Auburn Historic Main Street Tour
A tour of historical and architectural sites in Auburn, Washington. Click on the numbered circles to visit the historic buildings.

From Wilderness to Urban Community *

One hundred years ago, the White River Valley was covered with rich vegetation, swamps, and dense forests. It was a place where peoples' lives were continually challenged by unpredictable floods, and where native Americans fished and held potlatches at the convergence of the Green and White Rivers. The story of the White River Valley, the people who settled there, and the development of a little town town called Slaughter, which today is known as Auburn, Washington, is reflected in the historic buildings and sites included in this walking/driving tour.

From the time the first frontier residents created a settlement out of a wilderness, their hopes and dreams, combined with self-reliance and hard work, created a lasting legacy of a strong and united community. The metamorphosis of a small frontier outpost into a well developed industrial center is an interesting story. While Auburn's physical appearance and character has greatly changed over the past one hundred years, many important historic and cultural resources associated with its development remain as part of our present, as the town embraces the challenges of the next century and beyond.

* Paraphrased from the book, Auburn: A Look Down Main Street, © 1990, City of Auburn