My Genealogy Hound

SHERMAN UPTON. The subject of this sketch is in the eighth generation of the Upton line, which is descended from the first American progenitor, John Upton, a Scotchman by birth, who came to this country about the year 1650, and settled at what was then known as Salem Village, but for more than a century past has been known as Danvers, in Massachusetts. The maternal ancestors of his grandfather, Daniel Upton, are in direct descent from that eminent Puritan, Samuel Morse, who came from England in 1637, and settled in Dedham, Mass., and his own maternal ancestors trace back in direct line to John Moss, who came from England about the same date, and settled in New Haven Conn., in 1639. Sherman Upton is one of a family of four sons and six daughters, all of whom, with the parents, John B. Upton and Julia Sherman Upton, are now living. John B. Upton was one of a family of seven sons and six daughters, all of whom lived to years of maturity, and eleven were present at the golden wedding of their parents, celebrated September 30, 1871. These venerable grandparents of our subject lived to celebrate the sixty-sixth anniversary of their marriage. Sherman Upton was born in Batavia, N. Y., June 9, 1858; removed with his parents to Lawrence, Van Buren county, Mich., in 1859; changed residence with the family to Decatur, same county, in 1869, and there entered upon the earnest labors of life, attending public school and working on a farm during vacations. In 1875 he entered Olivet college, Mich., where he remained two years. The family changed residence, in 1876, to Big Rapids, Mecosta county, Mich., where our subject joined them on leaving Olivet.

He entered Michigan Agricultural College in the spring of 1878, and continued the course to graduation in August, 1881. The vacations from this course were filled with district school work. While in college his love of art work was much stimulated by the drawings that were given to him to do in illustration of scientific works, the most important of these being drawings of dissected bees, published in a work on bee culture, by Prof. Cook, of that college. He also made great proficiency in character drawing, and, being chosen class prophet, gave the subject in a series of drawings in ink on glass, which, presented by the aid of a stereoptican, gave to his classmates views of the future that, however little they may be realized, will never be forgotten, owing to the numerous sharp hits given to so many personal peculiarities. Upon leaving college, portrait work offered inducements, as also did illustrative newspaper work; but trade seeming to promise something more substantial, he abandoned these in 1883, and entered upon a clerkship in the hardware trade with an uncle in Vermillion, Dak. He engaged in trade for himself in May, 1887, in Elm Creek, Nebr., following N. O. Calkins in the furniture and implement business.

Being a man of versatile talent, and having a keen sense of the sentiment of human faces, it is no surprise that he has added photographing and portraits to his regular line. Having marked ability in the way of reproducing the peculiar natural look in the human face, so dear to friends and so hard to be secured, it is desirable that this departure from the regular, monotonous routine of business shall be a success, as it undoubtedly will be when followed to a finish, and Elm Creek can name among her solid men, this portrait artist of high rank.