In the years following the close of the Revolutionary War, veterans and others headed west to settle the first frontier of their new, sovereign nation. This western frontier included what is now known as Auburn and Cayuga County.

Once open to settlers, the development of Cayuga County set off at a rapid pace with veterans of Sullivan's campaign laying claim to areas they recorded during the days of warring with the Cayuga Indians. Among these veterans was John Hardenbergh, who in 1792, settled his claim on the Owasco Outlet and established a village that in twenty-five short years would become a thriving metropolis with a new state prison. Originally called "Hardenbergh's Corners," the village's name was soon changed to Auburn.