[3] Sagamore Sam, a Nashaway sachem and insurgent during King Philip's War, was from Waushacum.

The town derives its name from General William "Lord Stirling" Alexander, who served valiantly under Gen. George Washington in the New York and other campaigns.

Residents of Sterling pay property taxes on real estate and certain other personal items, such as unregistered vehicles.

Although the tax rate consistently decreased from 2016 to 2023, average bills have increased due to changes in valuation.

Some Sterling residents, however, can attend Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg.

The source of town water is six groundwater wells located on Redemption Rock Trail and Worcester Road.

The town recycling center at the Sterling Department of Public Works closed permanently on July 1, 2015.

The Light Department works under the direction and control of three elected Commissioners who serve rotating 3 year terms.

In fall of 2016, Sterling Municipal Light Department broke ground on the "first utility-scale energy storage facility in Massachusetts",[35] which can, in the case of an electric outage, power the emergency dispatch center and police station for up to twelve days.

The battery storage also helps the town save money on peak power charges from the grid operator.

The award-winning project has generated considerable interest, attracting international visitors from Europe and Asia.

[36] In the aftermath of the devastating 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean, the microgrid project has been cited as a model of designing and building power infrastructure for resiliency in disaster situations.

In addition to traditional livestock exhibits including goats, cows, rabbits and sheep, the fair has carnival games and rides, as well as patron-submitted exhibits and artwork, a petting zoo, contests, oxen pulls, a pancake breakfast held by the Sterling Chocksett Club, live music performances, food, and fireworks.