Centrally located between Ithaca and Cortland, New York, Dryden was once part of the Iroquois hunting grounds and lands until General Sullivan led a campaign to rid the area of hostile Indians during the Revolutionary War. Settled in the spring of 1797 by Amos Sweet and named for playwright and poet John Dryden, the town has become a leader of agriculture and business, with experimental agriculture fields and state-of-the-art dairy farms located on large tracts of land throughout the Dryden township. Dryden is surrounded by hubs of higher education, innovative industry, and agriculture.