John Lineham

John Lineham (21 March 1857 – 21 April 1913) was a territorial-level politician and businessman from Northwest Territories, Canada.

Lineham was born 21 March 1857 to Thomas Lineham and Barbara McIntyre in Mitchell, Canada West. He married Mary Elizabeth Martin in Collingwood, Ontario on 21 March 1894 and had two daughters. Lineham purchased A. P. Samples' butcher shop with a partner and formed a successful meat business under the name "Dunn and Lineham", which would eventually be sold to William Roper Hull and later Patrick Burns.

Lineham contested the November 1886 Calgary municipal election garnering 172 votes, but ultimately losing to George Clift King by 23 votes. In 1909 Lineham would be acclaimed as Mayor of Okotoks, Alberta, and subsequently acclaimed again in 1910.

Lineham formed the Rocky Mountain Development Company with George Leeson and engineer Allan Patrick, and on 21 September 1902 would make Alberta's first major oil strike in what is now Waterton Lakes National Park. The well site, Lineham Discovery Well No. 1 would be renamed First Oil Well in Western Canada and designated a National Historic Site of Canada on 17 May 1965.

John Lineham died in Calgary on 21 April 1913 from Bright's disease. Upon his death Lineham left a considerable estate worth approximately CA$500,000 which was mostly left to his daughters and other family members.

Honours Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame