Place:Sterling, Cayuga, New York, United States

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NameSterling
TypeTown
Coordinates43.317°N 76.633°W
Located inCayuga, New York, United States
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Sterling is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 3,040 at the 2010 census. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, the town is named after William Alexander, Lord Stirling, an American general of the Revolutionary War. Sterling is the most northerly town in the county and lies northwest of Syracuse.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

The region was formerly part of the territory of the Onondaga, one of the original Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. However, as allies of the British, who were defeated, they were forced to cede most of their lands in New York to the state after the Revolutionary War. This land was made part of the Central New York Military Tract, which was divided and granted as pay to veteran soldiers of the Revolution.

The first European-American settler, Pierre Dumas (also recorded as Peter DeMass), arrived in 1805. The Town of Sterling was formed in 1812 from the Town of Cato.

Improvements made to Little Sodus Bay of Lake Ontario in the early 19th century enabled the town to have port facilities and take part in the Great Lakes trade. Since commercial use of the port declined in the late 19th century with changes in transportation and development of western cities, the town has developed as a destination for vacations and recreation. The Sterling Renaissance Festival, held annually during the summer for over forty years, also attracts tourists to the town.

The Sterling District No. 5 Schoolhouse and Sterling Grist Mill Complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Research Tips

External Links

  • Outstanding guide to Sterling family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, town histories, cemeteries, churches, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.


This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Sterling, New York. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.