Matthew Sherman (October 31, 1827 – July 5, 1898) was a land developer and American Republican

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. Born in

Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Originally called Mishawum by the Massachusett tribe, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins ...

, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 13 and served on the and the . During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Second Federal Republic of Mexico, Mexico f ...

, his ship briefly visited

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

, he served as Captain of the California Volunteers. He was at

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

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. They had three children. Sherman was a developer in San Diego and created "Sherman's Addition," or " Sherman's Heights", located just east of downtown. He bought this land in June 1867, a month after

Alonzo Horton Alonzo Eratus Horton (October 24, 1813 – January 7, 1909) was an American real estate developer in the nineteenth century. The Horton Plaza mall in downtown San Diego is named for him. Early life Horton was born 1813 in Union, Connecticut, ...

purchased land for New Town San Diego (now downtown). He became a prominent business leader. He was interested in bringing a transcontintal railroad to San Diego, but his efforts were unsuccessful, as were later efforts with others for the San Diego and Gila Railroad. Finally, though, in 1885 the California Southern Railroad finished a line from

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cens ...

to San Diego causing population and land sales to boom, earning much money for Sherman. After the boom faded in the 1890s, Sherman became active in civic affairs, being elected to the city's Board of Trustees, and later the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Sherman was

Mayor of San Diego The mayor of the City of San Diego is the official head and chief executive officer of the U.S. city of San Diego, California. The mayor has the duty to enforce and execute the laws enacted by the San Diego City Council, the legislative branch. ...

in 1891 and 1893. He was the first mayor elected on a straight party ticket (the previous mayor was elected with two separate Republican tickets), winning by just 18 votes. While mayor, the first Cabrillo Landing celebration was held, honoring the 350th anniversary of

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( pt, João Rodrigues Cabrilho; c. 1499 – January 3, 1543) was an Iberian maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was the firs ...

's arrival in

San Diego Bay San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of ...

. 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. Matthew Sherman died at age 70, in 1898, and his wife Augusta died January 5, 1913. They are interred in Mount Hope Cemetery; Augusta was the one who 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."

External links

"Matthew Sherman: Pioneer San Diegan", ''The Journal of San Diego History'' 18:4 (Fall 1972) by Clare Crane

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, Mathew 1827 births 1898 deaths Mayors of San Diego California Republicans 19th-century American politicians Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (San Diego)

See also

External links