John Hays (1770 – after 1822) is the only Jew known to have come to Illinois prior to its admission in the Union (August 26, 1818).
At a young age, he entered the Indian trade in the Northwest as clerk to a wealthy house in Canada.
[clarification needed] He settled in Cahokia, Illinois in 1793, where he embarked on trade with the Indians on his own account.
In 1798, he was appointed sheriff of St. Clair County and he continued to exercise the duties of this position until 1818, when the Illinois state government was organized.
[3] In 1822 he was stationed at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he acted as Indian agent for the Potawatomi and Miami tribes.