On my 1840 repro map of Orange County, the "ruins of the Sterling Furnace" are shown at the south end of Sterling Lake, a very beautiful lake that I was fortunate to spend time on many years ago. If you look at a map of Orange County, you will see that at the south end it comes to a point, virtually a right angle - on the east is Rockland County, NY and on the west is Passaic County, NJ. Greenwood Lake (I think it's about 15 miles long) is in both counties, and to the east of it is Sterling Lake, separated by "Rough Mountain". Mountain Mine and Cosswas Mine were on the east side of Sterling Lake. The Sterling Creek flows out of the lake, and to the south maybe two miles, not far from the Passaic County line, are the Sterling Works to which you refer. There were many iron works in the area in the past. I would think that the "main road" referred to is what is now called Sterling Lake Road. Talman, in "How Things Began" says: "The rush order to Sterling Iron Works in 1778, to forge a chain to keep the British from coming up the Hudson, is said to have probably leveled the equivalent of a small forest to furnish the charcoal required. The 180-ton chain was completed in six weeks.......So it is more than coincidental that soon after 1800 America suddenly realized its first-growth forest resources were practically gone." Sorry, but I've never heard of Caskechton. Regina Haring, Nanuet NY ----- Original Message ----- From: Ed & Mary Yonan <yonan@fgi.net> To: <NYORANGE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2000 10:33 PM Subject: Re: 1766 Horton-Sayer House Warwick, NY > Greetings, > > My G4 grandfather, Richardson Allison, lived in Orange County and wrote > his will in 1763. Below is an excerpt from his will, in which he said: > "My executors are to sell 40 acres off the south end of my farm, as soon > as conveniently may be, to pay debts. "And they are to allow a road, > one rod wide, from the same to the main public road that leads to > Stirling Iron Works." I leave to my daughter, Phebe Allison, all the > rest of my personal estate, also all my rights of land in Caskechton, > both divided and undivided." > > Can anyone give me any information about where the Stirling Iron Works > was located in 1763? Can anyone tell what Caskechton was and where it > was located? > > Thanks very much. > > Mary Allison Yonan > > > >