In 1892, a man by the name of A.J. Hayward heard a rumor that a railroad would be built through the Namakagon River Valley to transport the area's abundant timber. Knowing that the railroad would make it very profitable to log the area's forests, A.J. Hayward built a sawmill on the Namakagon River. The railroad was built and the small company town, which housed the sawmill's workers, became one of the fastest growing towns in the Midwest. Mr. Hayward soon had quite the booming little community. Town leaders soon began building schools and churches while at the same time struggling to remove the brothels, which catered to the lumberjacks.

It would be years before any steps would be taken to conserve the forests. Therefore, it was not long before the seemingly endless supply of lumber was all but decimated. So rather than taking lumber out, the railroads began bringing tourists in. The tourists poured in to vacation and live amongst the remaining forests and pristine lakes. This transformed Hayward into more of a resort than a logging town. Hayward continued to grow and prosper and today is still a tourist "hot spot", but the town has not lost its small northwoods town charm.

Every summer Hayward hosts the World Lumberjack Championships bringing in thousands of visitors from around the world to see the best lumberjacks (and lumberjills) compete in the event, which is televised nationally on ESPN.

With 15 golf courses in the area easily makes Hayward "The Golf Capitol of Wisconsin" and an excellent weekend destination. Avid fishermen may also enjoy the four story National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame located in Hayward. In February, Hayward also hosts the American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race, which draws international attention. All this along with other festivals and events makes Hayward a great "Up North" destination for the whole family.