1910 reported a population of 72. Two rural free delivery routes start from the Auburn office and supply daily mail to the farmers of the vicinity.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,121 people, 385 households, and 301 families residing in the city. The population density was 746.2/km² (1,920.5/mi²). There were 400 housing units at an average density of 266.3/km² (685.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.63% White, 0.18% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.

There were 385 households out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,632, and the median income for a family was $44,934. Males had a median income of $31,699 versus $22,222 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,679. About 2.3% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Auburn Baseball Association

Today the Auburn Ball Association promotes Auburn teams all the way from Pee-wee leagues up to adult mens and corec softball leagues. The Association maintains and scedules events on two diamonds. The main diamond can be found at the corner of Washington (Auburn Rd)and 11th Street in Auburn (NE Corner of Ballpark Complex) and is the only lighted field at this time. The second is adjacent to the main diamond on the NW corner of the Ballpark Complex.

The Auburn Ballpark Complex is owned by the city of Auburn and jointly maintained by the city and the ABA. The City of Auburn generally grants the use and control of the Auburn Ballpark Complex to the Auburn Ball Association from April 1 to October 31 of each calendar year.

External links