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 For
me, the building occupied by Carpe Vino in Old Town Auburn is not an inanimate thing; a simple brick vessel relegated to serving the needs of whatever retailer holds the lease. I know it is not alive, but I often need to be convinced because there has been so much living done in this structure over the course of 150 years.
In an attempt to sketch the roots of the Union Saloon, I've
spent days hunched over the stacks in the Auburn Public Library
and the Placer County Archives, searching for links to the
old bar and the people who frequented it. In my mind's eye,
I can imagine them in here now, sitting at our bar, kibitzing,
joking and laughing--just as our regulars do today--the lawyers,
judges, county employees and the people who simply call Auburn
home.
Researching the archived copies of the Placer Herald and Auburn
Journal has taken me on a scholarly trek, one far more pleasurable
than surfing the net. The fragile broadsheet newspaper pages
present a remarkable view of life in 19th and 20th century
Auburn, which struggled then with many of the same problems
that confront us today. Most compelling, however, is the portrait
of day-to-day living; the simple legacy of births, marriages
and deaths that sustain our culture.
Old Town Auburn
about 1957 |
Here are four stories about the Union
Saloon, which in total, create a vivid slice of life in Old
Town Auburn. You'll be introduced to people such as Frank
"Big Dip" Dependener, a six-foot, seven-inch Placer
County Deputy sheriff who was  once
the proprietor of the Union Saloon. You'll learn about the
mystery behind the old stone building behind the Union Saloon,
and you'll find out who spirited away the original mahogany
bar. Click on the links below.
I've got two more stories to write before this history lesson
is complete: I'll tell the gruesome tale of Adolph Weber,
the 20-year-old who robbed the Placer County Bank in 1904,
and then murdered his entire family five months later in a
bid to conceal his crime. Finally, I'll write a short and
concise history of Old Town.
For now, I hope you enjoy this compelling glimpse into the
past.
Gary Moffat, April 2003
Here's what we know about the long history of the round corner building in Old Town that now houses Carpe Vino. We trace building ownership from 1855. Click here
to read more.
The one-time operator of a bar housed
in the former Union Saloon is a legendary peace officer who
served for 37 years. Here's the story of his famous Courthouse
shootout and his untimely death and connection to Carpe Vino.Click
here to read more.
The original bar was removed by movie
legend Mary Pickford as a 1932 Christmas gift for her husband,
Douglas Fairbanks. Here's the story behind this luminous couple
and how they acquired the bar. Click
here to read more.
An ancient stone building behind the
main Union Saloon structure has been converted into a latter-day
storage facility for wine. Here's the tale of transformation
and contradiction about when and why it was constructed. Click here to read more.
Much of the information developed for
these stories was taken from the archives of local newspapers,
most notably the Placer Herald and Auburn Journal. There are
few published works about Auburn, but several titles were
valuable in my research: Auburn, by M.E. Gilberg; The Story
and Trials of Adolph Julius Weber, by Lewis J. Swindle; and
Placer County, an Illustrated History, by Chuck Meyer. I conducted
personal interviews and my research was pointed in the right
direction by Donna Howell and Carmel Barry-Schweyer of the
Placer County Department of Museums. Our thanks to the same
organization for use of many of the period photos that illustrate
this site.
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