Auburn, Historical county seat in Placer County, California.
Auburn is a county seat in Placer County, California, sitting 374 meters (about 1,200 feet) above the point where the North Fork and Middle Fork of the American River meet. The town rests among wooded hills and offers travelers a quiet stop between the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada range.
French prospectors founded a camp called North Fork Dry Diggings in 1848, which was soon renamed. Miners arriving from Auburn in New York State gave the settlement its current name the following year as a tribute to their former home.
The Placer County Museum displays objects from the Gold Rush era along with belongings of Native American communities and Chinese settlers. Visitors walk through exhibit rooms that show how different groups shaped life in the region during its early growth.
The center is accessible via Interstate 80 and California State Route 49, and an Amtrak station offers regular train connections. Travelers find parking near the main street and can explore most sites on foot from there.
More than 20 wineries operate within the town boundaries and make use of the Mediterranean climate for grape growing. The elevation and soil composition provide favorable conditions for ripening different grape varieties throughout the season.
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