HAYES, William A.
Commemorative and Biographical Record of Columbia, Sauk and Adams Counties, 
WI. Chicago: Ogle, 1901, p 344

William A. HAYES, a prominent railroad conductor of Baraboo, who has won 
success by his own perseverance and industry, was born in Mountain Ash, South 
Wales, 25 Dec 1863. His father, William HAYES, was a native of County Kerry, 
Ireland, and a son of Captain William HAYES, who was commander of a vessel 
sailing from Cork and was lost at sea. While a young man the former went to 
Wales, where he married Miss Ellen CONDON, a native of Mountain Ash, and a 
daughter of John CONDON, a coal miner of that place. In that country the 
father of our subject engaged in coal mining until the early part of 1865, 
when he came to the U. S. and first located in Lancaster [Lancaster County], 
PA, where he was employed in oil works for a time. About 1870 he removed to 
Mazomanie [Dane County], WI, and entered the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee 
& St. Paul Railroad Company on a construction train. In 1873 he went to 
Wauzeka [Crawford County, WI], where he was section foreman until 1897, since 
which time he has been switch tender at Madison, on the Chicago & 
Northwestern Railroad. His wife died 09 Apr 1894, at the age of 53 years.

Our subject was only a small boy when the family came to WI, and he obtained 
a limited education in the public schools of Mazomanie and Wauzeka, which he 
attended only about 18 months in all. At the age of nine years he began 
supporting himself by farm labor, and when twelve entered the stave factory 
at Wauzeka, where he was employed for three years. He next worked as baggage 
man at Woodman, WI, where he spent three years and a half, and during his 
leisure moments learned telegraphy. In the fall of 1884 he secured an 
appointment as brakeman on the Madison division of the Chicago & Northwestern 
Railroad, and three years later was made conductor on the same division. For 
several years past he has had charge of a work train, covering all the tracks 
between Harvard and Winona, Milwakee and Galena.

Mr. HAYES was married 25 Dec 1890 to Miss Clara A. MICHAELIS, a native of 
Shullsburg [Lafayette County], WI, and a daughter of August and Juliet 
(MEYER) MICHAELIS, of Lancaster [Grant County], WI. To them have been born 
three children: Helen, Merl and Willie.

Since 1891 Mr. HAYES has been an active and prominent member of Baraboo 
Division, No. 68, O. R. C., of which he is now chief conductor, and in 1897 
he was a delegate to the biennial session of the Grand Division of the order, 
at Los Angeles, CA. He is also a member of Sinnissippi Council, No. 1158, R. 
A., of Belvidere [Boone County], IL, and is a stanch supporter of the 
Democratic party, though not an aggressive partisan.
Contributed by Cathy Kubly