Auburn Oregon is a ghost town in Baker County, Oregon. It is located about eight miles southwest of Baker City in the Blue Mountains. Gold was discovered on Griffin Creek in October 1861 and thousands of miners rushed to the Blue Mountains and parts of Idaho where similar gold strikes were made. One of the first mining camps was located in the Blue Canyon district south of Griffin Creek. In June 1862, a town was laid out and named Auburn. Like many early mining towns it was probably named for a mining town in California.

A town was laid out and a number of buildings were built, and by fall 1862 it was one of the largest towns in eastern Oregon. Auburn was named the county seat of Baker County in September. The first post office in northeastern Oregon was established there on November 1, 1862. The first postmaster was William McCrary. In 1863 the population was estimated at about 6,000, mostly men. It had grown into a full-fledged town with over 20 stores and 1000 homes to serve the mining industry.

The community experienced its share of crime but when a man known as Spanish Tom got into an argument with two Americans over a card game and stabbed both of the Americans to death and then quickly left town it created a cry for swift justice. He was arrested several days later and brought back to Auburn, where he was put under the custody of the sheriff. A local group took action and in the process of taking the prisoner from the sheriff Spanish Tom was shot then hanged.

Like many mining boom towns Auburn declined rapidly as the placer miners left for other goldfields or settlements, and by December 1864 there were only 150 residents left. In 1868 the county seat was moved to Baker City. The Auburn post office was discontinued on October 31, 1903. Today there is little left to mark what once was the largest town in Eastern Oregon. An old cemetery is all that remains.

Contributed by Steve Lent, Historian