In 1878, Robert Wilton Burton (1848-1917) established the first bookstore in Auburn, Alabama. At times referred to as "Auburn's poet laureate", his rhymes and jingles appeared daily on the blackboard in front of Burton's Bookstore. He published short stories and serials in several magazines, and his "Marengo Jake" tall tales were published in regional newspapers. From the proceeds of a particular set of four children’s stories he built the "four story cottage" on east Magnolia where his daughter, Lucille Burton would later reside. After Wilton Burton's death, Lucille and her sister, Miriam Langston, operated Burton's Bookstore. The bookstore closed its doors in 1968.