John Daggett was born in Newark, New York, in May 1833. In 1852, at 19 years old, Daggett came to California.
His political life started early as a member of the California State Assembly in 1858. He became the Lieutenant Governor of California in 1882 and continued for quite some time between 1883 and 1887.
In addition to the politics, mining took Daggett seriously in California. In San Bernardino County, he was the holder of the Calico Mine, the most active site of silver mining, toward the turn of the 19th century.
Very close to his mines, several miles away, came a town named Daggett, and his importance could be measured as that person holding stakes in the site. He died on August 30, 1919, attaching a legacy associated with the mining and politics of California to his name.