E. J. Hayes came over from England when he was 18 years old. His sister, who is now Annie Vessey and younger brother, George, came with him. They did not have much money, so they stayed in the hold of the ship. John worked for a farmer west of Jamestown, where he met his wife, Elsie Harlson. Elsie came from Norway as a child, with her parents, who settled in Dallas, Wisconsin. She came to North Dakota in 1891 , and worked in Eldridge, where she met John. They were married in December, 1892. They lived in a sod shanty until they homesteaded in 1897, at Urbana. The Homestead rights were signed by President Grover Cleveland.

John and Elsie had four sons; Floyd, Dorman, Ivan and Jack. Jack is the only son still living. Jack, his wife, Anne, and their youngest son, Jerry, live on the farm homesteaded by his father.

The John Hayes lived near the railroad track, and, since there were no automatic switch signal lights in those years, John lit and hung lanterns at each end of the side tracks once a day. The switches were a mile apart, and he walked from one switch to the other regardless of the weather.

John was one of the first to serve on the township board when it was organized. Since his death, his son, Jack, has served on the Board for forty years.

The Hayes also boarded the school teachers, elevator manager, and always had several hired men and a hired girl. Elsie raised lots of turkeys, and needed the extra help in the house.

John broke up a lot of land in the early years, and seeded it to flax. Consequently, he was known as "the Flax King." At home, every one called him "The Boss."

E. J. passed away in 1943 at the age of 75 years, and Elsie lived to see her 99th birthday in September, 1966. She died three months later. She was a very ambitious lady, and always said work doesn't hurt anyone. And so ends the life of two great pioneers.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 97