Finding Aid for Joseph Sawyer papers, 1767-1871
03502

Summary Information

Repository
Detroit Public Library. Burton Historical Collection.
Creator
Sawyer, Joseph,1786-1858
Title
Joseph Sawyer papers
ID
03502
Date
1767-1871
Extent
2.5 linear ft.
General Physical Description note
(5 boxes
Language
English
Abstract
This collection contains original correspondence of Joseph Sawyer, deeds, bills, receipts and other financial papers. It also contains original United States land grants, one personally signed by President Andrew Jackson. There are also materials addressed to Mr. Sawyer's wife Mary and from his brother Edward.

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Biographical/Historical note

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. 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.

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Arrangement note

Series;Organized into two series: I. Personal Papers. II. Business paper

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Detroit Public Library. Burton Historical Collection. Mar. 5, 2010

Conditions Governing Access note

This collection is open for research use.

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Joseph Sawyer papers, 1767-1871 (Catalog record)

[http://worldcat.org/oclc/540706293]

Controlled Access Headings

Family Name(s)

  • Sawyer, Joseph, -- 1786-1858 -- Archives

Genre(s)

  • Correspondence -- aat
  • Deeds -- aat
  • Financial records -- aat
  • Invoices -- aat
  • Receipts (financial records) -- aat

Geographic Name(s)

  • Grafton County (N.H.) -- Politics and government.
  • New Hampshire -- Politics and government.

Subject(s)

  • Legislators -- New Hampshire.
  • Real property -- New Hampshire.

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Other Finding Aids note

Finding aid and white index cards available in the Burton Historical Collection and on the World Wide Web.

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Collection Inventory

Series I: Personal Papers 

Scope and Contents note

Personal correspondence from friends and family mostly consist of letters from Mr. Sawyer's brother Edward, a colonel in the United States Army. There are also pamphlets, certificates and premiums from his personal involvement in organizations, as well as letters to Mary Dole Plastridge Sawyer.

BOX 1 

1:1 Correspondence, 1840-1847 

1:2 1851-1854 

1:3 Letters from brother Edward, 1826-1831 

1:4 1833-1850 

1:5 Correspondence--Letters from brother Edward, 1851-1857 

1:6 Letters to and from Mary Dole Plastridge Sawyer (wife), 1820-1846 

1:7 Organizations-Agricultural, 1818-1857 

1:8 Grafton Agricultural Society, 1818-1819 

1:9 1820-1823 

1:10 1824-1854 

1:11 Masons, 1829 

1:12 Political Party, 1792-1847 

1:13 Miscellaneous Material, 1845-1858 

1:14 Notes 

1:15 Railroad, 1849-1853 

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Series II Business Papers 

Scope and Contents note

This series consists of bills, receipts, ledgers and notes regarding Mr_ Sawyer's estate administrator career. There is also correspondence to business associates regarding accounts, land transactions, improvements on river navigation and investments. Several deeds, administrator notices, notices from New Hampshire courts for collection and land title transactions are also included. Property maps, estate inventories, land surveys and insurance policy information pertaining to Mr. Sawyer's estate and real estate business are contained here as well.

BOX 1 (Continued) 

1:16 Correspondence, 1820-1831 

BOX 2 

2:1 Correspondence, 1832-1835 

2:2 1836-1838 

2:3 1839-1842 

2:4 1844-1845 

2:5 1846, January-March 

2:6 April-August 

2:7 September-December 

2:8 1847, January-June 

2:9 Correspondence, 1847, August-December 

2:10 1848 

2:11 1849 

2:12 1850 

2:13 1851 

Box 3 

3:1 Correspondence, 1852-1853 

3:2 1854 

3:3 1855-1858 

3:4 Financial Ledgers, 1819-1829 

3:5 1830-2835 

3:6 1836-1839 

3:7 1840-1843 

3:8 1844-1847 

3:9 1848-1849 

3:10 1850-1859 

3:11 Undated 

3:12 Financial Bills, 1820-1829 

3:13 1830-1836 

3:14 1837-1839 

BOX 4 

4:1 Financial Bills, 1840-1843 

4:2 1844-1847 

4:3 1848 

4:4 1849-1857 

4:5 Undated 

4:6 Financial Receipts, 1819-1833 

4:7 1834-1837 

4:8 1838-1840 

4:9 1841-1843 

4:10 1844-1849 

4:11 1850-1859 

4:12 Undated 

4:13 Financial Bank Letters, Receipts, 1846-1854 

4:14 Financial Notes, 1816-1843 

4:15 Financial Notes, 1844-1857 

4:16 Legal Papers-Property Deeds, 1767-1807 

4:17 1811-1827 

BOX 5 

5:1 Legal Papers-Property Deeds, 1828-1834 

5:2 1835-1843 

5:3 1844-1855 

5:4 Notices from New Hampshire Courts, 1821-1856 

5:5 indentures, Leases, 1808-1850 

5:6 Patent Agreements, 1820-1857 

5:7 Blank Forms, undated 

5:8 Estate Papers-Administrator Sales, Notices, 1797-1846 

5:9 Land Surveys, Property Maps, Inventories, 1809-1858 

5:10 Insurance Papers, 1827-1871 

5:11 United States Land Grants, 1831-1837 

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