The man nicknamed the Empire Builder, and his descendents, get credit for a defining role in developing and shaping Minnesotas Iron Range and the Northwest. In an interview during his last few years, he was questioned on what led him to rule the railway empire, to which he diligently replied, Work, hard work, intelligent work, and then more work. Certainly, nothing came easy for him; he overcame the toughest challenges life could fling at him and yet went on to establish the Great Northern Railroad. His life is the perfect example of a journey from obscurity to fame. Hill saved money by repeatedly cutting wages, made possible by a time of deflation when prices were falling generally. Born in southern Ontario on September 16, 1838, to Irish immigrant parents, young Hill suffered a bow and arrow injury at age nine and lost sight in his right eye for the rest of his life. During the Panic of 1873, St. After Louis Jr.s death, the 20-year clock began ticking for the Great Northern Iron Ore Properties trust, even as its stock continued to trade under the GNI symbol. He may have considered himself fortunate to receive good education, but destiny spat misfortune his way, when his father passed away. James J. Hill. [3] By 1879 he had a local monopoly by merging with Norman Kittson. The Great Northern Iron Ore Properties trust finally terminated on April 6, 2015, a century after Hills death, and its shares stopped trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Because Hill created a property-holding trust, it had to follow laws insuring that property is controlled by the living, not the dead. In time, Hill had gained control of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Burlington railroads. He never really explained that the (railroads) major stockholders were the founding partners and their families so it really didnt cause them any harm financially., (But it did allow Hill in 1907 to testify, somewhat disingenuously, that he hadnt made the value of a postage stamp, directly or indirectly, out of the transaction. A truer account came in 1912, when Hill told a congressional committee that the land hed bought for $4 million would yield $750 million in iron ore.). Mary Theresa Mehegan, born in 1846 in New York City, was the child of Irish immigrants who settled in the frontier town of St. Paul in 1850. The threat of a real economic panic loomed. Hill sent emissaries to the Pacific who found that Japan had the most potential in the market of "Oriental Trade," and he decided to capitalize on this opportunity. In order to ensure that he did not lose his patronage during the crisis, Hill lowered rail tariff shipping rates for farmers and gave credit to many of the businesses he owned so they could continue paying their workers and starting a "10 dollar trip" (equal to $301.59 today) for immigrants. Most people didnt know anything about it, unless they were investors themselves and worked for investment companies. After the first punishing year of World War I, the Allied Powers desperately needed financial support to continue the war effort. Hill's top aides were careless about details, bookkeeping, correspondence, and reports.[17]. By 1860, he was working for wholesale grocers, for whom he handled freight transfers, especially dealing with railroads and steamboats. During this same period, Hill also entered into banking and quickly managed to become member of several major banks' boards of directors. ; and Pittsburgh. james j hill descendants today. Because of these measures, Hill not only stayed in business, but also increased the net worth of his railroad by nearly $10,000,000 (equal to $301,592,593 today). His particular talents for English and mathematics would be helpful in his career. An enthusiastic conservationist, Hill was invited by President Theodore Roosevelt to a governor's conference on conservation of natural resources, and later appointed to a lands commission. Still, historians agree that the Hills role on the Iron Range was definitely not a matter of just cashing royalty checks. uis Warren Hill, Clara Anne Lindley (born Hill), Katherine Theresa Hill, Charlotte Elizabeth Slade (born Hill), Ruth Beard Heidsieck Lori James Jerome Hill, Anne Ann Hill (born Dunbar), James Hill, Mary Elizabeth Brooks (born Hill), Alexander Samuel Dunbar Hill, Louis Warren Hill. So the trust came with an expiration date: it would terminate 20 years after the last original founder had died. By 1860, he was working for wholesale grocers, for whom he handled freight transfers, especially dealing with railroads and steamboats. An enthusiastic conservationist, Hill was invited by President Theodore Roosevelt to a governors' conference on conservation of natural resources, and later appointed to a lands commission. As the Hill-Morgan alliance formed the Northern Securities Company, Theodore Roosevelt became president and turned his energies against the great trusts that were monopolizing trade. They were married for 49 years and had 10 children. After working as a clerk in Kentucky (during which he learned bookkeeping), Hill decided to permanently move to