My Genealogy Hound

Hon. Joseph Edward Sawyer, a member of the legal profession, is the most prominent real estate dealer of Oakland County and is keenly alive to the value of enterprises calculated to further the development of the city of Pontiac. He was born in Piermont, Grafton County, New Hampshire, January 1, 1847, and is the seventh child and only son of Hon. Joseph and Mary (Dole) Sawyer. He is a lineal descendant of Thomas Sawyer, who was born in England about the year 1615, and died at Lancaster, Massachusetts. His ancestors for generations past have lived to attain advanced ages, notable among them being Rev. John Sawyer, of Bangor, Maine, who reached the great age of 103 years and five days; at the time of his death, October 14, 1858, he was possibly the oldest minister in the United States.

Hon. Joseph Sawyer, father of our subject, was born in Grafton County, New Hampshire, and for many years engaged in agricultural pursuits. He served several terms as the Representative of his district in the State Legislature, and filled numerous other public offices with honor and ability. He died July 4, 1858, in the 73rd year of his age. He was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary (Dole) Plastridge, a daughter of Capt. Moses Dole. Her father, shortly after his marriage to Lucy Poor of Charlestown, New Hampshire, moved to Canaan, New Hampshire, in 1802. He bought the tavern and farm of Dudley Oilman, and hung out a sign on which was painted “Mr. Dole’s Inn, 1802.” The sign swung there for more than a quarter of a century. He was a member of the “New Hampshire Rangers” during the Revolutionary War. He was elected to various offices of trust, the duties of which he discharged with fidelity. He was a courteous gentleman and Mrs. Dole was distinguished for her refinement and intelligence. She died in October, 1826. Captain Dole died in 1828, and was buried with Masonic honors by his brothers of Mount Moriah Lodge. They had two children, — Joseph who died in 1817, aged 16 years, and Mary, who was born October 28, 1803. Mary Dole was married to Dr. Charles Plastridge, who died October 16, 1824, at the age of 29 years. In 1829 she was married to Hon. Joseph Sawyer. She was a member of the Congregational Church from 1816 until her death, and was beloved by everyone who knew her. She died February 1, 1885, in her 82nd year, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. F. Kimball, at Pontiac, Michigan. All the children were at her bedside when she died, namely: Mrs. C. F. Kimball (Catherine Lucy Sawyer); Mrs. John Calloway (Mary Dole Sawyer), who died September 4, 1888, at Cambridge City, Indiana; Mrs. Evan Hughes (Eleanor Sawyer) and Miss Lizzie Sawyer, of Cambridge City, Indiana; Mrs. James Newby (Zelender Poor Sawyer), of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Joseph E. Sawyer.

Joseph E. Sawyer attended the public schools of Piermont and later the academy at Bradford, Vermont, and when 16 years of age went to Michigan City, Indiana, then to Cambridge City. He studied in private schools and in the academy at Dublin, Indiana, and then entered the literary department of the University of Michigan. He was a member of the class of 1869 but left before graduation. He went to Boscobel, Wisconsin, and entered the law office of Hon. George Hazelton. In 1867 he formed a co-partnership with Benjamin Shearer, under the firm name of Shearer & Sawyer, for the practice of law, being then 20 years of age. They continued one year and Mr. Sawyer then removed to Pontiac and entered the law office of Hon. M. E. Crofoot. He was admitted to the Oakland County bar September 29, 1869. He was elected Circuit Court commissioner for Oakland County in 1872 and in 1875 was appointed United States commissioner for the Eastern District of Michigan. In 1878 he associated himself with J. D. and F. D. Standish of Detroit under the firm name of Sawyer, Standish & Company, with office in Detroit, proprietors of the Tappan, McKillop & Company Commercial Agency, Mr. Sawyer being manager of the legal department. In 1891 he associated himself with others in organizing the Pontiac Land & Improvement Company, of which he was secretary and general manager, Hon. J. D. Norton being president. This corporation is entitled to much credit for the prosperity which the city of Pontiac has enjoyed since its organization. Mr. Sawyer gave himself to the work with so much energy that he was compelled to practically abandon almost everything else, and since the organization of the Pontiac Land & Improvement Company he has platted and sold 10 additions to the city, the latest being the Ferry Addition, to handle which he organized the Pontiac Investment & Promotive Company, of which he is secretary and manager. Mr. Sawyer was appointed a member of the board of trustees of the Eastern Michigan Asylum by Governor Alger in 1855, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Hon. W. M. McConnell, was re-appointed by Governor Luce, and again by Governor Rich, serving 14 years consecutively, during which time he was present at every meeting of the joint board of trustees of Michigan, every monthly and special meeting of his own board save one, every meeting of the executive committee and all meetings of other committees of which he was a member. He is a Republican in politics and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1884, which nominated James G. Blaine, and has been chairman of the Republican County Committee. He is a man of untiring energy and great ambition, making a success of every venture with which he is connected.

