This is some information from The History of Rindge about Sophia Sawyer.
Sophia taught school in Rindge during Summer Sessions in the early 1800's.
She was raised and educated by two Rindge families. Her father was Abner Sawyer of Rindge who settled on a farm here in 1797.
Among her siblings were Betsy, who married Thomas Cowdin; Asenath, b. Sept. 4, 1789 - d. June 3, 1815; Sarah; and Susan who married Horatio Hale, son of David Hale g.v..There may have been other siblings that we are not aware of. This information is from The History of Rindge by Ezra Stearns.
Sophia Sawyer was a missionary and teacher of the Cherokee before, during, and following the time of the tragic "Trail of Tears" and she is attributed with the following quote:
"When...no alternative remained to them as a nation but death or removal, they seemed not to hesitate saying 'It is death anyhow. We may as well die here.'...They cling to the graves of their fathers and say, 'Let us die with them... if we leave...these hills and vales, this mountain air, we shall sicken and die.'"--Sophia Sawyer, missionary and teacher of the Cherokees.
Additional reference information about Miss Sawyer can be found in:
Foreman, Carolyn Thomas. "Miss Sophia Sawyer and her school." Chonicles of Oklahoma (1954/55), 395-413.
As printed in the Fitchburg Sentinel on 24 January 1902:
"...Our people have learned with regret of the sudden death from pneumonia of George A. HALE, Tuesday night, after an illness of less than a week. The funeral will be held at his late residence, Friday at 1 o'clock. Mr. HALE and family came here from RINDGE [NH] several years ago and have since been identified with the social life of the town. He was a thrifty, self-supporting citizen, an excellent man to assist in or plan and carry out almost any kind of work. A widow and three daughters have the sincere sympathy of all in their sudden and deep bereavement.
