The Hayes Custer Stove and Furnace Company seemed to spring out of nowhere in 1930 when it appeared in a large ad in the special edition of the Pantagraph celebrating the long history of McLean County. A large complex of 8 factory buildings and an office building at 1202 N. Linden replaced a home at that address (probably several!) and began producing free standing stoves for living rooms and parlors.
The genesis of the Hayes Custer Company was much further back in history according to the Pantagraph article published on the final dissolution of the company and sale of the equipment and real estate in January of 1940. It had been known by many names, including the "Co-operative Stove Company." At its hey day it had employed 190 to 200 men and had a payroll of $300,000 to $400,000!
"Two plump old cats, aroused from slumber beside a stripped out furnace in one of the few heated portions of the plant, followed the group (of buyers and Mr. Hayes) about, affectionately rubbing against the visitors' legs. The cats had seen no such activity around the plant since it was closed in May, 1937."
Hayes Custer was a spin off of the Empire Works Company, which had started in 1887, when a group of dissatisfied moulders at the Bloomington Stove Works broke off and created their own factory. Their casting facility had been in Normal and John W. Hayes was the leader of the men. The factories of the Empire Works/Illinois Stove Company was troubled by fire in 1920 and 1929. After the 1929 fire the Association of Commerce gave some aid to help the company get on its feet again, but in 1936 the Hayes Custer Company accepted a contract with a mail order company that turned out to be a very bad deal for Hayes Custer and the contract was abrogated by a court, ending the company's operations outside the bankruptcy court.