| A
Compleat History of the Union Saloon in Old Town Auburn
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 | A
Four-Story Package on the Union Saloon 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 Surviving
150 Years in Old Town:
The Story of the Union Saloon Building
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. | 
