Sherman, Texas

The City of Sherman, Texas, is located at the crossroads of U.S. 75 and U.S. 82 in North Texas. The county seat of Grayson County, Sherman is a community of 36,000 residents, and home to several Fortune 100 industries as well as to Austin College, a vibrant arts community, and abundant recreational opportunities. Excellent schools, beautiful scenery, and a variety of shopping, restaurants and hotels add to the community.

Sherman is near enough to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to have easy access the urban amenities - yet it still retains an unhurried and friendly atmosphere of smaller communities. Sherman also has a richly diverse history, and is only 10 miles south of Lake Texoma, one of the largest reservoirs in the state of Texas and well-known for its champion bass fishing, sailing, camping and hiking.

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 (5 km) east to its current location. Before 1850, Sherman had become an incorporated town under Texas law. It had also become a stop on the Butt 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. Years later, James spent at least part of his honeymoon in Sherman, where he was photographed on horseback.

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 (370 m) wide and 28 miles (45 km) 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 (105 km) 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.

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Geography

Sherman is 60 miles north of Dallas an 10 miles south of Lake Texoma and the Oklahoma state border. The city is located in Grayson County at 3338′28″N, 9636′36″W (33.641077, -96.609991).

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

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Cityscape

BAILEY'S BERRY PATCH (905 Crawford Road) Bailey's Berry Patch is located between Sherman and Gainesville - 12 miles south of the Oklahoma border and is easily accessible from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area as well as all of Southern Oklahoma. The Berry Patch consists of 6 acres of blueberries and 3 acres of blackberries. Visitors can pick their own fruit, have a picnic lunch and come with friends and family to spend a few hours in the country. There are picnic tables under the oak trees and fish food is available for the children to feed the catfish in the pond.

C.S. ROBERTS HOUSE (915 S. Crockett St.) The C.S. Roberts house is a magnificent Victorian mansion built by a prominent local family, and located in Sherman's Heritage Row. It remained in the Roberts family until 1988 with most family furnishings in place. It is one of the only intact Eastlake-Stick style homes in this part of the country. The house was built in 1896 in the rush of building following Sherman's great tornado. The storm cellar and hothouse in the basement, the combination gas - electric light fixtures, vintage automobile, servant's quarters, gazebo, gardens, and many stained glass windows are some of the original 19th century experience available to visitors today. The C,S, Roberts House Museum is maintained and operated by the Sherman Preservation League. It is open Sundays 1 - 4 pm and by appointment.

EISENHOWER STATE PARK (50 Park Road 20) Eisenhower State Park, with 423.1 acres, is located in Grayson County, northwest of Denison on the shores of Lake Texoma. The park has plenty of trees to provide shade during the summer. It is situated on rocky bluffs above the lake. Full hook-ups are provided for RVers. There is a hiking trail that winds along the rolling hills of the park. The trails are not paved so be careful when hiking. A large protected cove provides a nice place to swim.

LAVENDER RIDGE FARMS (2391 County Rd 178) Originally a strawberry and melon farm in the 1920's and 30's, Lavender Ridge Farms is now a lavender, cut-flower, and herb farm just 8 miles east of Gainesville, Texas and just 1 hour from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. The farm currently has 2 acres of lavender planted and more lavender, new herbs, scented geraniums and cut-flowers are being added all the time. A variety of herb plants, handmade herbal soaps and lavender products are available in the gift shop.

RED RIVER HISTORICAL MUSEUM (301 South Walnut) The mission of the Red River Historical Museum is to collect, preserve and to interpret objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the greater North Texas Region. Sitting right off the downtown square, the museum is housed in a historic Carnegie Library building and is home to a collection of over 50,000 objects. Look for exhibit announcements on the Calendar of Events. Museum store with books on the history of the area, historic maps, and souvenirs.

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Culture

Media

Newspaper
The Herald Democrat

Magazine
Texoma Living!

Television Stations
KTEN Channel 10 - (NBC)
KTEN DT Channel 10.2 - (The CW Texoma)
KXII Channel 12 - (CBS)
KXII DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma)
KXII DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)

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Economy

The City of Sherman has a strong economic market highlighted by the presence of strong retail commercial and industrial corporate entities. These companies provide economic stimulus to the community by providing a variety of goods, services and employment opportunites that rival much larger cities.

The retail market in Sherman is significant and serves not only Sherman but many of the surrounding areas as well. Such well know outlets as Sams Club, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Home Depot, Lowes, and Target are represented offering all of the day to day items that consumers need as well as presenting job opportunities to the community. There are also many small shops that are unique to Sherman and help to maintain the identity of the city.

Sherman is also well-known as a center of industrial and technological opportunity. Such corporations as Texas Instruments, Starr Aircraft, Verizon and Coca-Cola are represented in Sherman and are just a few of the major employers to be found there.

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Law & Government

Sherman is a political subdivision of the State of Texas. The city is a home-rule city, and as such its City Charter serves as its constitution. Voters approved the first charter on March 6, 1915. The City operates under the City Council/Manager form of government with the Mayor and six Council Members formulating the operating policy of the government, and the City Manager acting as the chief administrative officer.

Residency within a particular district is required for four of the city council seats, while the Mayor and two Council Member seats have no location restriction. However, all citizens vote on all Council seats, regardless of geographic residency restriction. The Mayor and Council Members are elected for staggered two-year terms.

Sherman City Clerk (903) 892-7205
Sherman Fire Dept (903) 892-7263
Sherman Police Dept (903) 892-7290

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Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 35,082 people, 13,739 households, and 8,820 families residing in the city. The population density is 910.0 people per square mile (351.4/km). There are 14,926 housing units at an average density of 387.2/sq mi (149.5/km). 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 is Hispanic.

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.

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Education

Most people in Sherman are zoned to Sherman Independent School District. The SISD art, scholastic and athletic programs are some of the best in the area. Some parts are in Denison Independent School District or Howe Independent School District.

The private institution 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.

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Infrastructure

Transportation

Sherman is served by two U.S. Highways: US 75 and US 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: State Highway 11 and State Highway 56. General aviation service is provided by Sherman Municipal Airport and North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field. The TTC-35 component of the planned Trans-Texas Corridor will also go near Sherman. Sherman is served by one 24 hour taxi cab service provided localy by Yellow Cab.

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