AUBURN, MASSACHUSETTS

'Auburn' is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,901 at the 2000 census.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Government

Education

Points of interest

Notable residents

References

External links

History

Auburn was first settled in 1714 and was officially incorporated in 1778 as the town of Ward, in honor of American Revolution General Artemas Ward. The town changed its name to Auburn in 1837, after the Post Office complained that the name was too similar to the nearby town of Ware.
Before incorporation, most of Auburn was known as the South Parish of Worcester; other portions fell within the town limits of Leicester and Millbury.
Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket from his Aunt Eiffie's farm in Auburn on March 16, 1926. Goddard is commemorated in Goddard Memorial Park located downtown next to the Auburn Fire Department Headquarters.
In this park there is a model of Dr. Goddard's prototype liquid fueled rocket and a Polaris Ballistic Missile (Type A-1) on the lawn of their public library.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.5 km² (16.4 mi²). 39.8 km² (15.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.7 km² (1.0 mi²) of it (6.34%) is water. Auburn is bounded on the north by Worcester, on the northwest by Leicester, on the southwest by Oxford, and on the east by Millbury. Within the town's limits are several ponds, including Dark Brook Pond, Dark Brook Reservoir, Pondville Pond, Leesville Pond and Auburn (Mirror) Pond, formerly a larger feature before being partially filled to accommodate construction of the Auburn Mall in the 1970s.
The town's business community has benefited from its position along the main transportation routes of Central Massachusetts, crossed by east-west U.S. Route 20 (locally called Washington Street) and the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90); as well as north-south Massachusetts Route 12, one of the original New England Interstate Routes, Interstate 290 and Interstate 395. I-290 in Auburn for years provided the only highway access to Worcester from the Massachusetts Turnpike (exit 10) and eastern Connecticut, via I-395.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 15,901 people, 6,346 households, and 4,404 families residing in the town. The population density was 399.7/km² (1,035.3/mi²). There were 6,579 housing units at an average density of 165.4/km² (428.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.54% White, 0.58% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population.
There were 6,346 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,753, and the median income for a family was $60,805. Males had a median income of $42,893 versus $31,121 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,802. About 2.7% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Education

Auburn has two elementary school "districts." Homes north and west of Route 12 (Southbridge Street) feed into Bryn Mawr School (grades K-2) and Julia Bancroft School (grades 3-5). The other half of town feeds into Mary D. Stone School (grades K-2) and Pakachoag School (grades 3-5). All Auburn public school students attend Auburn Middle School (grades 6-8) and Auburn High School (grades 9-12). A new high school opened on Drury Square, in the center of town, in 2006; a group called "Save the '35" protested demolition of the oldest (1935) wing of the former high school. The old high school has now been completely demolished.

Points of interest

★ Goddard Rocket Launching Site

★ Auburn High School

★ Auburn Mall

Notable residents

★ Jacob Whitman Bailey, biologist, educator^[1]

★ Dr. Arthur M. Pappas, former team doctor of the Boston Red Sox^[2]

★ Sean P. McGrail, World Explorer. Circumnavigating the World with Sean McGrail

References

1. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896, , , , Marquis Who's Who, ,
2. Former Red Sox doc says Auburn not keeping deal Bill Fortier

External links

★ Town of Auburn