HOYT SHERMAN, son of Charles R. Sherman, Judge of the
Supreme Court of Ohio, was born in Lancaster County, November 1, 1827, and is
the younger brother of John Sherman, the distinguished Ohio statesman, and of
General William T. Sherman of Civil War fame. Until eighteen years of age,
Hoyt’s time was divided between school and the printing office. In the spring
of 1848 he came to Fort Des Moines, Iowa, then far out on the western frontier.
In 1849 he was admitted to the bar and began to practice law, and also engaged
in real estate business. In March of that year he was appointed by President
Taylor postmaster of Des Moines, holding that position until the inauguration
of President Pierce, when he resigned and was elected clerk of the District
Court. In 1854 he was the senior member of the banking house of Hoyt Sherman &
Co., and upon the establishment of the State Bank of Iowa he became cashier of
the Des Moines branch and was one of the directors on part of the State to
supervise the system and guard the public interests. When the Civil War began
Mr. Sherman was appointed by President Lincoln paymaster in the Union army with
the rank of major, holding the position for three years. He was one of the
organizers of the Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa and for many years
its general manager. That institution owes much of its stability and high
standing to the fine executive ability and unquestioned integrity of Major
Sherman. In 1866, Major Sherman was a member of the House of the Eleventh
General Assembly where he was chairman of the committee on railroads and a
member of the committee of ways and means. In 1886 he was one of the founders
of the Pioneer Lawmakers’ Association and has always been one of its most
influential members, serving as president and long a member of the executive
committee. He has contributed valuable historical articles to the Annals of
Iowa on “Early Banking in Iowa,” and on the “State Bank of Iowa.” For many
years he was the executive officer of the Associated Charities of Des Moines.
SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History
of Iowa, Vol. 4: Iowa Biography, p. 243-4
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