A Gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts... 1847

A Gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts in the commonwealth; also, of its principal mountains, rivers, capes, bays, harbors, islands, and fashionable resorts. To which are added, statistical accounts of its agriculture, commerce and manufactures; with a great variety of other useful information.

BOSTON:
JOHN HAYWARD

1847. 

STERLING.

Worcester Co. This was for many
years the second parish of Lancaster,
and was first settled as early as 1720.
Its Indian name was Chockset. At its
incorporation, in 1781, it was named
in honor of Lord Sterling, of New Jer-
sey, an American general.

Sterling is a large town, bounded on
the north by Leominster, east by Lan-
caster, south by West Boylston, and
west by Princeton.

The surface of the town is hilly
and uneven, but there is very little
broken or waste land in it. The soil
is fertile, producing in rich abundance,
to repay the husbandman for its culti-
vation. The land is naturally moist,
and by the help of the rivulets, the
water may be turned over the sides
of most of the hills. There is but one
river in the town, called Still river,
from the placid motion of the waters.
In tlie central part of the town, there
is an uncommonly beautiful little vil-
lage, consisting of two churches, and
about twenty dwelling-houses.

The manufactures of the town con-
sist of leather, boots, shoes, palm-leaf
hats, straw bonnets, scythe snaths,
and especially of chairs and cabinet-
ware, of which a large amount is an-
nually made.

There are in this town many large
and well cultivated farms, and the
people generally are good farmers,
and find the business both healthful
and lucrative.

A church was gathered here in.
1744, and the Rev. John Mellen was
settled as pastor the same year. He
was succeeded by the Rev. Reuben
Holcomb, in 1779.

Sterling lies twelve miles north
from Worcester, ten south south-west
from the Shirley depot, on the Fitch-
burg railroad, and forty west by north
from Boston.