the United States and settled in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the age of 18. The house has many early electrical and mechanical systems that predate widespread adoption in modern domestic structures. Four of the daughters were married in the mansion, and five children later had homes on Summit Avenue. On November 1, 1901, Hill, Morgan, and Harriman announced the formation of the Northern Securities Company, a holding company formed to control the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, and the Burlington lines. For three years, Hill researched the StP&P and finally concluded that it would be possible to make a good deal of money off of the StP&P, provided that the initial capital could be found. In 1860 he was already managing cargo transfers by railway and steamboats for wholesale grocers. Thus, with his experience in cargo business he began bidding for other contracts and won quite a few. In later years, he explained his economic philosophy in the book Highways of Progress and continued the campaign to convert the farmers of the Northwest to the principles of scientific agriculture, often testing breeds of cattle and strains of grain at his own farms. Hill also wanted control of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad because of its Midwestern lines and access to Chicago. Both opponents wanted the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads to add to their flourishing businesses. Louis W. Hill, Jr., was named a founder at age 4. Hill undertook to establish a monopoly of the steamboat business; he was monopolizing coal, socializing with bankers, and buying other businesses at the same time. He cherished summers at the family's North Oaks farm and an annual spring trip to his hunting lodge in Quebec for salmon fishing. [8] Hill moved on without the benefit of a central company, and acquired the Colorado and Southern Railway lines into Texas. She died on November 22, 1921. Father of Marie Francis Hill; James Norman Hill; Louis Warren Hill; Clara Anne Lindley; Charlotte Elizabeth Slade and 5 others; Gertrude T Gavin; Walter Jerome Hill; Katherine Hill died young; Ruth Heidsieck and Rachel Boeckmann less November 25-December 31, 2022. Hill and his railway are mentioned in the Harry McClintock song "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum.". His massive success kindled envy in many people as his story was a real-life rags-to-riches fairy tale. Hill teamed up with Norman Kittson (the man he had merged steamboat businesses with), Donald Smith, George Stephen and John Stewart Kennedy. American railroad promoter and financier (18381916), The Northern Pacific and the "short squeeze" of 1901, The Hill Lines survive the trust-busting era, Claire Strom, "Among Friends: The Power of Ethnicity in the Great Northern Railway Corporation,", Don L. Hofsommer, "Ore Docks and Trains: The Great Northern Railway and the Mesabi Range,", Frank Leonard, "Railroading a Renegade: Great Northern Ousts John Hendry in Vancouver,", Webvideo:James J. Hill and the Building of the Stone Arch Bridge, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, James J. Hill and the Building of His Railroad Empire, Harry Elmer Barnes: The World War of 19141918, Great Northern Lofts - Condo and Loft Directory, "James Hill legacy a wealth of information", "James J. Hill; An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society", Northern Pacific Railway Corporate Records, Mary Theresa Mehegan Hill in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia, James J. Hill in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia, The Destruction of a Wealth and Jobs Creator by Parasitical-Elites, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_J._Hill&oldid=1127524764, 19th-century American railroad executives, 20th-century American railroad executives, Pre-Confederation Canadian businesspeople, Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad people, Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada), Businesspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopedia Americana with a Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating citation to the NSRW, Wikipedia articles incorporating citation to the NSRW with an wstitle parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mary Francis Hill Hill (18691947), who married, Clara Anne Hill Lindley (18731947), who married, Katherine Theresa Hill (18751876) (died in infancy), Charlotte Elizabeth Hill Slade (18771923), who married, Rachel Hill Boeckmann (18811967), who married. In 1959, Hill High in St. Paul, Minnesota, was established as a school from the funds set aside from Hill's wife for education. The 1887 building was converted between 2000 and 2004 to a 53 unit condo in the Historic Lowertown District of St. Paul. Upon completion of the Summit Avenue residence, Hill had the family's old house, which he had constructed in 1878, razed. In honour of his legacy, his heirs founded the James J. Hill Reference Library, which provides practical business information to businesses in the entire nation. The 1887 building was converted