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In 1834, Hezekiah Brink built the first cabin in what was to become
Harrisburg. Two years later, William Kirkpatrick settled downstream in an area that became
Chatham. In 1838, the small towns of Harrisburg and Chatham combined to become the Town of
Sterling in an effort to attract the county seat. The name "Sterling" was
bestowed to the new town in honor of Major James Sterling, who distinguished himself in
the area during the Blackhawk War in 1832. On February 16th, 1857 Sterling was
incorporated as a city by state law.
Locust and E. 3rd Street
The Rock River failed to become a major navigational route as once hoped, but the river
provided power for the saw and grist mills, and later it provided power to a booming
industrial base. In 1856, the first rail lines were laid in the area. With the power from
the river and the transportation provided by the railroads, Sterling's business and
industry began to grow. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the
industrial bedrocks of the community were laid with the founding of Northwestern
Steel & Wire, Lawrence Brothers Hardware, and the Wahl Clipper Corporation.
E. 3rd Street
Today, Sterling is continuing to diversify and adapt. Our industrial base has expanded as
the City has filled two industrial parks and begins development of a third and fourth.
Retail sales for the region have expanded as Sterling has emerged as a regional retail
hub. Just outside the City, the landscape is dominated by agricultural fields that typify
most of the Midwest. Sterling is quite proud of its hard working heritage and depends on
it for continued success.
1st Avenue Bridge
The cities of Sterling, Nebraska and Sterling, Colorado were both founded by former
residents of Sterling, Illinois as they branched out across the West. |
