Haycraft was born on a farm in
Blue Earth County, Minnesota, near the city of
Madelia, on August 26, 1871. He went to the Minnesota public schools, and to Curtiss Business College in
Minneapolis. Haycraft
read law in a Madelia law office and was admitted to the Minnesota bar in 1896. He lived in Madelia with his wife and family and served as the city's postmaster. A
Republican, Haycraft served in the
Minnesota Senate from 1911 to 1914. In 1915, he moved to
Fairmont with his wife and family. Haycraft served as the president of the Martin County Historical Society. He served as a Minnesota District Court judge from 1925 to 1948. Haycraft's nickname was "The Sturdy Little Yankee from Watonwan County." He died at his home in Fairmont on November 5, 1951. ==References==