Sawyer County is located in the north-central region of Wisconsin. The commercial center of the county is Hayward, a small city that had a population of over 2,100, according to the 2000 census. The county has abundant natural resources and is a tourist’s dream for its over 55,000 acres of lakes and miles of hiking trails. Over 600 miles of snowmobiling trails crisscross the map and make Sawyer a destination for winter recreation.
The county is adjacent to the western side of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest that contains over 1.5 million acres of pristine natural areas. The forest has roughly 2,000 lakes and over 2,100 archeological sites, including some that are 10,000 years old, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
Sawyer County has a rich Native American legacy and the county has the second highest population of Native Americans in the state. The land was originally settled by both the Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes.
The 103rd annual Sawyer County Fair will take place this August 19-22 and it will feature an ATV stunt show, pancake breakfast and demolition derby. Other prominent festivals in the area include the annual Lumberjack World Championships, Honor the Earth Pow-wow and the 61st Annual Musky Festival. The Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival features multiple bike races and the Hayward 300 Sno-cross is an exciting snowmobile competition.
Interesting Facts:
· The world’s largest musky sculpture and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame are located in Hayward.
· Notoriouis Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone maintained a $250,000, 500-acre vacation home on Chief Lake near Couderay in the county. The home is now a historical site that features many original furnishings and a unique spiral staircase made in Chicago.
