Sterling, New York
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Sterling is a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Cayuga County Cayuga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 76,248. Its county seat and largest city is Auburn. The county was named for the Cayuga people, one of the Indian tribes in the Iroquois Confed ...
, New York, United States. The population was 3,040 at the 2010 census. Located on the shore of
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
, the town is named after
William Alexander, Lord Stirling William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (1726 – 15 January 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He was considered male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirling through Scottish lin ...
, an American general of the Revolutionary War. Sterling is the most northerly town in the county and lies northwest of Syracuse.


History

The region was formerly part of the territory of the
Onondaga Onondaga may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Onondaga people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois League * Onondaga (village), Onondaga settlement and traditional Iroquois capita ...
, one of the original Five Nations of the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
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 The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly of bounty land set aside in Central New York to compensate New York's soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War. Establishment T ...
, 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 Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
of
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
in the early 19th century enabled the town to have port facilities and take part in the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five 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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1985.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.53%, is water. The north boundary of Sterling is
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
, one of the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
. Sterling is the only town in Cayuga County with access to the Great Lakes. The western terminus of
New York State Route 3 New York State Route 3 (NY 3) is a major east–west state highway in New York, in the United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canada–US border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for be ...
and northern terminus of
New York State Route 38 New York State Route 38 (NY 38) is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 96 in the town of Owego in Tioga County. The nort ...
are in the town.
New York State Route 104 New York State Route 104 (NY 104) is a east–west state highway in Upstate New York in the United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follow ...
passes across the southern part of Sterling, and
New York State Route 104A New York State Route 104A (NY 104A) is a northeast–southwest (signed as north–south) state highway in the central portion of New York in the United States. It serves as a northerly alternate route of NY 104, to which it conne ...
passes across the north.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 3,432 people, 1,337 households, and 962 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 75.2 people per square mile (29.0/km2). There were 1,922 housing units at an average density of 42.1 per square mile (16.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.46%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.09%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.44% Native American, 0.06%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.23% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.73% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.50% of the population. There were 1,337 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,061, and the median income for a family was $38,125. Males had a median income of $34,205 versus $24,917 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $15,912. About 7.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.


Communities and locations in Sterling

*Crocketts (formerly "Sterling Valley Station") – A
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
near the eastern town line, at the intersection of Route 104A and Route 3. * Fair Haven – A
village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in the northern part of the town. *
Fair Haven Beach State Park Fair Haven Beach State Park is a state park on the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. It is located on the east side of Little Sodus Bay in the town of Sterling in Cayuga County, northeast of the village of Fair Haven. Th ...
– A
state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
north of Fair Haven. *Fintches Corners – A hamlet centrally located in the town, on NY Route 38. *Little Sodus Bay – A bay of Lake Ontario north of Fair Haven. The bay is so named to distinguish it from
Sodus Bay Sodus Bay is a bay on the south shore of Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes. Sodus Bay is located in Wayne County, New York, USA. Most of the bay is in the Town of Huron, however, the western part is in the Town of Sodus. Sodus Bay has som ...
to the west. *Martville – A location near the eastern town line on NY State Route 104. *McKnight Corners – A location northeast of North Fair Haven. *Moon Beach – A lakeside hamlet on Lake Ontario in the northeastern section of the town. *Nine Mile Creek – A stream entering Lake Ontario in the northeastern part of the town. *North Fair Haven – A location in the northeastern part of the village of Fair Haven on the east side of Little Sodus Bay. *North Sterling – A hamlet northeast of Fair Haven on NY-104A. *North Victory – A hamlet near the southern town line at the intersection of Route 104 and Route 38. *The Pond – A small lake separated from
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
by a narrow ridge, located in Fair Haven State Park. *Sterling – A hamlet east of Fair Haven and on NY-38. Also known as "Sterling Center". *Sterling Creek – A stream flowing into The Pond. *Sterling Valley – A hamlet northeast of Fair Haven village, located on Route NY-104A north of its intersection with Route 3. *West Nine Mile Point – A projection into Lake Ontario, northeast of Fair Haven. *Whiting Corners – A location in the southwestern part of the town.


References


External links


Town of Sterling official website


{{authority control Towns in Cayuga County, New York