Alameda County
Biographies
WILLIAM DUTTON HAYWARD
William Dutton Hayward, the first white settler and the founder of the town bearing his name in Eden township, Alameda county, was born in Hopkinton, Middlesex county, Mass., August 31, 1815, and gained his first business experience in a shoe store in Georgetown, Essex, county, the same state, to which he proceeded in 1836. In a few years the far cry of gold which came inland from the coast made him discontented with the shoe factory, and April 23, 1849, he boarded the steamer Unicorn, the third placed in the Panama-San Francisco service. Passing through the Straits of Magellan, he arrived at Panama, thence proceeding on a British steamer to San Francisco, which he reached August 31, 1849. Going to the mines on Mormon Island, he shortly after moved to Missouri bar, thence to the American river, where his success is indicated by his own characteristic remark, that “he mined as long as his money lasted.” At Auburn he associated himself with others in a disastrous attempt to change the course of the North Fork of the American river, and after this defeat return to San Francisco in the fall of 1850. Having confidence in the output of the southern mines, he proceeded to prospect for a desirable claim, but not finding one he commenced a return journey as novel as it was unexpected, on the way passing the Livermore valley and Martinez, whence he proceeded to San Francisco. Mr. Hayward was amazed at the luxuriance of the wild oats on valley, hill and mountain, and he wisely concluded that the storing of hay would become an important industry in the near future. Purchasing a couple of scythes, he worked at hay cutting near Dublin, Alameda county, for a while, then took his course toward the bay and determined to settle on the other side of the Palmyres Canon (sic). This proved to be the hill upon which Haywards now stands, and was upon a Spanish grant belonging to one Castro. The Castilian owner of the grant chanced to see the pitched tent of the new arrival upon his domain, and sauntering forth to learn the object of his visit, was informed that the wayfarer was enamored of the beauty of the view and the fertility of the ground, and desired to secure employment in so desirable and charming a spot. Castro was not over warm in his reception of the white stranger, but set him to work milking cows and doing general chores around his farm, and a few weeks later took a liking to him and sold him fifty acres of land, upon which Mr. Hayward erected a larger tent. His tent soon became a Mecca for miners passing through the Livermore Pass, and he conceived the idea of extending hospitality to them, giving board and accommodations for a money consideration. About a year later he put up a frame building that had been shipped around Cape Horn in sections, and here he kept a hotel for many years, the most genial, obliging and popular host in that part of the state. The structure gave place in later years to the present Hayward's Hotel.
Mr. Hayward purchased more land as success came his way, and later sold lots and acre tracts, and encouraged settlers by every reasonable inducement. He continued to manage the hotel until his death, July 12, 1891, in the meantime taking a keen interest in everything that pertained to the upbuilding of town and county, and becoming especially interested in the establishment of fine roads. When he first located in Alameda county the whole section of country was known by the name of San Lorenzo, but on the establishment of a postoffice, due entirely to his efforts, the locality was called Haywards. To Mr. Hayward is due the credit of having made many of the best roads in Eden township, especially those leading into the town. Not a few of the highways securely trodden by the people of to-day were constructed at the private expense of this pioneer, and the town in general owes much of the prosperity which now characterizes it to his industry and public spirit. It was characteristic of him that he maintained the postoffice himself until the government could afford to pay a regular postmaster, and when it was in a position to do so he handed the responsibility over to a woman dependent on her own resources. Mr. Hayward left an estate of $80,000 to his widow, daughter and son, who survived him. The town which bespeaks his early efforts is now a thriving little community of about 2,000 souls, and is located fifteen miles from Oakland, with which town it is connected by an electric railway.
Mr. Hayward always maintained a commendable interest in the political undertakings of his community, and on two occasions served as supervisor. He was married first at Hopkinton, Mass., in 1838, to Lois Bartlett, a native of that state, who died in 1840, leaving one daughter, Louisa, who makes her home with Mrs. S. H. Pope of Oakland. In Haywards he married for his second wife, April 5, 1866, Mrs. Rachel Bedford, a native of Lafayette, Ind., of which union was born one son, William M., who died in 1893. Mrs. Hayward survives her husband and makes her home part of the time in Haywards and partly in Oakland with her daughter, Mrs. S. B. Pope. She is well preserved and active, having a happy disposition and a host of friends.
Transcribed
3-12-16 Marilyn
R. Pankey.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1094-1095. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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