Auburn is situated in the eastern part of the state of Alabama and a city in Lee County that is adjacent to Opelika that is in the northeastern part of Montgomery. The area where the present-day Auburn was founded in 1836 by John Harper and his group of settlers who came from Georgia and the city’s name was inspired from Oliver Goldsmith’s poem The Deserted Village - “sweet auburn.” Auburn University was established and opened as East Alabama Male College and has become the primary basis of the city’s economy in 1859. The other important industry of Auburn’s economy also includes the manufacture of tools, engines, and plastics. The Chewacla State Park and the Tuskegee National Forest are situated on the southwestern part of the city, and a historical fair that showcases cane syrup-making is held every October.