History:

The land now occupied by the Village of Sherrard was originally purchased in September of 1839 from the United States Government by John Morey for $1.25 per acre. In May of 1854 Thomas and Olive Morey sold this land to David Sherrard for $2200.00. The land consisted of 119.62 acres. On the Second of January, 1894 this land was transferred to the Coal Valley Mining Company for $1.00 and "other valuable considerations."

The Village of Sherrard was surveyed on the 17th, 18th, and 19th of April, 1894. The plat of the Village was recorded in the county seat, Aledo, on May 1st, 1894.

The town was a virtual boom town until the coal mine closed in 1918. The greatest population as per the Federal Census was in 1910 when the population reached 906. Of the 168 families listed in the 1900 Federal Census, a large number are listed as having "boarders" which is to be expected in a new booming coal mining town. This author met, some thirty years ago, a old carpenter who had worked in Sherrard in those early days. He described the town as quite a lively place, "It had seven saloons and an equal number of houses of ill-fame". I cannot verify this statement, but I'm sure that with the large number of single miners it well could be true.