Joseph Sawyer was born in 1786 in Piermont, Grafton County, New Hampshire. He married a widow, Mary Dole Plastridge, the daughter of Moses and Lucy Poor Dole, in 1829. They had six children, including Joseph Edward Sawyer, who became a Michigan attorney. (His papers are also located in the Burton Historical Collection.) Mr. Sawyer became a prominent landowner and respected selectman of the Grafton County, N.H. community. He began his career as an administrator of several prominent estates throughout the area. He was involved in school reforms, the local Grafton Agricultural Society, for which he collected dues, and he was eventually elected as a Justice of the Peace for Grafton County. In addition, he was also a member of the Masonic Temple and was very active in local political issues, affiliating himself with the Whig political party. Mr. Sawyer was elected as the representative for Piermont, N.H. in the Legislature. He was very successful in land transactions and money lending in the form of small notes to members of his local community. Joseph Sawyer died in 1858. He was the father of Joseph E. Sawyer, who's papers are also located in the Burton Collection.
From the description of Joseph Sawyer papers, 1767-1871 (Detroit Public Library). WorldCat record id: 641577333
