Cayuga County has its roots dug deep into the manufacturing industry, and Auburn is a city in which agriculture has played a big role in that claim.

“#People who live in the city don#'t realize that their heritage holds a tremendous amount of agriculture,#” George Komer, Ward O#'Hara Agricultural Museum director said Sunday afternoon during the opening reception of the D.M. Osborne Wing of the museum. #

“Agriculture isn#'t only about crops it is about the farming machine industry and that is where our history lies.#”

He said that during the mid 1800#'s the D.M. Osborne Company employed more than 4,000 county residents to implement the farming industry. #

“Many of the people who live here today have ancestors who worked in the factory,” he said.

Mike Walsh, museum assistant said that of the three factories held by the company, there are still partial remains of two of the buildings today.

“Where Wegmans stands today was at one time the main

factory for the plant,#” he said. “#There is a building across the street that still stands today.#”

That building currently holds a refinishing shop according to Walsh.

Komer said that the Osborne Family, which still has deep roots within the city, has been an influential family within the county.

#“The D.M. Osborne Company even had its very own railroad that connected to the main one,” Komer said. #“The tracks have since been buried under the Wegmans parking lot but when road work is done in the area they can still be seen.#”

Komer said that he feels that the people of Auburn need to know where their roots lie and that is the main point of the Osborne display.

The display will be available throughout the museum season which runs through September, and will be implemented into the regular museum displays next season.