On October 17, 1877, Mr. Sawyer was joined in marriage with Lizzie V. Satterlee, who was born in Bloomfield township, Oakland County, July 31, 1856, and was a daughter of George H. and Jane (Flower) Satterlee. She was three years old when she moved with her parents to Central Mine, Keweenaw County, Michigan, where she remained until her father’s death in 1875; then with her mother and sisters she came to Pontiac. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer have the following children: Lizzie Belle, born August 8, 1878, who is the wife of A. R. Stockwell of Pontiac; Mary Lucile, born April 12, 1880; Kate Eleanor, born November 18, 1884; Joseph Satterlee, born July 25, 1890, and Thomas Dole, born January 27, 1901.

The Sawyer family has long been prominent in Masonry. Col. Edward Sawyer, uncle of our subject, joined the fraternity at the age of 21 years and was the second oldest Mason in the United States at his death, February 2, 1885, aged 97 years. Joseph E. Sawyer was initiated May 27, 1870, in Pontiac Lodge, No. 21, F. & A. M., of which he afterwards was master. He was exalted in Oakland Chapter, R. A. M., January 29, 1875, of which he became high priest. June 28, 1875, he became a member of Pontiac Council, No. 3, R. & S. M., of which he was elected thrice illustrious master; was knighted in Pontiac Commandery, No. 2, K. T., March 7, 1876; elected prelate March 6, 1877, captain-general in 1880, and eminent commander in 1885. He is also past chancellor of Pontiac Lodge, No. 19, K. of P., and has served as district deputy grand chancellor and chairman of the committee on foreign correspondence. The foreign correspondence reports of Michigan for 1890 and 1891 written by Mr. Sawyer received much favorable notice from the reviewers of other grand domains, of which the following from the able pen of Hon. M. L. Stevens, who had written the report for Maine for many years and was universally acknowledged the ablest writer of such reviews in the United States, is a fair sample. In reviewing the Journal of Michigan for 1891, he says, “The Correspondence Report (100 pp.) is without exception the very best, from any jurisdiction, which we have ever read. Bro. Sawyer has reached, almost at a bound, a degree of excellence as a Reporter which we have vainly striven for almost a score of years to attain. As furnishing an accurate and thoroughly interesting bird’s-eye-view of what is going on throughout the Order, he has no peer. The nearest approach to his excellence was made by the lamented Dayton of Connecticut in 1884.”

In the military branch of the Knights of Pythias, Mr. Sawyer has held the rank of colonel since 1892 and served upon the staff of the major general in the bi-ennial encampments at Kansas City, Cleveland, Washington, Indianapolis and Detroit. He is venerable sheik of Mecca Temple, No. 56, D. O. K. K., and has filled that position since the institution of the Temple May 5, 1896, with the exception of one year when that office was held by Rev. Edward Collins, of Detroit.

Mr. Sawyer is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church and was for many years a vestryman of Zion Church of Pontiac. He was a lay reader under Bishop Harris and held services at various places in Oakland County, notably at Clintonville, where he established a flourishing mission in 1887.