Sherman, Texas
Location of Sherman, Texas
Coordinates: 33°38′28″N 96°36′36″W / 33.64111, -96.61
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Grayson
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2000)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	75090-75092
Area code(s)	903
FIPS code	48-674962
GNIS feature ID	13681313

Sherman is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,082 at the 2000 census. The population had increased to an estimated 37,623 in July 2006. It is the county seat of Grayson County.⁶ It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

City in 1891

History

The City of Sherman was named after General Sidney Sherman (July 23, 1805 – August 1, 1873), a hero of the Texas Revolution. The community was designated as the county seat by the act of the Texas legislature which created Grayson County on March 17, 1846. In 1847, a post office began operation. Sherman was originally located at the center of the county, but in 1848 it was moved about three miles east to its current location. Before 1850, Sherman had become an incorporated town under Texas law. It had also become a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route through Texas. By 1852, Sherman had a population of 400. It consisted of a public square with a log court house, and several business, a district clerk's office, and a church along the east side of the square.

During the 1850s and 1860s, Sherman continued to develop and it participated in the regional politics. The first flour mill was built in 1861. In 1862 the publisher of Sherman's anti-secessionist Whig newspaper, the Patriot, was murdered. During and after the Civil War, north Texas outlaw bands led by Jesse James and William Quantrill, were seen in Sherman.

Education also developed in north Texas during this time. The Sherman Male and Female High School started accepting students during 1866, under the patronage of the North Texas Methodist Conference. It was one of three private schools in Sherman at the time. This school operated under several names (North Texas Female College and Conservatory of Music beginning in 1892 and Kidd-Key College and Conservatory beginning in 1919) until 1935. It gradually lost Methodist support, after the opening of Southern Methodist University in 1915 in Dallas, TX. In 1876, Austin College, the oldest continuously operating college in Texas, relocated from Huntsville to Sherman. Sherman Female Institute, later known as Mary Nash College, opened in 1877 under sponsorship of the Baptist Church. It continued operation until 1901 when the campus was sold to Kidd-Key College. Carr-Burdette College, a women's college affiliated with Disciples of Christ, operated there from 1894 to 1929.

While there was general depression and lawlessness during Reconstruction, Sherman remained commercially active. During the 1870s Sherman's population reached 6000. In 1875, two fires destroyed many buildings east of the square. They were rebuilt with superior materials. This included a new Grayson County Courthouse built in 1876. In 1879, Old Settlers' Association of North Texas formed and met near Sherman. The Old Settlers' Association of Grayson County incorporated in 1898 and completed purchase of Old Settlers' Park in 1909.

On May 15, 1896, a tornado measuring F5 on the Fujita scale struck Sherman. The tornado had a damage path 400 yards wide and 28 miles long, killing 73 people and injuring 200. About 50 homes were destroyed, with 20 of them being completely obliterated.

In 1901 the first electric "Interurban" railway in Texas, the Denison and Sherman Railway, was completed between Sherman and Denison, Texas. The Texas Traction Company completed a 65 mile interurban between Sherman and Dallas, Texas in 1908 and it purchased the Denison and Sherman Railway in 1911. Through the connections in Dallas and Denison, it was possible to travel to Terrell, Texas, Corsicana, Texas, Waco, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, Cleburne, Texas, Denton, Texas, and to Durant, Oklahoma by interurban railways. One popular destination on the Interurban between Sherman and Denison was Loy Lake Park, a private amusement park at the time. By 1948, all interurban rail service in Texas had been discontinued.

During the Sherman Riot of 1930 (May 9, 1930), Sherman's elegant second courthouse was burned down by arson during the trial of the black man George Hughes. During the riot, Hughes was locked in the vault at the courthouse. He died in the fire. After rioters retrieved Hughes' body from the vault, it was dragged behind a car, hung, and set afire. Texas Ranger Frank Hamer was in Sherman during this riot and reported the situation to Texas Governor Dan Moody. Governor Moody sent National Guard troops to Sherman on May 9 and more on May 10 to control the situation.

Geography

Sherman is located at 33°38′28″N, 96°36′36″W (33.641077, -96.609991).¹

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 100.0 km² (38.6 mi²). 99.8 km² (38.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.18%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 35,082 people, 13,739 households, and 8,820 families residing in the city. The population density is 351.4/km² (910.0/mi²). There are 14,926 housing units at an average density of 149.5/km² (387.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.46% White, 11.23% African American, 1.33% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.26% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. 12.14% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 13,739 households out of which 30.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% are married couples living together, 13.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% are non-families. 30.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.42 and the average family size is 3.01.

In the city the population is spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $34,211, and the median income for a family is $42,528. Males have a median income of $31,828 versus $23,363 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,717. 13.3% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.7% of those under the age of 18 and 11.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Notable Residents

• Zach Blair
• Dr. Graham Crannell
• Light Townsend Cummins
• Frances Dewey-wife of two-time Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey
• William J. Durham
• Davis Foute Eagleton
• Dr. John Ellis
• Edna Gladney
• William Griffith (deceased)-- political activist arrested for sexually assalting children.
• Charlie Johnson
• Dr. Saleem A. Khan
• Kay Kimbell
• Kristofer Kirk
• Jerry B. Lincecum
• Frank W. Mayborn -- former publisher of the Sherman Democrat newspaper
• Seve Mexia
• Elizabeth "Libby" Oltman
• Dick Onspag
• Trevor Walker
• Buck Owens
• Eristeo Perez
• Dr. Dax Richardson - First bypass surgeon in Sherman
• Dr. John Schores MD Ph.D.
• Hunter Smith-Super Bowl XLI Champion
• Brandon King Starr
• George Holmes Tate

Transportation

Sherman is served by two U.S. Highways: U.S. 75 and U.S. 82 (the latter is locally designated as the Buck Owens Freeway after the famous musician who was born in Sherman). It is also served by two Texas State Highways, which extend beyond Grayson County: Texas State Highway 11 and Texas State Highway 56. General aviation service is provided by Sherman Municipal Airport and Grayson County Airport. The TTC-35 component of the planned Trans-Texas Corridor will also go near Sherman.

Education

Most people in Sherman are zoned to Sherman Independent School District. Some parts are in Denison Independent School District or Howe Independent School District.

The private university Austin College makes its home in Sherman. Austin College is a nationally-known liberal arts college. Founded in 1849, it is the oldest college or university in Texas operating under its original charter. Grayson County College, based in neighboring Denison, operates a branch campus in Sherman.

Texoma Christian School is a growing school in Sherman. It will become a 2-A school during the 2006-2007 school year.

Sherman High School

References

• Historical Tornadoes
• Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Sherman, Texas" (accessed March 4, 2007.)
• Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Sherman Riot of 1930" (accessed March 6, 2007)
• Grayson County TX GenWeb (accessed March 6, 2007)
• Statement of Frank Hamer on May 13, 1930 (accessed March 6, 2007)
• Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Kidd-Key College", (accessed March 18, 2007)
• Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Mary Nash College", (accessed March 18, 2007)
• Grayson County Frontier Village, The History of Grayson County Texas, Hunter Publishing Co., Winston-Salem, North Carilina, 1979.
• Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Electric Interurban Railways" (accessed March 31, 2007)
• DuBiel Arms Company, a now defunct manufacturer of high grade rifles; the largest collection of which is now owned by the Cody Museum

External links

• City of Sherman Official Website
• Sherman Chamber of Commerce website
• Sherman
• Sherman, Texas at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 33.641077° N 96.609991° W

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