Solomon Sheridan

(1820-1894)

Born in 1820 in Jeffersonville, IN, Solomon Neil Sheridan became an orphan at a young age and apprenticed himself to a Louisville, KY brick mason. In 1843 he married Anna Byrne, and in 1845 he and his wife moved to Weston, MO. With their next move to St. Joseph, MO a few months later, Sheridan became a prominent building contractor. In 1856 he was elected Buchanan County sheriff, and in 1859 he was one of the charter members of the Zeredatha Lodge No. 189.

Sheridan and his wife, Anna, were the parents of seven children: John J., Permelia, Julia, Edwin, Anna, Solomon Jr., and Joseph Frank. In 1872 Sheridan and his family moved to Ventura County, CA. In November 1893 the Sheridans celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Then in April 1894, Sheridan was traveling on a steamship when it hit a reef just off the coast of Monterey, CA. Letting the women and children have the lifeboats available, Sheridan put on a life preserver and proceeded to swim the two miles to shore where he died from exhaustion.

Boder, B. (1955, Spring). The James Treacy collection of photographs of St. Joseph pioneers of Civil War Days. Museum Graphic, 7(2), 10.

Conard, H. L. (Ed.). (1901). Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri: A compendium of history and biography for ready reference. St Louis: Southern History.

History of Buchanan County, Missouri: A history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. (1881). St. Joseph, MO: St. Joseph Steam Printing.

Rutt, C. L. (1898). The Daily News’ history of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, MO: From the time of the Platte Purchase to the end of the year 1898. St. Joseph, MO: St. Joseph Publishing.