John Charles Haines

Who was John Charles Haines?

John Charles Haines served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Democratic Party.

Haines arrived in Chicago on May 26, 1834 and took on work as a clerk for George W. Merrill. By 1846 he formed a partnership with Jared Gage and acquired several flour mills. Haines worked to organize the Chicago waterwork beginning in 1854. In 1848, he was elected to the first of six terms on the city council and two terms as the water commissioner. He was elected mayor in 1858 as a Republican, defeating Democrat Daniel Brainard with 54% of the vote. He ran for re-election the following year against Marcus G. Gilman, winning with about 53% of the vote.

Haines served as an elected members of the board of the Chicago Historical Society and on the Board of Health. In 1870, he was sent to the Illinois Constitutional Convention and helped write a new Constitution for the state. He was elected to the State Senate for two terms from the First District in 1874. After he left the State Senate, he retired from public life near Waukegan, Illinois, where he owned a small farm.

An elementary school, consisting of grades Pre-K to 8th, has been named after John Charles Haines.