[1] Hagere Selam was reportedly founded in 1907 by Dejazmach Balcha Safo, to serve as the capital of Sidamo Province.

[2] His court was described by John Boyes: "The apartment was large and handsomely appointed, the floor covered with Turkish carpets, and the ceiling composed of reed work of various colours in a circular design.

[3] Hagere Selam was occupied 11 December 1936 by a column of the Italian Laghi Division which advanced south from Aleta Wendo.

Within a few years the Guida dell'Africa Orientale Italiana described the town as an important market for coffee, hides, and cattle.

[3] Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Hagere Selam has an estimated total population of 8,491 of whom 4,176 were males and 4,315 were females.