THE HISTORICAL STONE WALLS OF STERLING TOWNSHIP

The stone walls of Sterling are apparent on most of our farms.  The stone walls came before barbwire; most being put up to distinguish property lines.  Barbwire did not come into use until the middle 1800’s.  Other walls were laid to keep the cattle in the barnyard and out of the crop fields.  The walls also helped to protect the runoff of top soil into the streams and divert tons of water from rushing down the rolling hills onto the roads.  Our walls are rapidly disappearing, being sold to contractors to truck to other states where their walls are protected as historical monuments. 

Stone walls are the boundaries in fields built by the first settlers in the area. Fields were cleared of trees; many were plowed and planted, and "rock-picked."