His family was in the
soap making business. While he was mayor the
American Civil War's single worst civilian accident occurred when, on September 17, 1862, the
Allegheny Arsenal exploded and claimed the lives of seventy-eight people. Most of the fatalities were young women. After his political career, the
Panic of 1873 decimated Sawyer's assets, forcing him to move to
Colorado. He would later prosper there from investments in
mining. He died in
California. ==See also==