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Hiker's Receive Lesson in Park's Mining Past:Sterling Forest - 18 August, 2003
Sterling Lake iron ore operation benefited patriots in Revolution
Ann Marie Marano
Special to The Journal News
TUXEDO— The few raindrops that fell yesterday didn’t prevent hikers from exploring the rich iron history of Sterling Forest State park.
The lesson began at the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor center, which overlooks Sterling Lake. Inside, park ranger Gerry Behrens explained the park’s connection with the lake’s iron ore deposits. Participants got a visual aid in two of the center’s detailed models.
In 1736, proprietors found Sterling Lake ore to be of high quality. Cornelius Board and his partner, Timothy Ward, built a forge called Sterling Ironworks. It became one of the patriots’ most important sources of iron during the revolutionary War.
Hikers could read about such background behind the model of the Lakeville Mining Community that surrounded Sterling Lake just after World War I. This model depicted the furnace where the iron was processed.
It also showed where mince openings were at the bottom of the hill south of Sterling Lake. The rich, magnetic ore deposits were extracted from 1736 to 1923, when the mines closed.
Te second model reviewed by Behrens was of the original Sterling furnace that operated circa 1720 to 1804, and it was only a few hundred yards west of the visitor center.
Hikers viewed a replica of the furnace at its original spot during a two-mile trek led by Bill Ledwitz, director of education at the park.
The beauty of the park, which covers more than 20,000 acres in New York and New Jersey, was also prominently displayed, Behrens noted.
The park provides recreational opportunities throughout the year, such as walks, hikes, and a guest lecture and nature series, Ledwitz said.
The visitor center’s interactive map highlights the park’s landscape, with a board showing locations of different trails and wood roads.
After the ironworks tour, hikers used the map to review where they had been and see other routes they could take.
For more information about Sterling Forest State park and its programs, call 845-351-5907.
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