JONATHAN OGDEN SHERWOOD 

JONATHAN OGDEN SHERWOOD, Brighton Township. Among the well-known pioneers of California, who have been identified with Sacramento County since the early days, is the gentleman with whose name this sketch commences. He is a native of New York State, born at South Richland, Oswego County, on the 3d of January, 1825. His mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Meigs, was born in Derby County, Connecticut, and came of an old family of that State. Her father was a Revolutionary soldier, who joined the colonial army at the age of sixteen, taking the place of a neighbor, who could not well leave his family. Her mother, whose maiden name was Pritchard, had a brother, a captain in the patriot army in the Revolutionary War, who was captured by the British and had his throat cut on board of one of their prison ships. The father of our subject was Jonathan Sherwood, son of a sea captain named Zalmon Sherwood. When he was about sixteen years old the father died and the family removed to Oswego County, New York. He was in the War of 1812, and was called out at the time of the invasion of Oswego, and served till the war was over under General Gillespie, a neighbor of the family. He furnished the general a horse, which the latter used throughout the war. His wife died in 1869 and he followed her to the land beyond the grave in 1871. Jonathan O. Sherwood, subject of this sketch, was one of a family of ten children; six sons and four daughters, and he now has two brothers residing in California, and one living in Colorado. He received a common-school education and in his seventeenth year commenced teaching winters, while he attended the spring terms at Mexico Academy. In the spring of 1846 he went to New York City and engaged as clerk with R.G. Williams, at 84 Pearl Street. A short time later he changed his place of employment and went with J.O. & D.S. Bennett, commission merchants, at 33 Water Street. J.O. Bennett, an active member of the firm, was a shrewd business man, and had that great faculty of being able to see in advance where great business opportunities lay. One day, in 1847, when the war with Mexico was pretty well advanced, he astonished Mr. Sherwood by asking him if he doubted his ability of taking care of himself in business under any and all circumstances. Mr. Sherwood said he never doubted it because he knew he could. Mr. Bennett then spread out a map before him and pointing to Yerba Buena, on the bay of San Francisco, said, “There is a point which in fifty years will rival New York. My plan is for you to go there and get possession of all the land you can get hold of,” etc. Mr. Sherwood fell in with the idea and agreed to go. The scheme was then broached to D.S. Bennett, who pooh-poohed the idea, and this plan, which would have resulted in a fortune for those concerned, fell through. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Sherwood left New York and went out to Wisconsin, where two brothers then resided. To of his brothers were anxious to go to Williamette settlement, in Oregon, and he joined with them in preparing. When they were nearly ready to go their eldest brother persuaded them to give up the project. In 1849 Mr. Sherwood was in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and he fell in with a movement being made in the southern part of the State to organize a party for the purpose of going to California (among whom was a gentleman named Durgan), and our subject fitted out an ox team for that purpose. Spring opened up late and Mr. Sherwood was to join the party in three or four weeks. In the meantime, however, he received a letter from Mr. Durgan saying he was the only one who had not backed out, and for Mr. Sherwood to join him at New York, and they would go via Panama. Mr. Sherwood would not consent to that, however, and decided to go across the plains. He had a friend named John Irish, who wanted to go with him and was accepted. Mr. Sherwood then commenced bidding good-bye to his old friends, and one of them, John A. Tredway, decided at once to go along. On the 16^th of April, 1850, they started, mounted on Indian ponies. They procured their wagons and outfits near Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and there fell in with a party, which, with themselves, numbered sixteen people. They went to Kanesville, laid in provisions, and then ferried themselves across the river. They proceeded on the north side of the Platte to Laramie, and by way of the Black Hills. They were the first to take that route, and had to have someone ahead exploring all the time. They struck the main line of travel again at the second crossing of North Platte. From South Pass they proceeded by the Bear River route, and from Soda Springs took the Sublette’s cut-off. They came on to California by way of Sink of Humboldt and Sink of Carson. Mr. Sherwood first struck the mines at