John H. Ming was born on February 6, 1831, in Lynchburg, Virginia, of Dutch descent. At age nine he moved with his parents to St. Louis, Missouri. After several years as a store clerk, he left for California in 1851 to work in the mines. Seven years later John Ming travelled to Denver, Colorado, and opened a grocery store. He left Colorado in 1863 and moved to Virginia City, Montana, and entered into the mercantile business. Five years later he settled in Helena and opened a bookstore in partnership with C.K. Wells. Ming expanded his investments to include ranching, mining, and real estate, and in 1875, he sold his interest in the bookstore to Wells. In 1868, Ming married Katherine L. Cole, a native of Ohio. They had two sons, John H. and James L. Ming. John H. Ming served as Montana's territorial treasurer in 1866, by appointment of Acting Governor Thomas Francis Meagher. He was a director of the First National Bank in Helena and also served as a city alderman. Ming was a Democrat and a member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic societies. He also belonged to the Episcopal Church. A notable achievement was his construction of the first opera theater in Helena, Ming's Opera House. John H. Ming died on December 27, 1887, at the age of 56.