Sherman: Building on Our History to Create Our Future
Founded in 1866, Sherman was named after General Sidney Sherman, a hero of the Texas Revolution. The city soon earned the nickname “The Athens of Texas” because it was home to Kidd-Key Conservatory of Music, Mary Nash College, North Texas Male and Female Academy, Carr-Burdette College, and Austin College which continues today as a leader in higher education. This boom in education ushered in an economic boom with businesses opening and industries flourishing. Washington Iron Works, Sherman’s oldest industry still in operation today, opened in 1876 during this period of growth.
In the early 1900s, spurred by the cotton market, the arrival of the railroad, and the creation of U.S. Highway 75, Sherman’s industry took off and never looked back. By the 1950s, Sherman found its stride in the prosperity brought about by the Postwar Boom with the opening of IBM, Johnson and Johnson, Texas Instruments, and Kaiser Aluminum.
Sherman continued to grow, welcoming household names including Sunny Delight, Presco, and Eaton B-Line among several others. In 1989, the Texas legislature passed a bill allowing cities to raise additional sales tax to fund economic development. Soon a committee of dedicated volunteers from the Sherman community organized a sales tax election that was adopted in November 1995. As a result, Sherman Economic Development Corporation was incorporated in April 1996.
With the addition of GlobiTech in 1998, Sherman began its rise as the “Technology Hub of North Texas.” Sherman continues to build on its history of economic excellence with companies such as II-VI, Tyson Foods, Progress Rail, Emerson, and many more. Modern Sherman takes full advantage of the booming northward expansion of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the talents of its residents, and its welcoming sense of community. Even with such a rich history of innovation, the best is yet to come in Sherman.