Auburn

Auburn Auburn ô ´b?rn [key]. 1 City (1990 pop. 33,830), Lee co., E Ala.; inc. 1839. The city's economy centers around Auburn Univ. ; there is some manufacturing. 2 City (1990 pop. 24,309), seat of Androscoggin co., SW Maine, on the Androscoggin River (crossed by several bridges) opposite Lewiston ; settled 1765 on the site of a Native American village, inc. 1842. With Lewiston, Auburn long formed one of the most important industrial complexes in Maine. Abundant water power spurred a large variety of manufactures, including shoes (manufactured there since c.1835) and bricks; in the late 20th cent., however, industry declined. Nearby Mt. Apatite is a source of apatite and feldspar. 3 City (1990 pop. 31,443), seat of Cayuga co., W central N.Y., in the Finger Lakes region, on the outlet of Owasco Lake; settled 1793, inc. 1848. Its manufactures include transportation equipment, machinery, rope, fiber-optic instruments, leather products, steel, fuel oil tanks, and electronic parts. It i s the site of Auburn State Prison (built 1816), in which Thomas Mott Osborne , the prison reformer (who was born in Auburn), served a voluntary term. The city's museum has collections of historical documents and Native American relics. The houses of William H. Seward and Harriet Tubman are preserved. 4 City (1990 pop. 33,102), King co., W Wash., on the Green and White (Stuck) rivers, between Seattle and Tacoma; settled 1855, inc. 1914. It is a railroad junction and farm trade center. Auburn also possesses a large aircraft industry and is the site of a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control center. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography