Sherman, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sherman, Washington
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Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Lincoln |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Sherman, Washington, was once a small community in Lincoln County, USA. It was located north of the town of Wilbur, Washington. Today, Sherman is known as a ghost town, meaning most of its buildings are gone and people no longer live there.
Sherman's Early Days
Sherman began to grow in the late 1800s, around the 1880s and 1890s. This was a time when many small towns appeared in eastern Washington. These towns often started because of a big boom in farming.
The United States government had laws called Homestead Acts. These laws allowed people to claim land if they promised to live on it and farm it. This encouraged many families to move to areas like Sherman and start new farms.
Why Sherman Became a Ghost Town
Over time, Sherman was abandoned. Several things caused this to happen. One reason was that the price of wheat, a major crop, began to fall. This made it harder for farmers to earn enough money.
Also, farms started to get much larger. This meant fewer families were needed to work the land. Better cars and roads also made it easier for people to travel to bigger towns for supplies and services. Because of these changes, people slowly moved away from Sherman.
Remembering Sherman Today
Even though Sherman is mostly a ghost town, some parts of its history remain. A church and a cemetery are still there. The old school building, however, has fallen down.
Every year on Memorial Day, the community of Sherman comes together. Farm families from the area and people whose ancestors lived in Sherman gather at the church. They celebrate and remember the history of Sherman and honor those who served their country.