Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876–1936)
John Brill Sherman
SHERMAN, JOHN BRILL (1825–1902), inducted by 1920
Born near Beekman, New York, John B. Sherman was drawn to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Upon his return to the East, he observed what seemed to be endless opportunity and land in the Midwestern United States, so he settled on a farm near Chicago. In 1855, he became involved in several of Chicago’s earliest stockyards businesses. In 1865–1866, Sherman organized the consolidation of all the city’s competing yards into one enterprise, the Union Stock Yards and Transit Company. In the earliest years, John Sherman was vice president, general manager, and director of the company, as it transformed swamp land into a major railroad hub, the world’s largest livestock market, and a multifaceted center for meat processing. He eventually became the company president. As a member of Chicago’s South Park Commissioners, John B. Sherman helped found the city park system, and Sherman Park is named in his honor. He also helped launch the career of renowned architect Daniel Burnham, who married Sherman’s daughter Margaret.
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 177