The railroad terminus · 1892
Auburn History
Auburn exists because the railroad stopped there. The Georgia-Carolina and Northern line surveyed the plat in 1891, the first train arrived on February 9, 1892, and the city was incorporated that same year as the line's terminus.
The name is a color: auburn, for the red clay that was used to dye cloth.
The founding story
The first train of 1892
The Seaboard Railroad, originally the Georgia-Carolina and Northern, surveyed the settlement's plat in 1891 and extended its line to that point. The first train arrived on February 9, 1892, and the city grew around its depots and warehouses as the terminus of the line. It was incorporated the same year.
The name
Auburn, for the clay
The city takes its name from the auburn-red color of the local clay, which was historically used to dye cloth. It is one of the more literal city names in the region, and the clay is still the color of the ground around the edges of the city.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Updated September 13, 2026. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC.