BASS LAKE - The township located on the western-most border of Sawyer Co., directly south of the Town of Hayward and north of the Town of Sand Lake.  To see where and who owned land within this township as of 1915, click on these links:  1915 Plat Map | T40N-R9W | T40N-R8W

BEAR CREEK - The previous name for the Township of draper .

BEAUCHEN - The previous name for village of exeland.

COUDERAY - Name of a township and a village within that same township, this name is an adaptation of two French words, 'court' and 'oreilles', which means "short ears".  The first white men to visit this area in 1659, Radisson and Groseillers, found the Ottawa Indians here.  They called this tribe "The Short Ears."  Because this area was known for it's abundance in game, fish, wild berries and rice, it was a favorite place for several Indian tribes to live here.  The Sioux and Ottawas were residents here before the Chippewa came to live after 1745.  These Indians, along with the early England and American explorers called this area "Ottawa Sagaigan," which means Ottawa Lake.  Couderay was the first mill town on the upper Chippewa River.  For more history of this area see these links: The History of the Village of Couderay, The History of Couderay by Ester Borrie, and History of Couderay by C. M. Olson

DRAPER - The name of a township and a village within that same township.  The township was also previously known as Bear Creek.   Click on these links to see where and who owned land within this township as of 1915: 
1915 Plat Map | T40N-R4W | T40N-R3W | T39N-R4W | T39N-R3W

EDGEWATER - The name of a township and a village within that same township.  The township is located in the south-western corner of Sawyer Co.  The settlement or village is located on the north edge of Lake Chetac and has always been known as Edgewater.  In 1903 when the Wisconsin Central Railroad came through this area, it was officially named by George Huss.  Click on these links to see where and who owned land within this township as of 1915: 1915 Plat Map | T38N-R9W | T37N-R9W

EXELAND - This village is located in the Township of Weirgor.  It was first known as "Beauchen".  The Arpin Lumber Company owned timberland in this township and built a railraod from the logging town of Atlanta (located in Rusk Co.) to their own logging operations.  At the same time the Wisconsin Central Railroad was building its line from Chicago to Duluth.  A race between the two companies developed to complete a line to the stands of white pine and hemlock that were so plentiful in the Weirgor township.  The Arpin Company won the race.  The crossing of the two tracks, or an 'X', prompted the name to be changed to EXELAND.   See The Development of Exeland.

HAYWARD - The name of a township and a city within that same township.  The  Chippewa Indian name was "Ba-ke-abash-kang," which means "a swamp with is a branch of a larger swamp."  The town was named after Anthony Judson Hayward, a lumberman who located a sawmill on the Namekagon River.  The town grew up around this site.This township is of an unusual shape, which can be seen here: 1915 Plat Map  Click on these links to see who owned land in this township as of 1915:  T41N-R9W | T41N-R8W | T40N-R8W  Also see The Founding and Growth of Hayward.

HUBBARD - The previous name of the village of Phipps.

HUNTER - The name of the township that is located in the very center of the county.  Click on these links to see where it is and who owned land in this township as of 1915:  1915 Plat Map | T40N-R7W | T40N-R6W

LAC COURT OREILLES - Although not technically a 'community', this area is land that has been set aside for the Indians to live on and use for their self-gain.  The name was given to a band of Ottawa Indians by Radisson and Groseillers who first visited Lake Ottawa.  The name means "Lake Short Ears," and was given to this tribe because they appeard to have cut off the rims of their ears.  See Creation of the Lac Court Oreilles Indian Reservation.

LeBOEF - The name first used for the town of Winter.

LEMINGTON - A small community once located in Couderay Township.  Click on these links to see where it is and who owned land near this community as of 1915:   1915 Plat Map  |  T38N-R8W  See also Lemington - Here & Gone

LENROOT - The name of the township that is located in the northwestern-
most corner of Sawyer Co.  Click on these links to see where it is and who owned land in this township as of 1915:  1915 Plat Map | T42N-R9W | T42N-R8W  (see also T41N-R9W and T41N-R8W in Hayward township)

LORETTA - This village is located in the Township of Draper.  It was named after a daughter of Edward Hines who owned a lumber company here.

MEADOWBROOK - The name of a township and the village by the same name that was once found within that township.  It took between 30 and 40 years for a Chippewa Falls lumber interest to cut off all the white pine in this area.  When the shingle and lath mill was discontinued, the settlers took up farming.  Grubbing out the pine stumps with the aid of horses and oxen was hard work.  In this area, a stream passes through a meadow that had a luxuriant growth of marsh grass instead of pine trees, wich distinguished it to the pioneer farmers.  They named the settlement Meadowbrook, which was officially a part of Weirgor Township until 1919.  Click on these links to see where this township is located and who owned land there as of 1915: 1915 Plat Map  | T37N-R6W  See also The History of Meadowbrook

METEOR - The name of a township and a village by the same name within that township.  Click on these links to see where this township is located and who owned land there as of 1915: 1915 Plat Map | T37N-R8W  See also Meteor - Flourishes, Then Fades. 

OJIBWA - The name of a township and a village by the same name within that township.  Ben F. Faast of Eau Claire organized the Wisconsin Colonization Company and purchased large tracts of land here.  He set up a real estate office in Radisson, but moved it to the new town that he organized in 1918 (Ojibwa).  His land office was the first building there.  He had visions of a prosperous city that would be supported by farms which would grow up after the logging companies finished their work of clearing the land of its white pine.  The land was advertised as fertile and very cheap.  Quite a few people bought the land, which they farmed in the summer and left in the winter to work in the logging camps.  The town was named Ojibwa because of its nearness to the Chippewa River and the Lac Court Oreilles Indian Reservation, which was home to the Chippewa Indians.  The pronunciation of the word Ojibwa is actually 'jibwa' (without the o), but this was corrupted and became Chippewa.  The two names refer to the same tribe of Indians.  Click on these links to see where this township is located and who owned land there as of 1915: 
1915 Plat Map | T39N-R6W | T38N-R6W  (see also T40N-R6W for a small section that is shared with the Township of Hunter).  See also The Origin of Ojibwa

PHIPPS - Previously known as Hubbard.

RADISSON - The name of a township and a village by the same name within that township.  The town was started in 1902 by Orrick Whited, a real estate dealer, and Henry LeBeau, editor of a newspaper.  Mr. Whited platted lots and built a home, a combination bank/store building, and a land office.  He named the town in honor of Pierre Esprit Radisson, who with Sieur des Groselliers, came to this area in 1659 -- the first white explorers to do so.  The Omaha Railroad was built through Radisson in 1903.  Click on these links to see where this township is located and who owned land there as of 1915:   1915 Plat Map | T39N-R7W | T38N-R7W | T38N-R6W  Also see Radisson Ushers in the Railroad

RESERVE - Located in Bass Lake Township. 

ROUND LAKE - Curiously, there is a township and a community by this name, but the village is not located in the township of Round Lake, but rather in the township of Hayward.  Most likely the township is named after the large round lake that is contained within its boundaries and that the community was located on the western shore of the Lake, putting it in Hayward Township.  Click on these links to see where this township is and who owned land there as of 1915: 1915 Plat Map | T41N-R7W | T41N-R6W | T41N-R5W.  (Also see T41N-R8W for a small portion of land that is shared with the Township of Hayward).

SAND LAKE - A township located on the western border of Sawyer Co..  To see where this township is and who owned land there as of 1915, click on these links:  1915 Plat Map | T39N-R8W | T38N-R8W.

SPIDER LAKE - A township located in the northern-most portion of Sawyer County.  Click on these links to see where this township is located and to find out who owned land there as of 1915: 1915 Plat Map | T42N-R7W | T42N-R6W  | T42N-R5W

STONE LAKE - Located in the township of Sand Lake, the village of Stone Lake is actually partially in Sawyer Co., and also in Washburn Co.  It is said that the first residents, after 1887 moved the village to higher land, choosing a hill in Sawyer County.  Millions of board feet of pine and hemlock were sawed and shipped from here.  The settlement took the name of the lake, which is located in Washburn Co., but it is unknown why that lake is named "Stone Lake".  See also A History of Stone Lake

WEIRGOR - This name, too, was given to both a township and a village, the village being located within the township.  Click on these links to see where this township is located and to find out who owned land there as of 1915:
 1915 Plat Map | T37N-R7W

WINTER - Another instance of a township and a village within the township boundaries sharing the same name, although previously the town had been known as LeBoef.  The name was changed to honor John Winter, an Omaha Railroad official who came from St. Paul to engage in the logging industry.  Winter Township, which was organized in 1905, is said to be the largest in the state of Wisconsin.   See also Winter Named to Honor Railroad Official