At the Northernmost point of Harbor Country lies this small yet inviting town. Sawyer is an Ideal spot for a quick getaway from the energy of the big city. Spotted with Vineyards, an occasional fruit stand, the obligatory Grille and Sawyers biggest attraction, Warren Dunes State Park. This is where hundreds of acres of dunes butt up to Lake Michigan in an awe-inspiring combination that attracts campers and tired travelers looking for refuge from Interstate 94.
Named for it's founder, Silas Sawyer, an Ohio judge that was tired of the court room and decided he would join the westward migration in the mid-1800-s. sawyer bought a hundred acres and after clearing half of his land, planted it with fruit trees. He continued logging the area and hauled his timber on a horse driven railroad to Fuller Pier where Warren Dunes State park is now. The town grew as an agricultural center and eventually established an open air market where buyers transported their products by train and truck to population centers. The community also had a thriving lumber trade. In the 1920’s, John Flynn arrivedand started his Palm Tea Room as well as the Flynn Soda Grill. The Flynn Building became Sawyer’s most famous and for many years also housed the Flynn Theater which staged live productions. There were recurring rumors that Flynn had ties to a notorious Chicago mob, but in Sawyer, he was nothing but a leading citizen attempting to bring culture to a town better known for its apples and grapes. Sawyer is home to the well known Tower Hill Camp which was founded in the 1920’s by the Congregational Church.
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