Joseph Abaco Joe Sawyer

Published On:Thursday, November 12, 2009

By CANISHKA ALEXANDER

DURING the past week, Joseph Sawyer, who goes by the name "Abaco Joe", sat down to gather his thoughts and reflect on his life in North Abaco.

It's been a long road for this devout man, who has ties to St John's Anglican Church and Full Gospel Assembly. Different denominations altogether, yes, but all connected to the same God.

He makes his living as a taxi driver. As a diabetic, one of his legs was recently amputated, but that has not slowed him down. In fact, he seems more energised than ever.

Mr Sawyer was born on March 26, 1941. It was the same year as the attack on Pearl Harbour, but as he pointed out, that's another story. His place of birth was Cooper's Town, a settlement in North Abaco, which is just 42 miles north of the traffic light in Marsh Harbour. His parents are Wilton and Marion Sawyer of Cooper's Town and South Side, Abaco, respectively.

"And I thank God for mama, who taught me how to pray, and Papa Wilton, who taught me how to fish. He said to me 'follow me and I will show you how to live.' And he did. But now I'm listening to the man who said 'follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men, and He is no other than Jesus Christ, the son of the true and living God'," Mr Sawyer said.

Mr Sawyer said his maternal grandfather was Albert Bootle Sr. He described Albert Bootle as a great man of the sea. Mr Bootle operated a mail boat in Nassau and then Green Turtle Cay. He was also a fisherman and a farmer on High Cay and Spanish Cay.

"This is just part one on Papa Al," Mr Sawyer promised. "Albert Bootle - a great man!"

With that said, he switched his focus to Joseph Sawyer, his paternal grandfather.

"My grandfather was a great man and a good father from South Side, Abaco. From the settlements of Rocky Harbour to Cornish Town to Bluff Point, and then after the 1929 and 1932 hurricanes, Par Joe played an important role in helping to move people to higher ground. This was how Murphy Town and Dundas Town were established," he explained.

"Par Joe, as he was known in the community, was a good fisherman and also a farmer. There was fishing back then and sponging - what I call the good old days. He also was a good Methodist, and he was a lay minister. He was a lover - that is because God is love. And now abideth faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. Read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13."

Mr Sawyer also reflected on the history of Cooper's Town.

"Why was the settlement called Cooper's Town? The first name that comes to my remembrance is the old man Sammy or Samuel Cooper, and the one that I can remember and worked with during my time as Board of Works member for many years," he recalled.

Mr Sawyer said the Board of Works is equivalent to our modern-day local government system.

He also served as PTA president for many years, assisting with the building of the community library with help from Dr Courtney Brown of Treasure Cay, who is now deceased.

"God bless him (Dr Brown) and his family, especially one of his daughters (Roxanne M Warren), who was the architect. She still lives in New York and is a mutual friend of mine," Mr Sawyer said.

"Then I reasoned that Cooper's Town should have electricity and light, and that was when Sunrise Power Co Ltd was born. Three of us owned the company - I, Mr Joseph Swain, Mr Ronald Bootleand Mr Alvin Sawyer, who was the operator of the power station.

Mr (Alvin) Sawyer is now deceased; may his soul rest in peace. The master says well done thy good and faithful servant."

Mr Sawyer and Alvin Sawyer organised the collection of garbage in Cooper's Town, and Alvin's son Mario still performs that service in the community today.

"Keep up the good work Mario. God bless you as you serve the Lord and your community," Mr Sawyer said encouragingly.

"Now for the northern end of Cooper's Town, which is called Bootle Town, home to the Albert Bootle generation.

"Let me leave something else with you, Cooper's Town. The following family names are prominent in Cooper's Town: Bootle, Cooper, Sawyer, William, Rolle, Russell, Cornish and Cox. Most of the people who live in Fire Road carry the name McIntosh. The name should be changed to 'McIntosh Village'. I suppose some day we will be able to put things in the true perspective," Mr Sawyer said.

"Bishop Wright and family. He is a great man of God, and doing a good work along with Pastor Bullard and family. Let's visit the McIntosh family again, and the name that comes to mind is Rev Jackson McIntosh, the administrator who is striving for excellence. Also Rev Leslie Cornish and family. In Fire Road and Cooper's Town, you have Rev George Rolle and family."

"Let's go back to Crown Haven where the family names are Russell, Rolle, Burrows, Thomas and Butler - common names found in this little Abaco settlement. Heading south toward Fox Town are the Parkers, the Russells, the Wells, the McIntoshes, and the Thompsons - Uncle Reg's family.

"In Mount Hope, there are the Currys, McIntoshs and Rolles. In Wood Cay, the name McIntosh dominates the area. Then there are the Currys, the Mills, whom Uncle Charles is related to, and the Saunders - Uncle Willie's crew. In Cedar Harbour, there are Dr Allen Mills' family and the family of Pastor Samuel Mills," Mr Sawyer concluded.