WI BIO - Dodge Co - SAWYER, Hiram, John H., Lewis, and Solomon History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1880, pp 752-753 Biography of Hiram SAWYER - pp 752-753 (brother of John H., Lewis, & Solomon) Hiram SAWYER, farmer, Section 20, Burnett [Burnett Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin], P. O. Burnett, was born 21 August 1814 in the town of [p 753] Orford, Grafton County, New Hampshire, and was the son of Benjamin C. and Mindwell SAWYER, natives of New Hampshire. [At the Green Bay Land Office on 01 September 1846, Benjamin C. SAWYER [probably not the father] purchased two eighty-acre tracts on Section 19, Chester Township, Dodge County, Territory of Wisconsin.] He [Hiram SAWYER] came to [the Territory of] Wisconsin in the fall of 1845, and settled on the farm he now occupies in the town of Burnett. He has held the office of Town Supervisor two years, was Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors two years, and was a member of the Assembly in 1866. He has also been statistical correspondent of the Agricultural Department at Washington for the last six years. [At the Green Bay Land Office, the following four tracts of land in Burnett Township, Dodge County, were purchased under the name Hiram SAWYER: (1) 40 acres on Section 32 on 01 September 1846; (2) 40 acres on Section 20 on 01 March 1848; (3) 40 acres on Section 20 on 10 May 1848; and (4) 40 acres on Section 32 on 01 August 1849.] On 14 February 1837 he [Hiram SAWYER] was married to [Miss] Barbara Ann WILSON, who was born 17 October 1819 at Haverhill, Grafton County, New Hampshire, and was the daughter of Jonathan and Mary WILSON, natives of New Hampshire. Mr. SAWYER followed stone cutting in New Hampshire from 1829 to 1844, but since coming to Wisconsin has followed farming. Mr. SAWYER has 180 acres of land, valued at about $75 per acre. [Note the land purchases in the previous paragraph only account for 160 acres.] They [Hiram and Barbara Ann (WILSON) SAWYER] have lost two children: (1) Barbara Adaline, born 19 February 1839 and died 10 September 1862; and (2) Hattie Ann, born 06 April 1857 and died 20 September 1864; and ten living: (3) Abigail Eliza, born 19 January 1841; (4) Hiram Wilson, born 11 June 1843; (5) Mary Mindwell, born 23 August 1845; (6) Ransom J., born 22 September 1847; (7) Hannah Wilson, born 07 October 1849; (8) Frank Merrill, born 20 May 1852; (9) Alvah L., born 16 September 1854; (10) Mattie Rosette, born 22 July 1860; (11) Sarah P., born 06 April 1863; and (12) Lewis M., born 22 March 1867. [Numbering added and not indicative of order of birth.] Biography of John H. SAWYER - p 752 (brother of Hiram, Lewis, & Solomon) John H. SAWYER, farmer, Section 19; P. O. Burnett [Burnett Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin], was born 17 April 1810 in the town of Orford, Grafton County, New Hampshire. He came to [the Territory of] Wisconsin in the fall of 1847, bought the farm he now occupies in Burnett, and returned to New Hampshire the same fall. The next spring [1848], he came with his family, arriving here 01 June 1848. [Wisconsin had become a State on 29 May 1848.] [Three land purchases for the name John H. SAWYER were recorded, two at the Green Bay Land Office, and the third at the Stephens Point Land Office: (1) 01 August 1849, 120 acres on Section 24 of Beaver Dam Township adjoining the western edge of Burnett Township (on an 1878 map of Dodge County); (2) 01 March 1850, 40 acres on Section 18 of Burnett Township; and another purchase (3) at the Stephens Point Land Office, 01 October 1858, 88.32 acres on Section 1 of Iola Township in Waupaca County. There are additional land patents for "John SAWYER" (no middle initial), one for a tract in Marinette County, and six for land in Columbia County, Wisconsin.] On 15 February 1835 he [John H. SAWYER] was married to [Miss] Mary Ann ESTABROOK, who was the daughter of Rodolphus and Tamison ESTABROOK, born 10 May 1815 in Lebanon [Grafton County], New Hampshire. Mr. [John H.] SAWYER followed farming, stone cutting and mason work while living in New Hampshire, and farming alone since coming to Wisconsin. He [John H. SAWYER] has three brothers, Lewis, Hiram, and Solomon, living in the same township [Burnett], all pioneers of Dodge County [Wisconsin]. They [John H. and Mary A. (ESTABROOK) have two children: (1) Joseph H., who was born 09 July 1845, married on 15 June 1870 to Alvida FULMER, of Iron Ridge [Hubbard Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin], and has one child, Matie Almira, who was born 12 April 1876; Joseph H. now owns the 100-acre homestead on Section 19, worth about $6,000; and (2) Mary Jane, now Mrs. Lyman B. EATON, of Beaver Dam, Dodge County, Wisconsin, born 27 February 1836. Mr. and Mrs. SAWYER [John H. and Mary A. (ESTABROOK) SAWYER] are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. [Mary Ann (ESTABROOK) SAWYER died in May 1887.] Biography of Lewis SAWYER - p 753 (brother of Hiram, John H., & Solomon) Lewis SAWYER, farmer, Section 32 [Burnett Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin, P. O. Rolling Prairie [mostly in Oak Grove Township, but extending a short distance into Burnett Township], one of the pioneers of Dodge County, was born 23 January 1819 in Grafton County, New Hampshire, and was a son of Benjamin C and Mindwell SAWYER. In June 1841 Mr. [Lewis] SAWYER came to [the Territory of] Wisconsin and located in the Town of Burnett, in the southwest corner of the Town, on Section 31, and in company with M. B. HALL (now at Oak Grove) built the first house and made the first improvements ever made in the town of Burnett. At that time there was only a small beginning made at Waupun, Fox Lake and Beaver Dam, and less than two dozen houses in Dodge County. Mr. SAWYER was one of the Clerks at the first election ever held in this precinct. He has held the office of County School Commissioner for several terms, was Coroner a number of years, and held an inquest on the body of the first suicide in Dodge County, which was the second death in Dodge County requiring the services of a Coroner. He has been on the School Board in different capacities for over thirty years, and has also been Assessor and Justice of the Peace. [At the Green Bay Land Office, five land purchases were recorded for the name Lewis SAWYER: (1) 39.1 acres on Section 6 of Oak Grove Township, Dodge County, on 01 September 1846; (2) 40 acres on Section 21 of Burnett Township, Dodge County, on 01 September 1846; (3) 200 acres on Sections 30 and 31 of Burnett Township on 01 February 1848; (4) 80 acres on Sections 32 and 33 of Burnett Township on 01 February 1848; and (5) 40 acres on Section 5 of Oak Grove Township on 10 May 1848. Wisconsin became a State 29 May 1848.] On 30 December 1844 he [Lewis SAWYER] was married to [Miss?] Sarah S. SANBORN, who was born in 1821 and died 05 March 1854. On 05 December 1854 he [Lewis SAWYER] was married to Hannah WILSON [a maiden name?], who was born 04 June 1816, in Haverhill, Grafton County, New Hampshire. Lewis SAWYER has two children living [who by their given birthdates are probably the children of Lewis and Sarah S. SAWYER]: Francis L., born 04 January 1846, and Joseph E., born 13 January 1848. Mr. [Lewis] SAWYER has divided his farm of 400 acres in Section 32 between these two sons [Francis L. and Joseph E.], and now, after an active life and being identified with the interests and development of Dodge County for nearly forty years, he has settled down to a life of quietness and rest. Biography of Solomon SAWYER - p 753 (brother of Hiram, John H., & Lewis) Solomon SAWYER, wheelwright, Rolling Prairie [Oak Grove Township, Dodge County; his farm located just north of Rolling Prairie, on Section 32, in Burnett Township [Rolling Prairie being mostly in Oak Grove Township, but slightly over the township line into Burnett Township on an 1878 map of Dodge County], was born 22 January 1826 in Grafton County, New Hampshire, son of Benjamin and Mindwell SAWYER. He came to [the Territory of] Wisconsin and settled in Burnett [Burnett Township] on 10 June 1845, and has lived within ten rods of the same spot ever since. [Recorded at the Green Bay Land Office is the purchase by a Solomon SAWYER on 01 August 1849 of a tract of land on Section 2 of Oak Grove Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin.] Mr. SAWYER built the first frame wagon shop in Dodge County. The Town of Burnett was then called Winnebago Precinct, and he attended the first election ever held in the precinct, at the house of James A. WILLIAMS, on what is now H. B. SHERMAN's Spring Brook Farm, on Sections 20 and 21 [Burnett Township, Dodge County]. On 26 June 1853 in Burnett [Burnett Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin, he [Solomon SAWYER] married [Miss] Rosette WILSON, born 05 October 1825, daughter of Jonathan and Mary WILSON, natives of New Hampshire. They [Solomon and Mary (WILSON) SAWYER] have two children [and have lost two]: (1) Carter J., born 27 October 1856, now reading law at Hartford [Washington County], Wisconsin; and (2) Harri [Harry?], born 08 December 1858, now engaged in teaching; (3) Ella, born 30 April 1854, died 24 March 1874; and (4) George, born 28 June 1861, died 06 November 1862. Mr. [Solomon] SAWYER was Postmaster at Rolling Prairie during a part of President PIERCE's administration [thus part of 1852-1856], and the whole of BUCHANAN's [1856-1860]. Mr. SAWYER owns twenty-five acres of land, which with the buildings is worth about $2,500. Submitted by Cathy Kubly