Compiled by Russell Bastedo
State Curator
1998

Charles H. Sawyer (1887-1889). Born Watertown (NH); Dover (NH) mill owner. In state politics from 1869.

Charles Sawyer (1840-1908) was one of seven children born to Jonathan Sawyer, owner of the Sawyer flannel mill at Dover (NH,) and his wife. Sawyer came to Dover as a child of nine (1849). He was educated in Dover public schools and at Franklin Academy.

A leading citizen of Dover, Sawyer served on the city council and the board of aldermen. He was a director of banks and railroads, belonged to the First Congregational Church, and was a prominent Freemason. He served as a state representative (1869/71, 1876/8); became president of Sawyer Woolen Mills (1881), and was made an aide-de-camp to Governor Charles Bell, with the rank of colonel. In 1884 he was delegate at large to the Republican Party National Convention, and was the NH Republicans' nominee for governor (1886). He won the popular vote with a small majority, and in the state legislature was narrowly elected governor.

During his term in office Governor Sawyer represented New Hampshire at a number of centennial events around the country. In New Hampshire he had to deal with the legislature's "railroad" session, so called because the State Supreme Court had held long term railroad leases to be invalid. The legislature passed the Hazen Bill which would have given ultimate control of NH railroads to the Boston & Maine railroad, in an effort to go around the court decision; Sawyer vetoed the bill, and the legislature did not dare to override. The legislature also named William E. Chandler, long a voice of reform in the state, to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the deceased Austin F. Pike.

Location: State House, Second Floor
Portrait by R. D. Sawyer, 1889; Presented by Governor Sawyer