The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 254
Chapter XXXI / Town of Sterling / Geological Formation

an iron which is highly valued for various purposes, especially for castings; and when mixed with other ores, it greatly improves their quality.*

The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam, and in some places is stony and difficult to cultivate. We noticed a good deal of sorrel growing in various localities in the town.

The town has an area of 26,748 acres; of which 18,343 are improved; 5,017, woodland; and 3,388, otherwise unimproved.

The population in 1875 was 3,042; of whom 2,668 were native; 374, foreign; 3,038, white; 4, colored; and 605, owners of land.+

The Southern Central R. R. crosses the town diagonally from south to north, its northern terminus being at Little Sodus Bay. The Lake Ontario Shore R. R. crosses it in the northern part from east to west.

STERLING CENTER

Sterling Center, (Sterling p. o.,) is situated on Little Sodus Creek, in the central part of the town, and is two miles north-east of Sterling Junction, and one mile east of Sterling Valley station on the L. O. S. R. R. It has a population of 237, and contains three churches, (Baptist, M. E. and Reformed Presb.,) a union school, three stores, one hotel, one grist-mill, one tannery, a furnace, three blacksmith shops, a harness shop, tin shop and shoe shop.

Wm. BYER, who keeps a general stock of merchandise, commenced business in Sterling Center, about thirteen years since, in company with James D. Church and Nicholas Byer, under the firm name of Byer, Church & Co. About three years thereafter he bought the interest of his partners, and has since conducted the business alone. The building he occupies was erected in 1848, by John P. Hunter, who opened a general store at that date, and failed ten years after. It stood idle till about 1863, when Plumb & Duel opened it. They sold out in the spring of 1865 to Wm. Byer.

James Green occupies the store built by Samuel Crawford about fifty years ago. Crawford put in a stock of goods and kept it till about 1832, when he rented the store to William Graham & Co., Bonesteel, of Oswego, Graham's partner, furnishing the goods. After two years it was again kept by Crawford, who, in the fall of 1835, sold his stock to John Gilchrist, who had formerly been his clerk, and who took in as partner Franklin Southwick. About a year after, John Hunter bought a portion of the stock and kept the store some two years, when a Mr. Jenkins, for whom Hunter had acted as clerk in Penn Yan, became associated with him. About 1840, Wm. Bruce became a partner with Hunter. About 1837 Crawford died, and the store went into the hands of his father-in-law, Liva Peck, who sold it to Wm. Kevill about 1848. At this time Hunter built the store now occupied by Wm. Byer, and moved into it. The store now occupied by Mr. Green was used some eighteen months as a dwelling, after which he and Wm. Kevill used it for a boot and shoe store. In the spring of 1852, it was occupied by Wm. Longley as a general store. Longley, being the postmaster at the time, kept the post-office there. About two years after he sold to his brother Freeman, who removed the goods to the store now occupied by J. B. Chappell. About 1854 James Green, Wm. McKnight and James D. Church, (Green having previously bought the building,) put in a general stock and continued about two years, when Church sold his interest to the remaining partners. About a year later McKnight sold to Green, who still carries on the business.

In 1839, there being then but one store in the village, the citizens formed a stock company, with a capital of about $400, the shares being $25 each, and built the store now occupied by J. B. Chappell. It was finished in the spring of 1840, and sold to Chas. Comstock, brother of Judge Geo. F. Comstock, of Syracuse, who put in a general stock of goods. In 1847, he sold it to Luther and Wm. Longley, who occupied it together about five years, when they dissolved, Wm. opening a store where James Green now is. About 1853 or '4, Freeman Longley, bought out Luther Longley, his cousin. Wm. Longley made an assignment, his stock eventually coming into the hands of his brother Freeman, who removed them to his own store, the one now occupied by J. B. Chappell. Wm. Wood, a brother-in-law of Freeman Longley, subsequently became his partner, the two continuing the business two

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*Natural History of New York.--Lardner Vanuxem, Geology; Jas. C. Beck, Mineralogy; James Hall, Palentology; E. Emmons, Agriculture.

+Census of 1875.

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