Person:Leander Sawyer (1)

  Portrait and Biographical Record of Lee County, IL, 1892, Chicago, Biographical PUb. p. 830.
  Leander Cyrenus Sawyer, a representative farmer, residing on section 1, Amboy Township, was born in Clarke County, Ohio, January 11, 1818, and was eighteen years old when his parents removed to Lee County. He continued to reside under the parental roof until he was nineteen years of age, at which time he started out for himself, working on a farm until his marriage, which took place in Bradford County, Pa., July 28, 1842. The lady of his choice bore the name of Nancy Shumway. She was born in Bradford County, June 10, 1823, and was there reared to woman hood.
  On coming back to Illinois after his marriage, our subject settled on section 1, Amboy Township, where he has ever since continued to reside, and he is the only settler between Lee Centre and Dixon who is at present living on land which was originally taken from the Government. This gentleman has always been engaged in farm work, at which he has been very successful. owning now two hundred and twenty-five acres of fertile and productive land, and having upon this excellent estate a first-class set of farm buildings. Besides the raising of cereals, Mr. Sawyer deals quite extensively in the raising of fine stock of all kinds, buying and selling.
   Mr. Sawyer and his worthy wife have become the happy parents of four children, namely: Cyrus W.,who is a banker in Woodbury County, Iowa; Lucinda F. married William II. Millen, of Ida County, Iowa; Aniiette B., who is the wife of F. A. Salsberry, of Ida County. Iowa; and a daughter who died in infancy.
  The subject of this notice is always in favor of anything that will enhance the prosperity of his township or county, and especially anything pertaining to educational matters, and hence he has been active as a School Director, and has also held some of the minor offices of his township. In his political views, he is always a stalwart Republican, and a strong temperance man. Mrs. Sawyer is a consistent Christian and a valued member of the Congregational Church.

The parents of Mrs. Sawyer were Cyrus and Bridget Clink) Shumway, both natives of New York State, being residents of Bradford County, Pa. The father of our subject was Joseph Sawyer, a native of New York State, while his mother, Sarah Farnham, was born in Vermont. The father was an old school teacher in Vermont and Ohio, and taught for awhile after coming to the Prairie State, and was the first Postmaster of the old Inlet Grove Postoffice; he was also captain of a militia company in Ohio.

  In "Recollections of the Pioneers of Lee County", 1893, Inez Kennedy, Pub., Dixon, IL, Leander says he remember back in 1835 how he lived in his father's log cabin with nothing but a gound floor, and blankets in lieu of doors and windows.  Also he remember his mother as always the same kind, patient and amiable mother who died when she was 45, leaving a family of twelve chldren.  He said the world knows nothing about the heroism of such women.
  He and Nancy married in 1842 and commenced housekeeping on the last land sold by the government in this township, the deed was signed by James K. Polk, President.  On this farm they lived fifty years to celebrate their golden wedding.  But the desire to be with their children induced them to sell the farm and remove to Iowa.