Bio
John Hailey (1835–1921) was an American politician and early pioneer who served as a Congressional Delegate from Idaho Territory. Born in Tennessee, Hailey moved with his family to Missouri in 1848 before venturing west to Oregon in 1853. He served in the Rogue River Indian War and was later promoted to lieutenant. Hailey married Louisa Griffin in 1856, and they had six children.
Hailey’s career took him to Idaho and Washington territories, where he engaged in farming, stock raising, and mining. He was elected mayor of Boise in 1871 but did not take office. He served as a Delegate to the U.S. Congress from 1873 to 1875 and again from 1885 to 1887, representing Idaho Territory. Hailey also held various local political positions, including Ada County commissioner and president of the Idaho Territorial Council.
In his later years, Hailey was appointed warden of the Idaho State Penitentiary and became the first secretary and librarian of the Idaho Historical Society. In 1910, he wrote a history of Idaho at the request of the state legislature. Hailey passed away in Boise in 1921, and the city of Hailey, Idaho, was named in his honor.