Weaverville, El Dorado County. He and Mr. Tredway remained there until October, when, both being sick, they were advised to go to a warmer climate, and left, coming to Sacramento. From here he went to Stockton, and at the hotel there fell in with a carpenter. Though he had never worked at that trade Mr. Sherwood was very handy with his tools. He was told by the landlord of a man who wanted to hire some workmen in this line, and he and the carpenter decided to apply for work. The contractor looked them over and selected Mr. Sherwood, though the other man was a skilled carpenter, or claimed to be. Mr. Sherwood was placed with others on a frame store that was being erected, and went to work, though, indeed, he did not even know how he was to commence. He had is wits about him, however, and succeeded in getting along nicely without any of the workmen finding out that he was not a carpenter. When he came to construct a door frame, however, there was one point he did not understand, but he asked a question of one of the other men in such a diplomatic way, that the other did not observe his object. He got his answer, and was then all right. He pushed his work and attracted the attention of his employer by his speed. When the contractor received the job of putting up a number of out-houses, extending out over the slough, for a hotel, he gave Mr. Sherwood charge of the job, and sent the other workmen to him to be put to work. He commenced on one in the morning, studying out his work as he went, and in the evening his employer was surprised to find that he had one already finished. He was getting $12 a day as a workman. It was rather a surprising thing, as well as laughable, that he should be placed as a foreman over experienced workmen, while up to a few days before he had never worked at this trade. So much for self-confidence. Mr. Sherwood returned to Sacramento County, and in February 1851, bought land at what is now Gold Spring ranch, and engaged in farming. He was very successful, and added to his possessions until he had a place of about 1,000 acres. Part of this was State school land, and a portion was purchased from the railroad company. In 1855-’56 he set out an orchard of over 2,000 trees, and by 1861 had a handsomely improved place. But the work of years was destroyed by the flood that came on in December of that year, when the place was overflowed, and the land in front of the house filled up fifty feet. The loss to Mr. Sherwood was very severe and required a hard struggle for several years to right the damage. He had a splendid ranch there, but sold it in 1884 to Daniel Flint, of Sacramento, and in November of that year removed to his present location in Brighton Township, where he has a farm of 160 acres. Mr. Sherwood has always taken an active interest in educational matters, and organized the first public school district in Sacramento County. That district included all Cosumnes Township, and was organized in 1853. He built the school-house and presented it to the district, and hired the first teacher, whom he afterward married. Mr. Sherwood was a Democrat in early life and voted it until Lincoln’s second campaign. He supported the Republican party then, and afterward became opposed to the dismemberment of the Union, but only for that reason. He is a member of the Masonic order. Mr. Sherwood has been twice married. First, on the 13^th of November, 1854, to Miss Kate Virginia Beall, who came from Scott County, Illinois. She died in November 1866. By that marriage there were five children, viz.: Eva Augusta, born October 25, 1855, wife of Thomas Gaffney, San Francisco; Alfred Wilbur, born March 24, 1858; Anna, born in February 1862, died in April 1863; Harry, born October 18, 1865; and Jessie, born October 13, 1866. Mr. Sherwood married his present wife July 5, 1869. Her maiden name was Susan Emeline Woods. She is a native of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and daughter of John and Mary (Hazen) Wood. Her parents were both born in the same county. In 1844 they removed to Barry, Pike County, Illinois, and there both parents died. Mrs. Sherwood left home for California, proceeding first to New York. She sailed from there April 10, on the steamer Ocean Queen, and landed at San Francisco May 15, 1868. From there she came to Sacramento. Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood are the parents of two children, viz.: Ella May, born November 5, 1872, and Etta, born February 23, 1874. Mr. Sherwood is a splendid type of the open-hearted, hospitable Californian, who in times past, made this State famous the world over. He pushed his way to the front by industry and enterprise, and, while successful in life himself has always taken an active interest and lent a helping hand toward the general public welfare. Such is but a mere outline of the life of J.O. Sherwood, one of Sacramento County’s most respected citizens.