Philetus Sawyer

Philetus Sawyer (September 22, 1816 – March 29, 1900) was an American politician of the Republican Party who represented Wisconsin in both houses of Congress. Sawyer County, Wisconsin, is named for him.[1]

Sawyer's family mausoleum

Philetus Sawyer
United States Senator from Wisconsin
In office March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1893
Preceded by	Angus Cameron
Succeeded by	John L. Mitchell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 6th district
In office March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875
Preceded by	Jeremiah McLain Rusk
Succeeded by	Alanson M. Kimball
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 5th district
In office March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1873
Preceded by	Ezra Wheeler
Succeeded by	Charles Augustus Eldredge
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Winnebago 1st district
In office January 9, 1861 – January 8, 1862
Preceded by	Gabriel Bouck
Succeeded by	William E. Hanson
In office January 14, 1857 – January 13, 1858
Preceded by	John Anunson
Succeeded by	Samuel M. Hay
Personal details
Born	(1816-09-22)September 22, 1816 Whiting, Vermont
Died	March 29, 1900(1900-03-29) (aged 83) Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Resting place	Riverside Cemetery Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Melvina M. Hadley ​ ​ (m. 1841; died 1888)​
Children	Edgar Philetus (b. 1842; died 1927) Earl T. (b. 1845; died 1848) Ella E. (b. 1849; died 1851) Emma (White) (b. 1856; died 1896) Erna (Goodman) (b. 1859; died 1943)

Philetus Sawyer was born in 1816 in Whiting, Vermont, and moved to Crown Point, New York, as an infant in 1817. He moved to Wisconsin in 1847 and worked in the lumber industry. Sawyer's early political career included serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1857 and 1861, and as mayor of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from 1863 to 1864. He ran for and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1864 and served for ten years from 1865 until 1875 being first elected to the 39th United States Congress. From 1865 till 1873 he was the representative of Wisconsin's 5th congressional district. However, for the 43rd Congress he redistricted and represented Wisconsin's 6th district. He did not run for reelection in 1874. Sawyer returned to Congress in 1881 as a U.S. Senator. He served two terms from 1881 to 1893 and did not seek a third. However, he became notorious for a charge made against him by Congressman Robert La Follette Sr. that he had attempted to bribe La Follette.[2]

Sawyer died in 1900 in Oshkosh at age 83. He was interred at a family mausoleum at Riverside Cemetery in Oshkosh.[3]