Sawyer County was created by the Wisconsin state legislature in 1883 from portions of Ashland and Chippewa counties. Originally attached to Ashland county, the new county was organized in 1885, and interestingly enough has not seen any changes to its boundaries since it was created in 1883. Not all counties in the northern part of the state can make this claim!
The new county as named for Philetus Sawyer who served in both the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives. Sawyer was in fact one of Wisconsin’s senators when the new county was named for him, so this is yet another case of a county being named after a living person.
The City of Hayward is the county seat and is the only incorporated city in Sawyer County. Hayward is named for Anthony Judson Hayward who located the site for the sawmill around which the settlement grew. While logging and the lumber industry were the major factors in the founding of Hayward and in the creation of Sawyer County, the economy is much more diverse today. Hayward is probably best known for tourism and recreation. The city is home to the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum (complete with a 143 foot long fiberglass muskie) and the American Birkebeiner cross country ski race.
The Sawyer County Courthouse is located at 10610 Main Street in Hayward.