Hayward, Wisconsin Lake Home and Cabin Living

Back to what Matters: Hayward, WI

Deep in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Hayward is one of those places where you plan things like a dream wedding, a gorgeous honeymoon, or the ultimate family vacation! Loggers come here from New Zealand to compete. Tough guy, Al Capone, used it as his own personal retreat. In the Hayward Area they’ve got it all - gorgeous natural settings, pleasant weather, world class restaurants and caterers, a thriving business economy, and venues eager to cater to your every whim. Come spend relaxing days on the lake, browse the many interesting shops in the area, or maybe even catch a walleye or two. Like to be more active? Hit the trails – hiking, mountain-biking, or riding an ATV. In the winter, try cross country skis or a snowmobile!

Woods, Water, and World Class Events, the town is friendly and bustling, a shopper’s delight! The woods are spectacular, vast, and lush, with an unspoiled, feral beauty unique to the area. The waters are pristine, relaxing, crystal clear and calm. Catering to families, fisherman, snowmobilers, and skiers, Hayward is the perfect destination spot for that second home, or dream vacation. It’s a place to rest the body, revive your spirits, relax your mind, and just let the rush and stress of 21^st century city life melt away. A timeless refuge from tension, Hayward invites you to come back to an extraordinary and increasingly rare combination of relaxation, beauty, and fun – to come back to what really matters…to rediscover your soul!

History

American Indians, voyageurs and loggers who once traveled this land, left behind a wealth of visible opportunities to explore and discover the colorful history of this region.

In the 1870’s,  Hayward’s founder, Anthony Judson Hayward,  visited the area and saw that a very large and seemingly inexhaustible supply of pine lumber made the area a prime location for a lumber mill. The high banks of the Namekagon River made it an ideal location for a wood pond, and the railroad being built to Ashland created a means to transport the sawn lumber from the mill to the market. The railroad was constructed during the summer of 1881 and by the summer of 1882, power dams were constructed on the Namekagon River. The dams powered a small lumber mill, which provided lumber to build the stores, the boarding houses, several private residences, and a larger mill that was completed in 1883.

In that year, Sawyer County was formed, and Hayward became the county seat. Roads were cut to other cities in order to obtain the trade of loggers who were cutting in other areas, thus creating other jobs aside from logging. The first public school, a multi-purpose building near the lumber mill, was built in 1884, and burned down in 1885. It was rebuilt, and burned down again in 1922. It’s interesting now that one of the core values of the Hayward School District is “to value property”! But, the spark of education survived! Hayward now boasts fine schools, and both a community and a technical college. Still, the fire of 1922 marked a turning point for the Hayward economy, because it also destroyed the old mill. By that time, most of the pine lumber had been cut down and shipped away, only remnant pine was left. Large logging camps were practically non-existent by this time.

Change

Northern Wisconsin was now being advertised in the larger cities in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois as a vacation area. Resorts were either already established or being built. Shops were catering to the visiting public. It was time for a change! Hayward went from an economy based on logging, to an economy based on tourism. That was particularly interesting, because this was the time when city newspapers were giving away tracts of “worthless” Northwoods lakeshore property as a gift to their new subscribers. The land was considered unfit for either logging or agriculture, and they were looking for ways to get rid of it as cheaply and easily as possible. That’s a telemarketing call you’d love to get!  “Well, for our 90-day trial period, you can get the whole week for just the price of the Sunday paper. That’s the movie guide, sports, business…and ten acres on a thousand feet of lakeshore!” You can bet there were more than a few who said, “Nah! What am I going to do with a bunch of useless land? I’ll never get up there anyway. Just send me the paper!” 

The Hayward area is truly a reminder to us all of how we sometimes so obviously overlook what’s really important. In our haste to be “productive”, we trade beauty, serenity, and infinite value for the sake of industry, profit, work, and “busi-ness”. But what is it that truly endures across generations?

Lakeshore Market

Thankfully, that opportunity to own lakeshore and recreational property is not yet gone. Certainly, it’s no longer the price of the Sunday paper, but it’s still available, and that once worthless land is one of the things driving a stable and vibrant economy, even in spite of recession in other areas.

Local realtor, Gary Nathan, of Woodland Developments & Realty offers an interesting perspective: “Hayward is unique in that we are a destination point for 2^nd home owners and vacationers. Third & fourth quarters of ’07 were definitely up. Things are good and, if the first part of the year is any indication, ’08 is going to be a good year! It’s because they don’t make any more woods, water, and lakeshore. This isn’t about need. It’s about “I want it!” People don’t need a lake home…they come up here because they want to have a piece of that Northwoods, that’s the big difference!”

Dustin Beckwith, of Century 21 Woods to Water Realty agrees: “Hayward is a vacation hotspot with a lot of lakes and lakefront properties. It’s an all around great 4-season recreational spot. Sawyer County was one of the top northern WI counties that had positive percentage increases across the board for median home sale prices. In both January and February, all our activity has been up.  The numbers doubled from December, which is a very, very good sign! People are thinking they want to get into the action before the properties are all gone and it’s too late. People used to think our main buying season was June through Sep. In the past couple of years we’ve seen that steadily moving into the fourth quarter as well, and remaining strong!”

Events

Of course there’s also plenty to see and do. Ride a horse, or find a karaoke Bar & Grill and sing yourself hoarse. Hayward presents a variety of entertainment throughout the year from small hometown festivals to world class competition. Whatever your style of vacation, or your pace of life – fast or slow – there’s plenty for you to enjoy, from the Fall Festival to the Fat Tire Fest, and lots to keep the kids busy.

If you like the roaring thunder of chainsaws, brute strength and blazing chopping speed, not to mention the quick feet of log rollers, then come to the Lumberjack World Championships® recognized as the premiere timber sporting event in the nation. In February, you can witness the annual American Birkebeiner, North America’s largest and most prestigious cross-country ski marathon, attracting 8,000 skiers to its long line-up of events, and with lots of fun and festive celebrations for young and old. And this year, “bursting onto the winter scene with a roar”, the first Hayward 300 Triple Crown cross-country snowmobile races drew 3,000 spectators. The snowmobiles raced on a 3.9-mile LeMans-style snow course behind the casino, including banked turns, humps, straight-aways and a major jump.

The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame stands as a shrine to the conservation and sport of fishing throughout the world. The Chequamegon National Forest with its vast trail system, and the Birkebeiner Ski Trail, welcome you to hike, bike, ski and photograph all that nature has to offer. Golf Capital of Wisconsin, Hayward offers a championship golfing experience in a true Northwoods setting. There are many unique & challenging courses that are fair and playable for all skill levels. You can dine on just about anything from a burger & beer, to fine, premium-aged Angus steak, from the sophistication of vegetarian cuisine, to a hearty Northwoods breakfast. 

The many aspects of Hayward’s heritage are still there for you to explore today, preserved in her people, events, attractions, and local shrines. The area is rich with a  history filled with lumbering, fishing, ski racing, the mix of European and nearby Native American culture, and yes, the odd infamous gangster or two. Hayward, Wisconsin is truly a place to be “among friends”, to connect with family across generations, to rediscover a sense of heritage and history. Hayward and the Lakes take you back to memories and the experience of what matters most…and from that, you discover dreams of a better future. That’s the legacy of lakeshore!