According to local lore, Auburn's name comes from "Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain," a line from Oliver Goldsmith's poem, "The Deserted Village." The first settlers were drawn to the Auburn area by the remarkable falls, lakes, and streams, which provided power for early shoe and textile manufacturers as well as opportunities for recreation. Visitors were also attracted by the tremendous natural resources of "Sweet Auburn" and
tourism boomed in the nineteenth century, with people
"from away" flocking to the area to enjoy cruises on Lake Auburn and to partake of spring waters and tonics. As Auburn grew and changed, photographers began to preserve these developments on film. For the past 130 years, they have recorded the daily lives of the people of Auburn: their workplaces, schools, and houses; their modes of dress and moments of leisure; and the celebrations and disasters that have brought the people of Auburn together.