Samuel J. Hayes, residing in Redlands, on Cypress Avenue, was born in Litchfield County, Connecticut, June 20, 1826. His father, Gaylord Hayes, was a second cousin to ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes. When Samuel was a lad of seven his father removed to La Salle County, Illinois, where he engaged in stock-raising until his death, which occurred in 1838, when Samuel was but twelve. His mother died in 1842, and he had to provide and care for his three younger brothers and sister.
In 1850 he crossed the plains to California, where he mined for six months and then returned to Illinois, rented land, borrowed $25 at two percent a month, with which he bought a stove and cooking outfit, and went to keeping “bach,” and rented land for twenty-seven years, and then commenced buying land for a farm. It was the general opinion of those acquainted with Mr. Hayes, and those who had worked with him, that he could do more work in a day than any other man in the county. He averaged sixteen hours work out of twenty-four for fifteen years, at which time he owned a farm of 410 acres, and for twelve years had averaged $8 per per day. He has served his town as supervisor, assessor, collector, school and township treasurer, and as commissioner of highways and avenues. He was very successful as a stock-raiser, and still owns a fine farm of 280 acres in La Salle County, Illinois.
He was married in 1854 to Miss Sophia Cummings, of Deer Park, Illinois, formerly from Massachusetts, and they have reared a family of three children. Mr. Hayes has crossed from Illinois to California seven times, the third, a pleasure trip, was in the fall of 1882, when on coming to Redlands he was so well pleased with the location that he bought five acres of unimproved land, where he has erected a very comfortable and neat residence, bringing his doors, windows, blinds, stair-railing, etc., and a carpenter, with him from Illinois. Here in his beautiful home, in this beautiful city, after an active life of business care, Mr. Hayes will spend the residue of his days looking after the interests of his fruits and taking care of his grounds.