Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 22% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Auburn was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: 3 old photos and papers and old-book passages.
Auburn dates its founding to 1854 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1869.
More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Auburn is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Auburn’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Auburn’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Auburn.
It was first settled in 1854. On February 26, 1869, the settlement was granted a post office with the name of Skinner. On November 19, 1877, the Skinner Post Office was renamed Auburn. The unincorporated community incorporated as a city in 1947. The default Zip Code of 48611 is shared by Williams Township (which surrounds the city), and much of southwestern Bay County.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Auburn, cut from the printed page as they were published.
When Father Kozlowski was returned to this parish on January 6, 1900, he proceeded immediately to reorganize the Auburn mission. A building site was purchased in Fisherville, two miles west of the old location, and a nice stone and brick church, with accommodations for a school in the basement, was erected. This church was dedicated as St. Anthony's Church,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
while the churches at the pretty village of Auburn supply the several denominations. W^illiams has an excellent school system, and post offices at Auburn and North W^illiams. Some of the largest and richest farms in the State of Michigan are situated in Williams township, monuments to the industry, perseverance, and intelligent cultivation of its pioneers and their
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereMichael Gallagher is born hereNo then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Auburn’s page.
Retake this view · +15Auburn’s post office has been open since 1877. Another post office, Skinner, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1854, according to Wikidata. Auburn’s post office opened in 1869.
Auburn is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
4% of Auburn’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1974.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
Date?
Date?
Date?
2023
2005