Richard Updike Sherman (abt. 1819 - 1895)

Born about 1819 in Oneida, New York, United States of America

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 21 Feb 1895 at about age 76 in New Hartford, Oneida, New York, United States of America

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Biography

Richard Updike Sherman was a New York State politician serving in local and U. S. government positions and newspaper publisher/editor. He was also the father of U.S. Vice President James Schoolcraft Sherman.

He was one of the most prominent men in New York. He was educated in Vernon and Utica, and was early an editor of a newspaper. Throughout his life he was chiefly devoted to Newspaper editorship and proprietorship, besides being prominent in politics. From 1841 to 1847 he was editor successively of "Utica Daily Gazette", "Herkimer Journal", "Oswego Daily Times" and "Rochester Daily Evening Gazette"; later with others, he managed and owned the "Utica Herald". His political activity is evident from the following: City Clerk of Utica (1843); Alderman, 4th ward, Utica (1849); Supervisor 7th ward, Utica (1854-57); Clerk of Assembly, N.Y. (1851-56); Assemblyman 1st Oneida District (1857); Assistant Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives (1860-70); Assemblyman 1st Oneida District (1875-76)

Death

Richard Updike Sherman died "early this morning," on 21 February, 1895, at "his home in New Hartford," Oneida County, New York, according to an obituary printed in The Utica Observer.^[1] An obituary was also published in The Saturday Globe:^[2]

"The death Thursday morning of Gen. Richard Updyke Sherman, of New Hartford, taken from Oneida county and from the [several lines are obscured by a defect in the old microfilm copy of this newspaper] ... most upright of citizens. Born in Vernon, in 1819, he had always made this county his home. His father, Willett H. Sherman, was one of the pioneers of the county, having come early in the century from Rhode Island. His mother was Catherine Schoolcraft, a sister of Henry R. Schoolcraft, the eminent scientist and author.

When he was 14 years of age young Richard graduated from the Utica Academy. He began life among mercantile pursuits, but that he did not fancy, so at the age of 21 he entered the field of literature as a newspaper writer. Having shown his ability in this line in a marked degree he became editor of the Daily Gazette. For the next 10 years he continued steadily in an editorial career. In 1848, with Robert W. Roberts, a brother of Ellis H. Roberts, and a young man named Colston, he established the Utica Morning Herald.

In 1851, Mr. Sherman became clerk of the Assembly. With the exception of a single year he held this position continuously until 1857, when he took his seat as a member of the body of which he had been clerk. In 1860 he became assistant clerk of the House of Representatives, a position which he held for ten years, resigning in 1870. In 1874, he was again elected to the State Assembly and in the many years during which he was connected with that body he performed signal services for his constituents.

In 1877, Mr. Sherman retired after 30 years from active official and political life. From that time until his death he gave his attention to private business. Besides his positions at Albany and Washington he had held a number of other official positions, having been in turn alderman, chief engineer of the Fire Department of the city of Utica, supervisor, justice of the peace, president of the village of New Hartford, brigadier general of the State militia and one of the commissioners of fisheries for the State of New York.

Gen. Sherman leaves besides his widow three brothers, William Pitt Sherman, of New York, who is ex-treasurer of the Erie Railroad Company and the ex-commissioner of accounts of New York city; Albert Sherman, of LaFayette, Ind. who is ex-superintendent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad; and Evan Sherman of Elgin, Ill. He also leaves the following sisters: Marion and Helen Sherman, of Allendale, N.J., Marrietta, of New Hartford, Mrs. Angeline Sullivan and Mrs. Joseph Foote, of Elgin, Ill; also the following children: Richard W. Sherman, Mary Louise Sherman, who is the wife of Hon. Henry J. Cookinham, Hon. James Schoolcraft Sherman and Sanford E. Sherman."

He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ "Richard U. Sherman," The Utica Observer (Utica, New York), 21 Feb 1895, p. 5, col. 3; digital images, NYS Historical Newspapers.
2. ↑ "Richard U. Sherman--End of One of the Most Useful Lives in the State's History," The Saturday Globe (Utica, New York), 23 Feb 1895, page number not noted on image, col. 2, digital images, Old Fulton, New York, Postcards (www.fultonhistory.com).
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33376060/richard-updike-sherman: accessed 05 November 2022), memorial page for Gen Richard Updike Sherman (26 Jun 1819–21 Feb 1895), Find a Grave Memorial ID 33376060, citing Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Karen Moore (contributor 47073126) .

See also:

• "New York State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K675-CLV : 19 November 2014), Richard U Sherman, Ward 4, Utica City, Oneida, New York, United States; count clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,435,148.
• "New York State Census, 1865," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNV-D3WD : accessed 28 June 2017), Richard U Sherman, District 01, New Hartford, Oneida, New York, United States; citing source p. 14, line 6, household ID 104, county clerk, board of supervisors and surrogate court offices from various counties. Utica and East Hampton Public Libraries, New York; FHL microfilm 1,435,151.
• "New York State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VT8L-Q6Q : 16 November 2014), Richd N Shermen, New Hartford, Oneida, New York, United States; citing p. 36, line 10, State Library, Albany; FHL microfilm 1,435,183.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZX6-2N7 : 15 July 2016), Richard Sherman, New Hartford, Oneida, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 103, sheet 363A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0902; FHL microfilm 1,254,902.