George Ainslie (delegate)
| George Ainslie | |
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| Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho Territory | |
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In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen S. Fenn |
| Succeeded by | Theodore F. Singiser |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 30, 1838 Cooper County, Missouri |
| Died | May 19, 1913 (aged 74) Oakland, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Idaho City, Boise |
| Profession | Attorney |
George Ainslie (October 30, 1838 – May 19, 1913) was a lawyer, mining investor, and Congressional delegate from Idaho Territory.
George Ainslie was born in Boonville, Cooper County, Missouri. George's grandfather and father had served in the Scottish regiments of the British Army. Also, his uncle, Colonel William Ainslie, served with the 93rd Regiment of Foot (the "Sutherland Highlanders"). The exploits of "The Sutherlands" during the Crimean War gave rise to the phrase, "The Thin Red Line", later applied to British Army infantry in general.
George's parents, John and Mary, moved to Missouri around two years before he was born. His father became a wealthy landowner, and also operated a salt works. The family went back to Scotland for a time while George was an infant, but returned in 1844. His father drowned in the Missouri River in June of that year.
In his late teens, Ainslie read law under experienced lawyers and a judge in St. Louis. He also attended courses at what is now St. Louis University. George attained a law degree and was admitted to the Missouri bar in 1860. After a few months practicing law in Missouri, he moved to the Pike's Peak area in Colorado Territory. He opened a law office there and apparently invested in some mining properties.
Two years later, gold discoveries in Idaho attracted Ainslie's attention. He moved to Elk City, Idaho, during the summer of 1862 and mined in that area until the winter season closed the back country. Probably at the advice of people familiar with the region, he then started for Oregon.
In Lewiston, Idaho he was approached with a request for his professional services. Here, accounts vary on the timeline of events. George's biography in the Illustrated History of the State of Idaho states that three men approached him to defend them in a "citizens' court" against a robbery charge. More likely, however, a representative of the men approached him, because the accused robbers were then in jail. In fact, from the timing, it is possible that the trial may have already taken place, with a guilty verdict. This particular robbery had followed a series of robberies and robbery-murders in the region, and public indignation had led to a swift decision.
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