Sherman is an unincorporated community in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. M-37 (North 13 Road) is the main roadway through the community, and M-115 (Cadillac Highway) intersects with M-33 about to the south in the village Mesick. The village of Buckley is located about north along M-37. Other nearby unincorporated communities include Bagnall and Glengary to the west, Wexford Corner to the north, Harlan to the northwest, Meauwataka to the southwest, and Baxter to the northeast.
Briar Hill is located near Sherman to the southeast in Antioch Township. At above sea level, it is one of the highest elevations in the state's Lower Peninsula. The surrounding area is part of the Briar Hills Area in the Manistee National Forest. The Manistee River flows just north of the center of the community. This portion of the river is routinely monitored by the state and is a popular location for boating and fishing. The M-37 bridge crossing at this point is called the Sherman Bridge. The North Country Trail runs through Sherman along M-37 across the bridge and following the river. Burkett Creek is a small tributary of the Manistee River and flows just to the south.
Sherman no longer contains its own post office and is served by the Mesick 49668 ZIP Code. The community is served by Mesick Consolidated Schools.
History
The first white settler in the area was Benjamin Hall. In 1862, he built his cabin in what would later become Hanover Township in unorganized Wexford County near the Manistee River. The area was along the Northport State Road, which followed primitive Indian trails leading to the heavily forested areas of Northern Michigan. A bridge was first constructed across the river in 1864, which eventually allowed travel further north to the settlement of Traverse City. In 1867, Lewis J. Clark opened a general store nearby and moved into the area by the following year. Due to the bridge crossing and its location along the river, the new community became known as Manistee Bridge, and a post office opened under that name on February 3, 1868. John Perry served as the first postmaster, and the community was soon renamed Sherman after famed Civil War general William Sherman. The name was chosen by landowner Sanford Gasser, who officially platted the community under that name in 1869. At the time, the only homesteads belonged to Clark, Gasser, and Perry. Clark operated his general store, while Perry briefly operated the county's second sawmill just east of Sherman.
Wexford County was created by legislation in 1840 but not formally organized until 1869. Being one of the earliest settlements in the county, Sherman was selected as the first county seat in 1869. At the time, the majority of the residents in the county lived near Sherman, and nearly all of them came from the state of New York. In an attempt to settle the area, many Civil War veterans moved here and took advantage of government land subsidies. The lumber and railroad industry was also beginning to expand into Northern Michigan, which also brought many more settlers. The earliest industries in Sherman focused on the lumber industry, and numerous sawmills were constructed to exploit the area's ample lumber resources. The community's location near the Manistee River made it easy to float lumber down the river to nearby sawmills.
The county completed a two-story courthouse in Sherman by 1872. The other county settlements of Clam Lake, Manton, and Meauwataka also vied for the county seat, but the new courthouse solidified Sherman's status as the first county seat of Wexford County. By 1872, Sherman was thriving and had a population of around 400 residents. The community contained two hotels, general stores, mechanic shops, a pharmacy, and several sawmills. By 1877, the town was flourishing and now contained two churches, a newspaper, several flour mills, numerous professional offices, and more sawmills.
Battle of Manton
thumb|right|250px|First Wexford Courthouse state historic marker in Sherman
Even though Sherman was designated as the county seat and held the government courthouse and records, the other communities continued to fight in a county seat war for the opportunity to become the county seat of Wexford County. The heated dispute began as soon as the courthouse was completed in 1872. Although it was incorporated at the time, it was not recorded in the 1890 census.
The Toledo, Ann Arbor, and North Michigan Railway expanded its railroad lines into the area by 1890. However, the residents of Sherman were devastated when the railway did not expand north to the community. The railway was built through the nearby community of Mesick just to the south but then continued west instead of expanding slightly north to Sherman. At the 1900 census, the village recorded a population of 427. However, the highway did not help the fledgling community. As an incorporated village, Sherman was last recorded during the 1920 census with a population of 108 residents. Although the village remained incorporated, it apparently had very few residents and no elected officials. The school, which occupied the former courthouse, closed in 1937. The village of Sherman disincorporated around 1940 and returned to the status of an unincorporated community. By 1968, Sherman had one grocery store and gas station. The struggle for the county seat of Wexford County was commemorated with the Battle of Manton state historic marker on June 18, 1970. This marker is located to the east in the city of Manton.
Sherman continues to exist as an unincorporated community just north of the village of Mesick along M-37. The community has a small permanent population and a few small businesses; although, it may still be considered a ghost town due to its decline and lack of growth after the 1920s.