The first store was constructed within the present town limits of Haysi by Paris Charles for workers of the Yellow Poplar Lumber Company. Haysi began to grow with the construction of the Clinchfield Railroad between 1912 and 1915 as stores sprang up to serve the railroad workers. The railroad was constructed to export natural resources such as timber and coal from the area, and thus later growth of the town centered on workers for the coal mines which began operating around 1916. However, businesses in the town also accommodated travelers, as the rail system was a popular form of transportation at the time, and Haysi was located on a line of the Clinchfield that linked eastern Kentucky with northeast Tennessee, western North Carolina, and South Carolina. Notable early businesses included the McClure Bottling Company, Inc. (established 1914) and the Haysi Supply Company (established 1916). By 1920 Haysi businesses included a hotel, bank, hardware store, and various other retail merchants. By 1930 Main Street was lined with businesses, and the town was incorporated on February 17, 1936.
The first store was constructed within the present town limits of Haysi by Paris Charles for workers of the Yellow Poplar Lumber Company. Haysi began to grow with the construction of the Clinchfield Railroad between 1912 and 1915 as stores sprang up to serve the railroad workers. The railroad was constructed to export natural resources such as timber and coal from the area, and thus later growth of the town centered on workers for the coal mines which began operating around 1916. However, businesses in the town also accommodated travelers, as the rail system was a popular form of transportation at the time, and Haysi was located on a line of the Clinchfield that linked eastern Kentucky with northeast Tennessee, western North Carolina, and South Carolina. Notable early businesses included the McClure Bottling Company, Inc. (established 1914) and the Haysi Supply Company (established 1916). By 1920 Haysi businesses included a hotel, bank, hardware store, and various other retail merchants. By 1930 Main Street was lined with businesses, and the town was incorporated on February 17 1936.