History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

142

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

the decease of Mr. Allen, and in which home Mrs. Patterson was born
and reared.
In his fraternal relations, Judge Patterson is a Mason of high degree, being a member of the Commandery, Knights Templar. His
church relations are represented by his attendance at the Methodist
Episcopal church. He is one of the most loyal and public-spirited citizens of Holly, and has ever been identified with affairs of local improvement, and throughout his career his activities have been of an order that
have wielded a strong influence for good in the community.
HON. JOSEPH EDWARD SAWYER
Hon. Joseph Edward Sawyer, a member of the legal profession, is
the most prominent real-estate dealer of Oakland county and is keenly
alive to the value of enterprises calculated to further the development
of the city of Pontiac. He was born in Piermont, Grafton county, New
Hampshire, January I, 1847, and is the seventh child and only son of
Hon. Joseph and Mary (Dole) Sawyer. He is a lineal descendant of
Thomas Sawyer, a native Englishman, born there in about I8I6, who
died at Lancaster, Massachusetts. His ancestors for generations past
have lived to attain advanced ages, notable among them being Rev.
John Sawyer, of Bangor, Maine, who reached the age of one hundred
and three years and five days; at the time of his death, on October 14,
1858, he was reputed to be the oldest minister in the United States.
The father of the subject, who was Hon. Joseph Sawyer, was born
in Grafton county, New Hampshire, and for years was identified with
the agricultural operations of that district. He was a man of considerable prominence, and served a number of terms as the representative of
his district in the state legislature, as well as filling other public offices
with honor and ability. He was in the seventy-third year of his life
when he passed away on July 4, 1858. His wife was Mary (Dole)
Plastridge, a daughter of Captain Moses Dole, who soon after his marriage to Lucy Poor, of Charlestown, New Hampshire, moved to Canaan,
New Hampshire, locating there in I802. There he bought the tavern
and farm of one Dudley Gilman, and hung out a sign bearing the painted
inscription "Mr. Dole's Inn, 1802," which sign swung there for more
than a quarter century. He was a member of the "New Hampshire
Rangers" during the Revolutionary war, and during his lifetime was
elected to various offices of trust, the duties of all of which he discharged with characteristic fidelity. He was a courteous gentleman and
Mrs. Dole was distinguished by her innate refinement and intelligence.
She died in October, 1826, and Captain Dole lived for two years thereafter, his death occurring in 1828. He was buried with Masonic honors
by Mount Moriah lodge. They had two children,-Joseph, who died in
1817, at the age of sixteen years, and Mary, born October 28, I803.
Mary Dole was married to Dr. Charles Plastridge, who died October
16, 1824, at the age of twenty-nine years. In I829 she married Hon.
Joseph Sawyer. She was a member of the Congregational church from
I816 until her death, and was a popular and much beloved woman,
ever possessing a host of friends and warm admirers. She died on