John L. SAWYER

Apparently John L. moved from Goshen area to Waverly before his brother Benjamin, who came to Barton in 1834. Their brother Samuel also moved to that area, dying in nearby Athens, PA. The HGTCNY reference below includes the following short biographical sketch of John L. SAWYER (Part First, p. 97).

John L. SAWYER, born in Orange county, NY, in 1811, came to Barton in 1833, engaging in farming and lumbering. After the construction of the Erie railroad, in 1849, he removed to Waverly village, where he was long and prominently identified with the village's growth and prosperity, and where he resided until his death, in 1871. For many years he represented the town in the board of supervisors. Mr. Sawyer married Julia SMITH, of Orange county, who bore him two children, Henry M. and J. Theodore. The former, born in 1832, married Maria, daughter of Senator Nathan BRISTOL, of Waverly, in 1856, and died two years later without issue. J. Theodore was born in Barton in 1834. He was educated at the district schools and Goshen Academy, and engaged with his father in the lumber business in Waverly and Canada. For a time he conducted a private bank, and in 1874 organized the Citizens Bank of Waverly, of which he is president. He represented his town two years in the board of supervisors, and in 1878 and 1879 the county of Tioga in the state legislature. In 1872 Mr. SAWYER married Alice LYMAN, of Goshen, CT, and has one child, Ellen, born in 1874.

The OTP source below contains a couple of references to John. On p. 347, it is stated that Waverly, NY was incorporated 12 Dec 1853 and at the first village election, 27 Mar 1854, these officers were chosen:

Trustees: Francis H. BALDWIN, William GIBSON, Hiram M. MOORE, Peter DUNNING and Alva JARVIS
Assessors: Squire WHITAKER, John L. SAWYER and Benjamin H. DAVIS
Collector: William P. OWEN
Treasurer: Owen SPALDING
Clerk: Peter V. BENNET
Street Commissioners: Morris B. ROYAL, Absalom BOWMAN and W. A. BROOKS
Poundmaster: David E. HOWELL

On p. 348, a list of village presidents shows that Moses SAWYER held the post in 1858 and John L. SAWYER in 1860.

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