Sherwood (now Aurora)

Sherwood is a hamlet in Cayuga County. In the early nineteenth century, Sherwood was home to several Quaker families whose religious radicalism paralleled their commitment to reform causes, including abolition and woman’s rights. (Nineteenth-century practice was to use the singular, woman's, when referring to women as a class; later practice was to use the plural, women's.) One such family was the Howlands. Storekeeper and Underground Railroad conductor Slocum Howland was among the most prominent family members; his daughter Emily promoted abolition and education, while granddaughter Isabel became a notable campaigner for woman’s rights. In 2008, the entire hamlet, comprising more than thirty buildings, was designated the Sherwood Equal Rights National Historic District. Slocum Howard’s cobblestone store is open irregular hours as a museum; Isabel Howland’s former mansion is undergoing restoration.