John F. Sawyer Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1457-1458 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOHN F. SAWYER, one of the representative citizens of Roubaix, 
Lawrence county, comes of stanch old colonial stock, the name which he 
bears having been identified with the annals of American history since 
the middle of the seventeenth century. The original progenitor in the 
new world was Captain William Sawyer, who was a royalist in England, and 
on this account was expelled by the great dictator, Oliver Cromwell. He 
came to America in 1640, and settled in what is now Newburyport, 
Massachusetts, whence his immediate descendants later removed to other 
parts of New England. 

	The subject of this sketch was born in Deerfield, Rockingham 
county, New Hampshire, on the 2d of March, 1856, and is a son of Ezra 
and Sarah Collins (Bean) Sawyer, both of whom were likewise born and 
reared in the old Granite state, where they passed their entire lives. 
Samuel Collins, great-grandfather of the subject ;n the maternal line, 
was a drummer boy in the war of the Revolution, and during the war of 
1812 served with distinction, holding the office of captain. He was 
prominently identified with the establishing of the United States 
military academy at West Point, and continued to be deeply interested in 
military affairs during his entire life. Mr. Sawyer is a direct 
descendant, on the maternal side, of Hannah Dustin, whose name is 
perpetuated in early American history. While a captive of the Indians on 
an island in the Merrimac she arose at night, awakened her companion 
captive, a boy of ten, with whose aid she tomahawked and scalped the 
entire party of thirteen Indians and escaped in a canoe down the river. 
A statue of this noble woman graces the scene of her heroic exploit. The 
father of the subject was successfully engaged in the lumber business in 
New Hampshire during the greater portion of his active career, and was a 
man of prominence and influence in his section. 

	John F. Sawyer completed the curriculum of the common schools in 
his native village and then further pursued his studies in the Northwood 
Academy. After leaving school in 1874, he came west to Dubuque, Iowa, 
where he was in the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad Company for 
the ensuing two years, at the expiration of which he set forth for the 
Black Hills. Upon his arrival he secured employment in the Homestake 
mine, where he worked two years. He then went out as a shipper of wood 
and timber on the Black Hills & Fort Pierre Railroad, in the interests 
of the Homestake and associated mining companies of this district, and 
has continued to be actively concerned in this enterprise ever since, 
shipping the entire supply for some time and now having charge of all 
the narrow-gauge shipments to these companies. Mr. Sawyer is a 
stockholder in the First National Bank of Lead, also in the Lead Hotel 
Company, having owned the corner upon which the hotel was erected; he is 
also a stockholder in the First National Bank of Deadwood. He has 
directed his efforts with signal discrimination and good judgment since 
coming to the state, and is now one of the substantial and highly 
honored citizens of the Hills. In politics he gives his support to the 
Republican party. Fraternally he is numbered among the noble band of 
Elks. 

	On the 28th of January, 1891, Mr. Sawyer was united in marriage to 
Miss Nellie Pierce, who was born and reared in Iowa, being a daughter of 
Jesse P. Pierce, who for the past thirty years has been identified with 
the board of trade and live-stock interests of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. 
Sawyer have no children, having lost their only child, a son, in 
infancy.