Logging continued in Sawyer
County with much flourish during the period from 1850 to 1880. In
1880 the sawmill owners began locating new and desirable timber tracts
and sent cruisers into the uncut forests to locate and estimate timber.
In 1881 Anthony Judson
Hayward came to Sawyer County from Chippewa Falls to cruise timberlands.
He came to a location on the banks of the Namekagon River which he predicted
would be an ideal site for a sawmill. This location was adjacent
to the Omaha Railroad.
In 1882 he formed
a partnership with Mr. R. L. McCormick and built a large sawmill and established
the business known as the Northern Wisconsin Lumber Company. Families
began to move to the new village called Hayward. The sawmill employed
about three hundred men. Arrival of families created a demand for
homes and business enterprises of all kinds. Many families built
their own homes and many were built by the Northern Wisconsin Lumber Company
for the cost of the lumber only.
In the winter of 1882
- 1883 the village plat was surveyed.
The spring of 1883
ushered in a business boom that continued until 1920 when large scale sawmill
operations ceased. Many stores were hastily constructed to give shelter
to merchants and their stocks so that they could conduct business.
Every property deed contained a clause forbidding the sale of intoxicating
beverages on the premises. In spite of this provision, numerous saloons
mushroomed to accommodate the lumber-jack customers. Another clause
in every deed was the reservation of flowage rights by the grantor, the
North Wisconsin Lumber Company. Many property owners on Main Street
would be surprised that, today, their deed still contains the flowage clause,
and that their properties could be flooded if the North Wisconsin Lumber
Company should decide to drive logs through Hayward. Building lots
were laid out in the spring of 1883 and measured 25 X 140 feet and sold
for one hundred dollars each. During the first eighteen months of
Hayward's existance, the permanent population grew to one thousand.
At the time Hayward
was founded, Sawyer County had not been established. It was then
a part of Chippewa and Ashland Counties. On March 9, 1883, Sawyer
County was organized by legislation from portions of Ashland and Chippewa
Counties. The county was named in honor of Philetus Sawyer, a lumberman
from Oshkosh and a United States Senator. Mr. Sawyer later became
financially interested in the North Wisconsin Lumber Company.
Immediately after
the county was organized, plans were made to build a county courthouse
to house the county offices. The contract was let in late 1883 and
the courthouse was completed in 1884 at a cost of $18,000.
In 1883 there were
three public schools in what is now Sawyer County. These schools
were the Belille School located near Belille Falls, the Bishop School located
near the Bishop Bridge on the Chippewa River, and the Jordan School near
Sand Lake. All of these schools were in Chippewa County.
There were three schools
in the area which were supported by church missions under the authority
of the Indian Agency of the United States Government. The Methodist
Mission School was located at Lac Court Oreilles under the auspices of
the Methodist Church. At Round Lake the Presbyterians sponsored the
Presbyterian Mission School. The Catholic Mission School, supported
by the Catholic Church, was located in the Village of Lac Court Oreilles.
In 1883 the contract for construction of a four room school was let and
the building was completed on September 15, 1884 at a cost of $5,000.
This school was considered to be ultra modern in those days, as the community
boasted about the furnace heat and Ruttan system of ventilation.
In 1884 two churches
were built. The Catholic Church was finished in the summer of 1884
and the Congregational Church was completed in the autumn of the same year.
Two recreational enterprises
were in operation as early as 1884. The community supported the Opera
House where vaudeville shows, dances, parties, and other community gatherings
were held. A roller skating rink provided recreation for persons
of all ages.
Although the community
was not incorporated, a police department, a jail, and jailor's house were
in use in 1884. There were two police officers on the force and they
were usually kept very busy on weekends maintaining peace and order among
the lumberjacks, who had over-indulged after cashing their pay checks.
A volunteer fire
department was organized in 1885 and was named the Hayward Hook and Ladder
Company. A constitution and by laws were adopted to govern the conduct
and duties of the department.
In 1887 a group of
people organized the Hayward Free Library and a Board of Directors was
appointed by the Town Board. A room over Clapperton's Hall, now the
Pioneer Drug Store, was used as a reading room. A collection of funds
was solicited and a few books were purchased. The furniture consisted
of one long table with chairs on each side. There were also cuspidors
arranged strategically between the chairs, and these accessories were frequently
upset by children. One of the librarians considered them unsanitary
disposing them in the alley. The Library Board approved of her fortitude.
A wood stove was used to heat the room in the winter time. In 1904
a grant was made by Andrew Carnegie for the construction of a free library
and the cornerstone was laid in July by the Masonic Lodge of Hayward.
Hayward continued
progressing on the lumber profits until 1919. The white pine had
been cut from the Namekagon and Totogatic valleys and Hayward was forced
to look for new enterprises. Fire of undetermined origin destroyed
the big sawmill on May 8, 1922. Never again will Hayward boast of
a world record of 339,313 board feet of white pine sawed in one eleven
hour day. The remains of the pine forest, the logging camp, the lumberjack,
and the sawmill are gone forever.
A profitable business
has developed for Hayward because nature endowed the surrounding area with
serene beauty, crystal clear lakes, fresh water fish of all kinds, song
birds, and animals. Weary and tired people come to the Hayward lakes
region for rest and relaxation. The resort business has grown to
such stature that it is considered to be Sawyer County's most important
enterprise.
In 1955 a new industry
came to Hayward because there was an abundant supply of aspen logs and
bolts. A new modern factory was built that gives employment to many
men and women of the Hayward area and provides Sawyer County farmers with
a market for their forest products. The Acme Products Company manufactures
table tops from processed aspen wood.
The City of Hayward
caters to summer visitors who are a rich source of income during the vacation
season. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors free entertainment at the
City Park each week during the summer. Indian pow-wows are held weekly.
Indians from the Lac Court Oreilles Indian Reservation appear attired in
native tribal costumes and are adorned with ornaments characteristic of
the Chippewa tribes. The various Indian dances, symbolic of the tribe,
are presented to the accompaniment of Indian music. The audiences
enjoy the entertainment and many return each week to watch the performances.
