Sawyer

Formed January 1, 1883 (65^th county)

Sawyer County (18,080), Hayward (2,530)

The Modern wood and stone facility was built in 1962 and enlarged in 1992 and 1998.  The facility is on Main, 4^th, Kansas, and 5^th streets.  United States Highway 63 is four blocks of southeast.  Larson-Playter-Smith are the architects.  There was an 1884 version of the courthouse also in Hayward, the only county seat.  The county was formed on January 1, 1883 from Oconto County as the 65^th county.  It is named Senator Philetus Sawyer.  Hayward was named for settler Anthony Judson Hayward. 

Sawyer County government consists of a sheriff and 15 Supervisors.  One Circuit Court Judge serves Sawyer County.  The county is located in the northwest part of Wisconsin.  Green Bay, Wisconsin is southeast and Minneapolis, Minnesota is southwest of the county.  The county center is 22 miles Southeast of Hayward nearer New Post.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bayfield, Ashland, Price, Rusk, Barron, Washburn, and Douglas counties. 

The area of the county is 1257.3 square miles.  It is 5 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 56 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 14.4 persons per square mile making it 66 out of 72 in the state.  Sawyer County has 19.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 63 cuts the northwest corner of the county from Bayfield County, north, to Washburn County, west.  The county is a rectangle with the northeast corner cut away.  Hayward is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Hayward is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 14.0% of the county population.