Hoyt was the youngest son of Judge Charles
Robert Sherman of Ohio, and a brother of both General William Tecumseh Sherman
and Senator John Sherman. Moving to Iowa, he served as postmaster of
Des Moines, quickly entering into both banking and politics, establishing
Des Moines' first bank and serving on the town council. With the outbreak
of the Civil War, Hoyt was appointed Army paymaster with the rank of major.
After the war, he returned to Des Moines to become a founding partner
in the Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa, and was a generous supporter
of education and public works. He built a grand manor home in 1877.
The house fell empty after his death in 1904, but is now the centerpiece
of Hoyt Sherman Place, a museum and performing arts center. The above
photo is from the website of Hoyt Sherman Place (http://www.hoytsherman.org/).
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