Ada Sawyer Garrett

Who was Ada Sawyer Garrett?

Ada Sawyer Garrett, was a Chicago socialite of the late 19th century.

The daughter of Dr. Sidney Sawyer and the former Elizabeth Butterfield, Ada was a popular society debutante. She married T. Mauro Garrett, a railroad official.

Ada Sawyer Garrett and her mother subdivided 80 acres of land on the Northwest Side of Chicago that had been purchased by Ada's grandfather, attorney Justin Butterfield, to create Logan Square, a genteel neighborhood of mansions.

When Ada Garrett's husband died in 1900, she went into seclusion, devoting her time to managing her finances. She died in 1938, leaving $2,250,000 to the Chicago History Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Chicago, a number of Chicago hospitals and homes for the poor, disabled, and orphans, and to relatives.

Ada Street and Ada Park in Chicago are named for Ada Sawyer Garrett.