William Augustus Sherman (1801 - 1884)

Born 11 Feb 1801 in Arlington, Bennington, Vermont

Ancestors

Died 3 Dec 1884 at age 83 in Glens Falls, Warren, New York

Biography

William A Sherman passed 7 May 1884 at Glens Fall, Warren County, New York, United States.^[1] He was buried in Glens Falls Cemetery, Glens Falls, Warren, New York. ^[2]

Plot: Sherman Plot 8 - Lot 5

From History of the Lumber Industry of America: ^[3]

AUGUSTUS SHERMAN.

One of the most notable lumber operators in the State of New York during the period of the greatest activity and largest production in the Adirondacks was Augustus Sherman, of Glens Falls, Warren County, New York, a portrait of whom is presented opposite page 404.

He was born at Arlington, Vermont, February 11, 1801 his parents being Ware Darwin Sherman (related to Roger Sherman, of Revolutionary fame) and Anna D. (Canfield) Sherman. When five years old his parents removed to Kingsbury, New York, and in the following spring to what is now Luzerne, in Warren County, on the Hudson. His father was a lumberman and farmer and the boy early became used to hard and rough work. Before the Glens Falls feeder was constructed to supply water to the Champlain Canal from the Hudson River, while still a boy, Augustus Sherman hauled lumber by team from Corinth or Big Falls, rafted it in cribs to the Bend, from thence drew it to Fort Edward, whence it was rafted to Troy. With the opening of the Glens Falls feeder he was among the first to operate a boat on its waters in transporting lumber. Before he was fifteen he carted lumber to Troy and Albany, attended to its sale and purchased supplies.

His first venture for himself was running an old "English" mill, situated on a small tributary of the Hudson in the town of Luzerne. He also ran a grist mill. Three years later he took the Butolph sawmill lower down the river. In the winter of 1840-1, having disposed of his business in Luzerne, he removed to the feeder dam, one and one-half miles from Glens Falls, where he resumed the manufacture of lumber on a larger scale. Two years later he removed to Glens Falls, which thereafter was his permanent residence. At this time began his timber land investments, the first being a purchase in the Sixteenth Township, in Hamilton County. Thereafter he was almost uniformly successful, and year by year his lumber operations became more extended, although his conservatism was always a check on speculative transactions.

Mr. Sherman became a prominent factor in the financial and manufacturing enterprises of his locality. He was the first president of the Glens Falls Paper Mill Company, also of the Bald Mountain Lime Company, and the owner of the Sherman Lime Company and the South Glens Falls Flouring Mill. He was president of the First National Bank of Glens Falls from 1858 to his death, in 1884. With F. A. Johnson as cashier, Mr. Sherman for years conducted the private bank of Sherman & Johnson. He was the organizer and at the head of the wholesale firm of L. Thomson & Co., of the Albany lumber district, Mr. Thomson being his son-in-law. He was also at the head of the lumber manufacturing firm of Sherman, Lord & Hurdmans, of Hull, Quebec. With George W. Sisson, under the firm title of "The A. Sherman Lumber Company," he manufactured lumber on a large scale on the Raquette River, at Potsdam, New York, where he also owned and operated individually another lumber mill. At various times he conducted large mercantile affairs at Glens Falls, his son-in-law and two sons, William and D. W. Sherman, being associated with him. He owned much valuable real estate in Glens Falls and timber lands in Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties.

On March 4, 1824, he married Miss Nancy Weed. Nine children were born to them, seven of whom grew to maturity. His wife died in 1848, and in 1856 he married Miss Charlotte H. Conklin. Mr. Sherman's success in business was due to his persevering energy and sound judgment. He was always cautious, never expanding operations beyond his own financial control. He was of resolute and rugged character, demanding of others the industry and integrity which he himself displayed.

Sources

1. ↑ "New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGRN-MKTV : 20 October 2019), William A Sherman, 1884.
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127442642/augustus-sherman : accessed 25 October 2021), memorial page for Augustus Sherman (11 Feb 1801–3 Dec 1884), Find A Grave: Memorial #127442642, citing Glens Falls Cemetery, Glens Falls, Warren County, New York, USA ; Maintained by MaryJane Haight-Eckert (contributor 46560908) .
3. ↑ Defebaugh, James Elliott . History of the Lumber Industry of America. (Chicago, The American Lumberman, 1907) Volume 2, pg 404, pg 407

See also:

• FamilySearch profile of William Augustus Sherman

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Sherman-1446 created through the import of MartindaleCanfield.ged on Jan 9, 2012 by Linda Fay.