Discovering NEW YORK - The State Beyond The City - Historic AUBURN, NY - Home of HARRIET TUBMAN, WILLIAM H. SEWARD and the First Use of the Electric Chair

I have just recently moved back to my home town of Auburn, NY after spending several years in the southern United States. Living in the south taught me one thing very quickly - New York state is lost in the shadow of New York city. I knew before leaving Florida what I was intending to do to rectify that view. New York is one of the original thirteen colonies and has a lot of historical significance to the United States. Over the next few months I plan to introduce Steemit to the natural beauty and history of this wonderful state through a series of discovery posts. The place where I was born and raised seemed to be an appropriate starting point so I'm going to begin here in the city of Auburn.


Auburn, NY is in the Finger Lakes Region of New York and is the only city in the county of Cayuga. It has a population of approx. 28,000. It is a very picturesque city with tree lined residential streets. It has two large commercial districts located ate the east and west ends of the city and has pockets of industrial areas scattered throughout its 8 sq. miles meaning there are plenty of employment opportunities for those who want to work. It is located at the north end of Owasco lake and is within 20 miles of 5 0f the 11 finger lakes. It is also only about 30 miles from Lake Ontario. The city has been home to several historical figures of the United States.

William H. Seward

William H. Seward was Secretary of State under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was instrumental in the purchase of Alaska from Russia. That purchase at the time was known to some as Seward's Folly but mostly it was praised for strengthening commercial expansion on the Pacific coast. The night that Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre was supposed to be a triple assassination of the president, vice president, and secretary of state (Seward). The President's assassination was successful but the attempt on Seward was thwarted and the attempt on the Vice President never took place. Seward was a long time opponent of slavery and his home was used as a safe house for the underground railroad.

To learn more about Seward check out his Wikipedia page William H. Seward

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most widely known and celebrated abolitionists in United States history. She was born a slave in Maryland in 1922 and suffered heinous whippings as a child. In 1949 she escaped to Philadelphia and shortly after went back south to guide her parents to freedom. She made several more trips back to guide dozens of slaves to freedom. She was nicknamed 'The Moses of her People' because of her tireless efforts in guiding escaped slaves to free territories. When racial tensions in Philadelphia grew she moved further north and in 1859 bought a plot of land from William H. Seward, who was a United States senator at the time and had in the past used his home as a safe haven for escaped slaves working their way toward freedom before New York was free territory. Auburn itself was rife with antislavery activism when she moved there as the country was dividing itself toward the civil war. During the war she worked as a nurse for the union army and even led an assault raid on the plantations along the Combahee River. After the war Tubman became an activist in the suffrage movement, working with Susan B. Anthony for women's rights to vote. She had a very distinguished life and her legacy will live forever.

To learn more about Harriet Tubman check out her Wikipedia page Harriet Tubman

Other Points of Interest in Auburn

Fort Hill Cemetery

The cemetery is situated in the center of the city on land that was a Cayuga Indian Village. There is a monolith Monument to Chief Logan of the Cayuga and it is the final resting place of the Seward family and Harriet Tubman.

Logan Monolith

Seward Family Plot

Harriet Tubman's Modest Gravestone

Auburn Correctional Facility

The oldest functioning prison in New York and one of the oldest prisons in the United States. It was opened in 1817 and is the site where the electric chair was first used for an execution.
Auburn Correctional Facility Overlook

Case Mansion

The home of Theodore Case, an inventor from Auburn who is credited with inventing the first sound on film application. Case's contributions to the community can also be seen at the Case Memorial-Seymour Library and The Cayuga Museum of History and Art.
Case Mansion - Rear View

Tour the Homes of William H. Seward and Harriet Tubman

The homes of the two most famous historical figures from Auburn who were influential in the history of the United States.
William H. Seward House

Harriet Tubman House
All of the attractions listed above as well as many others in the city are in the national register of historic places. If you are ever visiting New York City I would highly recommend a day trip to Auburn and it's surrounding areas. It is a 5 hour drive from Manhattan and well worth the time invested.