Sherman, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Sherman is a small unincorporated community in Wexford County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It was one of the earliest permanent settlements in Wexford County and was the first county seat
.
Sherman is located at the point where four townships meet and portions lie within each of the townships. It is at the northwest corner of Antioch Township
, the southwest corner of Hanover Township
, the southeast corner of Wexford Township
, and the northeast corner of Springville Township
. It is situated on M-37
near where it crosses the Manistee River
, just a couple miles northeast of the village of Mesick
.
The first known permanent white settler in the county settled near Sherman in the early 1860s. A store was opened in 1867 and was at first known as Manistee Bridge because of proximity to the bridge over the Manistee River on the Newaygo and Northport State Road (built in 1857 and is approximately the route of present-day M-37 in the county) which connected Newaygo
70 miles (112.7 km) to the south with Northport
on the Leelanau Peninsula
50 miles (80.5 km) to the north. The road opened the area for settlement, as it was previously practically inaccessible. The settlement gained a post office in 1868 named Sherman, after the Civil War
General William T. Sherman. Sherman was platted in 1869 and incorporated as a village in 1887. Fires destroyed the business district and the village disincorporated sometime in the 1920s.
Sherman was the county seat until 1881, when, as a result of the so-called "Battle of Manton", the seat was moved first to Manton
and a short time later to Cadillac
.
Wexford County, Michigan
-Tourism:There are many attractions and hot spots in Wexford county to check out. The Manistee National Forest is a great recreation site. The Manistee River is great for fisherman, kayakers and canoers, and other outdoor lovers.-Demographics:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was one of the earliest permanent settlements in Wexford County and was the first county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
.
Sherman is located at the point where four townships meet and portions lie within each of the townships. It is at the northwest corner of Antioch Township
Antioch Township, Michigan
Antioch Township is a civil township of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 810.-Communities:*Buckley is a village in the northwest of the township....
, the southwest corner of Hanover Township
Hanover Township, Wexford County, Michigan
Hanover Township is a civil township of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,200 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Buckley is a village at the northern edge of the township....
, the southeast corner of Wexford Township
Wexford Township, Michigan
Wexford Township is a civil township of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 798 at the 2000 census. The township is in the northwest corner of the county....
, and the northeast corner of Springville Township
Springville Township, Michigan
Springville Township is a civil township of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,673 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The village of Mesick is in the northeast of the township, at the junction of M-37, M-115, and M-42....
. It is situated on M-37
M-37 (Michigan highway)
M-37 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is near the border between Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties at exit 92 of Interstate 94 southwest of Battle Creek. The northern terminus is at the Mission Point Light on Old Mission Point in Grand...
near where it crosses the Manistee River
Manistee River
The Manistee River in the U.S. state of Michigan, runs approximately 232 miles through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the villages of Sharon, Smithville, Mesick, and enters Lake Michigan at Manistee. It is considered, like the nearby Au Sable River, to be one of the best trout fisheries east...
, just a couple miles northeast of the village of Mesick
Mesick, Michigan
Mesick is a village in Springville Township, Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 447 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
.
The first known permanent white settler in the county settled near Sherman in the early 1860s. A store was opened in 1867 and was at first known as Manistee Bridge because of proximity to the bridge over the Manistee River on the Newaygo and Northport State Road (built in 1857 and is approximately the route of present-day M-37 in the county) which connected Newaygo
Newaygo, Michigan
Newaygo is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,976 at the 2010 census. The character of the town is quite rural.-Geography:...
70 miles (112.7 km) to the south with Northport
Northport, Michigan
Northport is a village in Leelanau Township, Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 648 at the 2000 census. When Leelanau County was formed in 1863, Northport served as the first county seat from 1863 to 1883.-Geography:...
on the Leelanau Peninsula
Leelanau Peninsula
The Leelanau Peninsula is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that extends about from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan. Leelanau County encompasses the entire peninsula. It is often referred to as the "little finger" of the mitten-shaped lower peninsula.Sleeping Bear Dunes...
50 miles (80.5 km) to the north. The road opened the area for settlement, as it was previously practically inaccessible. The settlement gained a post office in 1868 named Sherman, after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
General William T. Sherman. Sherman was platted in 1869 and incorporated as a village in 1887. Fires destroyed the business district and the village disincorporated sometime in the 1920s.
Sherman was the county seat until 1881, when, as a result of the so-called "Battle of Manton", the seat was moved first to Manton
Manton, Michigan
Manton is a city in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,221 at the 2000 census.-Geography:*According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
and a short time later to Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
.
Further reading
- Michigan Place Names, by Walter Romig, L.H.D., Wayne State University Press: 1986 ISBN 0-8143-1837-1 (hardbound) ISBN 0-8143-1838-X (softbound)
- Wexford County Fact Sheet B2 History
- Wexford County Fact Book B2 History
- Chapter XVII Wexford County in A history of northern Michigan and its people by Perry F. Powers ; assisted by H.G. Cutler. Powers, Perry Francis, 1857-1945. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912. p. 404
External links
- First Wexford County Courthouse Michigan Historical Marker