Matthew Sherman

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Mathew Sherman (October 31, 1827–July 5, 1898) was a land developer and American Republican politician from California.

Sherman was born 1827 in Charleston, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Navy at 13 and served on the U.S.S. Columbus and U.S.S. Independence. During the Mexican-American War his ship briefly visited Monterey, California. During the Civil War he served as Captain of the California Volunteers. He was at San Diego during the war and liked the city so much that he came back permanently after the war.

Sherman started out in San Diego as a Customs Collector. He married Augusta Jane Barrett on May 10, 1867.

Sherman was a developer in San Diego who created "Sherman's Addition" or "Sherman's Heights" located just east of downtown. He bought this land June 1867, a month after Alonzo Horton purchased land for New Town San Diego (now downtown).

He became a prominent business leader. He was interesting in bringing a transcontintal railroad to San Diego, but his efforts were unsuccessful, as were later effors with others for the San Diego and Gila Railroad. Finally, though, in 1885 the California Southern Railroad finished a line from San Bernardino to San Diego and population and land sales boomed, earning much money for Sherman.

After the boom faded in the 1890s, Sherman became active in civic affairs. Sherman was mayor of San Diego during 1891–1893. He was the first mayor elected on a straight party ticket (the previous mayor was elected with two separate Republican tickets), wining by just 18 votes. While mayor, the first Cabrillo Landing celebration was held, honoring the 350th anniversary of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in San Diego Bay. The boat containing "Cabrillo" was late and the tide went out in the meantime. When the Cabrillo party arrived, the crowd surged, pushing Mayor Sherman and other officials into the tidal mud.

Sherman died 1898 and his wife Augusta died January 5, 1913. They are buried in Mount Hope cemetery; Augusta named the cemetery. Sherman was eulogized as a man of strong character, yet "gentle in manner and approachable . . . He was a man who had many friends and few enemies."

[edit] See also

Black, Samuel T. (1913). San Diego County California. The S. J. Clark Publishing Company, Chicago. , v. 2, pp. 48-52: "Captain Matthew Sherman"; includes portrait