between 2000 and 2004 to a 53 unit condo in the Historic Lowertown District of St. ) Hill, James Norman Hill, Louis W. Hill, Clara Anne Lindley (born Hill), Katherine Theresa Hill, Charlotte Elizabeth Slade (born Hill), Sep 16 1838 - Eramosa Township, Ontario, Canada, Mary Elizabeth Hill, Alexander Samuel Dunbar Hill. Louis Warren Hill (May 19, 1872- April 27, 1948), was an American railroad executive. James Jerome Hill Mary Theresa Mehegan Hill Mary Frances (Mamie) James Norman (Jimmy) Louis Warren Clara Ann After the death of Hill's wife in 1921, the house was donated to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. James J. Hill is back in the news this month but not for his famous railroad. (Peter Hill Beard is his great-grandson.) Collecting the royalties required very little investment, beyond the initial price. The Hill Family In 1867, Mary Theresa Mehegan, the daughter of Irish immigrants, wed James Jerome Hill, a Canadian immigrant who went on to achieve incredible success. Northern Pacific stock was forced up to $1,000 per share. His first job in St. Paul was with a steamboat company, where he worked as a bookkeeper. In 1929, the Great Northern Railway inaugurated a long-distance passenger train extending from Chicago to Seattle, and named it the Empire Builder in his honor. People commented on his piercing gaze and said he held their attention with his quick, animated speech, gesturing expansively and jabbing the air with a hand or finger to make his point. In 1880, its net worth was $728,000 (equal to $20,441,738 today); in 1885 it was $25,000,000, equal to $753,981,481 today. He bought out plenty of bankrupt businesses during this time, reformed them and sold them off at great profit. Louis Hill Jr. was the last surviving founder of the Great Northern Iron Ore Trust. J. Hill, a wildly successful railroad tycoon known appropriately as the "Empire Builder", the 36,000-square-foot property at 240 Summit Avenue spans three lots and touts arguably the most . 651-297-2555 One of his challenges at this point was the avoidance of federal action against railroads. James Jerome Hill, a Canadian-American railroad executive and the greatest pioneer in the field of transcontinental railroads, was a visionary who transcended the dreams of a common man and went on to become The Empire Builder. It was his relentless hard work and business prowess that led to further railroad development in Northwest America. He was the only businessman to make a hefty profit even during the time of depression. Renamed the Great Northern Railway in 1890, it remained the "great adventure" of Hills life. It was at this point that Hill went from general manager to the official president of StPM&M, and thereafter decided to expand the rail lines. He also ran model experimental farms in Minnesota, such as North Oaks, to develop superior livestock and crop yields for the settlers locating near his railroads. In 1929, the Great Northern Railway named its flagship passenger train the Empire Builder in his honor. This incident however did not cause much hindrance in his future career. Categories: Eramosa Township, Upper Canada | Great Northern Railway | Persons of National Historic Significance | Namesakes US Counties | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. "A Gilded Age Businessman in Politics: James J. Hill, the Northwest, and the American Presidency, 1884-1912,", This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 06:08. (photo courtesy Minnesota Historical Society), Louis W. Hill, Jr., the grandson of James J. Hill, was the last living founder of the Great Northern Iron Ore Trust in St. Paul. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. It was in the season of winter that the Mississippi River froze and trading via steamboats was hindered. (Canadian-American railroad executive, Businessman) James Jerome Hill, a Canadian-American railroad executive and the greatest pioneer in the field of transcontinental railroads, was a visionary who transcended the dreams of a common man and went on to become 'The Empire Builder.'. heathwood hall faculty; will a dui show up on a fingerprint check; paulette gebara farah disability; last minute diy star wars costumes; james j hill descendants today. In The Great Gatsby, Hill is the man whom Gatsby's father says Gatsby would have equalled if he had lived long enough. James J. Hill household, 1895 state census, Ramsey County, Minnesota, population schedule, Saint Paul, Ward 7, Precinct 2, page 89; GSU Film Number 000565801. The men and women of the Las Cruces Fire Department strive to provide prevention, response and recovery services to residents, businesses, and visitors so they can experience a safe community and receive compassionate care in their time of need. Hill pursued a broad range of other business interests: coal and iron ore mining, Great Lakes and Pacific Ocean shipping, banking and finance, agriculture, and milling. [27] The Hill library owns 75 shares. uis Warren Hill, Clara Ann Lindley (born Hill), Katherine Theresa Hill, Charlotte Elizabeth Slade (born Hill), Ruth Beard (born Hill), