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.