Joseph William Summerhays was born January 15, 1849, in London, England to Caleb Summerhays and Margaret Moore. Summerhays immigrated to America when he was 16 years old, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley at 17 years old. He married Mary Melissa Parker on June 27, 1870, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had 16 children. Summerhays co-founded a hide house business in Salt Lake City called Rowe, Morris & Summerhays, working as the general manager. This was later dissolved and Summerhays reformed the company with his sons, calling it J.W. Summerhays & Sons, dealing in hides, wools, and furs. He also formed the Utah Wool Pulling Company in Toole County and became known as a prominent businessman in the Salt Lake City wool industry. Summerhays was a member of the Deseret Sunday School Union Board of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Summerhays died June 29, 1929, in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the age of 80.