From: Representative Men
& Old Families Of Rhode
Island: Genealogical Records & Historical Sketches of
Prominent
& Representative Citizens & of Many of the Old
Families. J. H.
Beers & Co.; 1908, Vol. III pages 1830-1831. Scan of page
1830 (also contains a sketch of Dr. Joseph H. Akers) and scan of
page 1831 (cropped).
SHERMAN. No resident of the State of Rhode Island has a more honorable
lineage or can trace his ancestry to an earlier period in American
history
than the descendents of Hon. Phillip Sherman, whose connection with the
Colony began in 1634. The family is now represented by various
branches,
many of them residents of Newport county. One well known member is
Walter
Sherman, of Middletown, a prominent breeder of poultry, whose direct
descent
from Hon. Phillip Sherman, the founder of the family, follows [early
generations
shortened]:
- Hon. Phillip Sherman and Sarah Odding
- Samson Sherman and Isabel Tripp
- Job Sherman and Amie Spencer
- Samson Sherman and Ruth Fish
- Job Sherman and Alice Sherman
Job Sherman, born Jan. 21, 1766, died Jan. 24, 1748. He was married
Dec. 9, 1795, to Alice, daughter of Isaac and Rebecca Anthony, of
Portsmouth.
They resided in Newport, and according to the records of the Rhode
Island
Friends their children were: Rebecca, born Nov. 9, 1796; Benjamin, Feb.
10, 1798; Eliza, Nov. 14, 1799; William, Dec. 5, 1801; Samson, April 9
(or 19), 1804; James, March 22, 1806; David, May 19, 1808; Edward A.,
Nov.
4, 1809; Alice, April 28, 1812; Albert, Aug. 14, 1815; a son that died
in infancy; and Rowland, born April 21, 1818.
- Edward A. Sherman was educated in Newport,
his birth place, and in due
time became a clerk in his father’s dry goods store in that city. Later
he went into business for himself at No. 76 Thames street [later
numbered 140], and at the time
of his death, Dec. 5, 1865, he had been successfully engaged there for
thirty years, becoming one of the established men of the city. His
chief
characteristics were his keen sense of honor and his high moral
principles,
and throughout life his uprightness and honesty were universally
conceded.
A member of the Society of Friends, hi remains were interred in their
cemetery
at Newport. In politics he was a Whig.
Edward A. Sherman married, July 20, 1837, Elizabeth
M. Almy, who was born in Newport Sept. 25, 1810, daughter of Jonathan
Thurston
and Ann (Cranston) Almy, and granddaughter of Jonathan Thurston, at one
time town clerk of Newport. Mrs. Sherman died at her home on Thames
street,
Sep. 9, 1888, and was buried in the "Factory Lot" of the old common
burying
grounds. Mrs. Sherman was a woman of much refinement and culture, and
was
much loved. The children born to Edward A. Sherman and wife were:
Edward
S., born March 13, 1838, deceased Sept. 14, 1841; John Almy, July 12,
1840,
deceased Sept. 19, 1841; Anne Almy, July 30, 1842, at home; Alice, Jan.
29, 1845, deceased Aug. 2, 1847; Walter, Aug. 2, 1847; Elizabeth Moore,
March 3, 1852, at home; and William Roger, Feb. 20, 1855, deceased Dec.
5, 1880.
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VII.
Walter Sherman grew to manhood in his native Newport, receiving
a good education, and beginning his business career as a clerk in his
father’s
store. After the latter’s death the young man undertook the management
of the establishment, although he was still in his teens and conducted
it successfully until 1885, when he sold out. He finally removed to
Middletown,
located on Vernon avenue, and began the raising and breeding of poultry
in which he has so successfully continued for nearly twenty years. He
has
been constantly adding improvements to his place and has built barns,
silos
and poultry houses. His eggs are shipped not only to all parts of the
United
States and Canada, but also to Germany. His specialties are Rhode
Island
Reds, Light Brahmas, the Silver and White Wyandottes and Barred Rocks.
Mr. Sherman has taken prizes at many fairs and shows, while, perhaps,
the
greatest honor won by him was the selection of his Rhode Island Red
Poultry
above the numerous competitors to be a part of the permanent exhibition
of the "Model Poultry Farm" at the Louisiana Exposition at St. Louis in
1904. Mr. Sherman’s fowls were selected as being the most typical of
the
breed obtainable, having been line-bred in direct descent from the
original
flock of the Tripp-Macomber stock, of Little Compton, R. I. Both rose
combs
and single combs were exhibited. |
The picture of the farm and the advertisement
above are from the February 1908 issue of Poultry Success.
There
was no mention of Walter in the article that the picture illustrated.
click on images to enlarge
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This is both sides of a mailed
version of the postcard
above. It was mailed April 16, 1908 from Newport to Gertrude Cuff (?)
in
Meadville, Pennsylvania. The message on the back says:
We have had at our Local and Pomna Granges,
considerable discussion
in regard to using printed programs for the year. I am to investigate
how
far they are in general use and are they a success. If you use them
will
you kindly mail me a copy of this year's or last, or both. So far we
find
that the notice in advance of a good subject for discussion does
interest
many and promotes better attendance, and that those programs having a
complete
list of active members, as well as a list of subjects, officers,
committees,
etc., and dates of meetings are the best.
WALTER SHERMAN
Past Master, Newport Co. Pomona
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Mr. Sherman has never married. His home is presided
over by his two sisters, and bears the impress of the taste and
refinement
of the family. It contains many old paintings and portraits as well as
antique furniture which have been in the possession of the Sherman
family
for generations. Mr. Sherman himself is a man of unusual sound
judgment,
while he is broad-minded and liberal in his views, both on religious
matters
and civil subjects. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of
the
Portsmouth Grange, No. 29, and is Past Master of Pomona Grange and
generally
attends the conventions of the National Grange.
Walter died in 1926, the last of the three, and the last of
Edward A.
Sherman's line. When members of the Sherman family cleaned out the
farm,
they found in the windmill boxes of payments for eggs in the form of
cash
and postage stamps. Apparently he kept them in case there was a report
of a problem. From these it was obvious that he gave the farm a
different
name for every publication in which he advertised. The fanciful
"Fashionview"
was used in Poultry Success, while others that are
remembered include
Beachview, Oceanview (the water could not be seen), Meadowslope and Ash
Walk.
In the Middletown Municipal Year Books the property was listed
under
the names of Annie and Elizabeth. The 1909-1910 book has "Sherman,
Annie
A. and Elizabeth M., Chace land... 6 acres, value $10,400" and for
1912-1913,
"Sherman, Annie A. and Elizabeth M., land with buildings on Vernon
Ave...
6 acres, value of land $6000, buildings and improvements $4400,
intangible
personal $500."
Go to the Sherman Store Page
for more on Walter and Family
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Pieroth's Home
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