Nathaniel Hayward was born on January 19, 1808, in Easton, Massachusetts, United States, the son of Jerahmeel Hayward. He was descended from Thomas and Susannah Hayward who came from England in 1635, resided for a time in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and finally settled in Bridgewater.
Nathaniel had received practically no education.
As a very young man Nathaniel Hayward went to Boston and operated a livery stable. As in the early thirties there was much public interest in Boston in India-rubber products, he attempted to manufacture a waterproof shoe-blacking with India rubber. He was on the point of making a satisfactory material when his attention was turned to the preparation of India-rubber fabric. This occurred in the summer of 1834. After continuing experiments quietly through the winter Hayward sold out his livery business in the spring of 1835 and went to his home at Easton where he continued experimenting secretly for a number of months. Having no knowledge of chemistry or of the action of any of the chemicals which he used, he worked in a purely blind fashion. His aim was, of course, to produce a fabric which would not become soft and sticky in the summer time. For some reason not known to himself, he succeeded in making one satisfactory piece of cloth and on the strength of this was given employment with the Eagle India Rubber Company in Easton.
Hayward worked for this company for several years both at Easton and at Woburn, Massachusetts, where the company moved late in 1835, serving in the capacity of general superintendent. Some time in 1836, in an attempt to make white rubber aprons, Hayward subjected rubber-coated cloth to sulfur fumes to bleach it and found, to his surprise, that in addition to being whitened it did not soften and become sticky as before. This was his first intimation of the value of sulfur in rubber compounding. For several months thereafter he experimented more or less secretly with sulfur and in the fall of 1836, in partnership with a friend, bought out the Eagle India Rubber Company. In the spring of 1838 he himself took over the business. He continued to make rubber cloth with various degrees of success, utilizing sulfur in the compound and subjecting it to the heat of the sun’s rays. He thus brought about a partial, superficial vulcanization.
Although Hayward planned to secure a patent on his process he met Charles Goodyear about that time and in September 1838 sold his factory to him. The two drew up an agreement, too, that Hayward should secure his patent to assign all rights in it to Goodyear. The agreement, furthermore, gave Hayward the privilege of making three hundred yards of rubber cloth a day until Goodyear had paid him an additional sum of $2, 000. On February 24, 1839, Hayward, “Assignor to Charles Goodyear, ” was granted United States Patent No. 1090. After working a year for Goodyear in the plant at Woburn, Hayward carried on a business of his own until 1841, during which time he manufactured rubberized articles amounting in value to about $1, 000. He then returned to work for Goodyear and assisted the latter in his experiments on rubber vulcanization.
In 1842 he went into business for himself again but after struggling along for another year he sold out to Leverett Candee and went to work in the latter’s manufactory at Hamden, Connecticut, making rubber shoes. After a year here he went to Lisbon, Connecticut, and under the firm name of N. Hayward & Company, engaged in the manufacture of shoes on his own account. Shortly after this venture began Hayward discovered a method of giving rubber shoes a luster. He kept the secret for two years and in this time the company prospered.
In the spring of 1847 the business was sold to a stock company called the Hayward Rubber Company, organized in the town of Colchester, Connecticut. Hayward was active manager of this firm until 1854 and president from 1855 until his death. He was also largely interested in the Boston Rubber Shoe Company at Malden, Massachusetts, and started a factory at Wyoming, Massachusetts, called the Red Mills. When the first renewal of the Goodyear patent was sought, Hayward was its strong advocate and spent a large sum of money to secure its success. He opposed, however, the second application.
Nathaniel Hayward is famous for invention of vulcanised rubber in 1838. He founded the Hayward Rubber Company, which was in operation from 1847 to 1885, producing rubber cloth and shoes. During the Civil War he had large government contracts for blankets, haversacks, and canteens, and also constructed rubber pontoons.
Hayward was of an inventive turn of mind.
Hayward was married when very young to Louisa Buke of Boston.
