The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 257
Town of Sterling  / Fair Haven

Capt. T. W. Maurice, Corps of Engineers, was placed in charge of the survey, and commenced work in October, 1828. His report, submitted in January, 1829, adjudged Little Sodus to be of secondary importance, but recommended its improvement and submitted a plan therefor.

The entrance to the bay was closed, except at two narrow openings, by a gravelly beach, out of water. The plan proposed to make this beach answer the purpose of a breakwater, to construct two channel piers, each 290 yards long, and close one of the openings by a dike 130 yards long, the whole work to be done at an estimated cost of $32,327.59.

A resurvey was made in 1845, when the entrance was found to be in about the same condition as in 1828. With this exception, nothing was done till 1852, when the first appropriation of $10,000 was made; but the beach which crossed the entrance and formed the basis of the plan had been swept away since 1845, thus necessitating a new project. Another survey was made in 1853, and it was decided to build piers from the crown of the bar to deep water, and to connect the south ends with the adjacent shores by rip-rap. Work was begun in 1854, and suspended in 1858 for want of funds. In 1858, the people locally interested formed a company, known as the "Ontario Bay Harbor Improvement Company." It proposed to aid the general government in improving the harbor, and had on hand $6,000 in money and materials, with which to build, under the supervision of the engineer in charge, 300 feet of pier. It is presumed that this was carried out, for in 1866, 284 feet of pier was still in existence, although a portion of the outer end had evidently been destroyed. Nothing further was done till 1866, when Congress made a further appropriation.

The following appropriations hav been made for the improvement of this harbor:

In 1852, there was appropriated		----	$ 10,000.00
In 1866, " 	" 	" 		---- 	  33,840.41
In 1867, " 	" 	" 		---- 	  50,000.00
In 1870, " 	" 	" 		---- 	   5,000.00 
In 1871, '2, '3 and '4, in each $15,000 	  60,000.00
In 1875, there was appropriated		---- 	  10,000.00
In 1876, " 	" 	" 		---- 	   5,000.00
						____________

The total appropriations to date are, 		$ 173.840.41

At the close of the year ending June 30th, 1877, there have been constructed of the west pier 1,070 feet; of the west breakwater 500 feet; of the east pier 512 feet; and of the east breakwater 780 feet. The only work remaining to be done under the original scheme of improvement is the connection of the inner end of the east pier with the shore. The unexpended balance of appropriations available for that purpose was $5,856.57.

Revenue collected during the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1877----$ 3,154.68

Value of imports------------------- 22,544.00
Value of exports------------------- 86,111.00
Number of vessels cleared---------           226
Their tonnage, tons-----------------     18,258
Number of vessels entered---------           213
Their tonnage, tons-----------------     13,417

The harbor is lighted by a fixed white light of the fourth order, placed near the head of the west pier. A vessel drawing twelve feet can enter the harbor and go up to the coal docks of the S. C. R. R. *

The first physician to locate permanently at Fair Haven was Dr. Crounce, who practiced a good many years. He removed to Guilderland, Albany county, some twenty years ago. The next was Byron Dewitt, who came about 1850 and practiced till about 1859, when he removed to Sterling Center, and subsequently to Oswego, where he is now practicing. Truman F. Brinkerhoff succeeded Dewitt and remained several years. He moved to Fulton some fifteen years ago, and subsequently to Auburn, where he is now practicing. Some ten years elapsed, during which there was no physician here. Dr. R. S. Fields came in 1873 and remained about a year. He was succeeded by Dr. Oliver Bloomfield, the present physician, who came about 1875.

Dr. Marsh came to the village in the spring of 1878.

The first lawyer was A. R. Willey, who was born in the town of Victory, and moved into this town some forty years ago. He was admitted to the bar about twenty years ago, and is still practicing in the village.

Geo. I. Post, a native of Fleming, in this County, who came into the town from Auburn some sixteen years since and has acquired distinction in his profession, is living at the Point. He was elected District Attorney in

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*Annual Reports of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., for 1876 and '77.

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