Nathaniel Sawyer

  General Notes:

GedCom of R. Kerr (sent June 2006)
In May 1793, Nathaniel Sawyer was assigned a share of the
Donation Tract, Allotment 31, called "Wiseman's Bottom".
It was located on the Muskingum River above what is now
known as Devol's Dam. His 100 acre lot was number 15 and
deeded to him by Rufus Putnam and others. The Donation
Tract land was given to him for providing himself with
arms and ammunition and being subject to the call of the
Militia in the defense of the settlements in the Belpre
Township. This bonus land was later traded to return
Jonathan Meigs Jr. for a part of the 507 acres Sawyer
eventually owned at Little Hockhocking (later change
to Hocking). In the spring of 1793, Nathaniel Sawyer
joined the other settlers in signing a personal appeal to
President Washington for military aid in the defense of
the settlement. The danger had become so acute the men
felt the need of petitioniing the government directly
for intervention in the Indian War. The relief sought
was not immediately sent, but the end of the war came
by different means.

Nathaniel Sawyer would take deed to more than 500 acres
at the Little Hockhocking iin 1796, and the battle for
survival in uncoopreative wilderness was on. He had fought
for his land; once in the Revolution, to take it from the
hands of the British; again against the Indians to possess it,
and now he would fight a third time in a continuing struggle
against the wilderness and elements for his daily bread.
Others would join him in his struggle and the first settlers
to follow him here were: the Daniel Coggeshall, Ebenezer Porter
James Bellows and Zadok Foster families.
(fromThe Unknown Settlement Little Hocking Washington Co,OH by
Herbert L. Roush, 1983)

Listed in 1800 Census of Washington County; living in Newton
Twp. (See Indexes, Washington County Northwest Territory, 1800
Census (Ohio), Fay Maxwell, 1973)

Nathaniel married Lydia Porter, daughter of Ebenezer Porter and Lydia Cummings, on 18 Apr 1778 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. (Lydia Porter was born on 14 Dec 1759 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, died on 27 Jan 1849 in Athens, Athens County, Ohio and was buried in State Street Cem, Athens, Athens County, OH.)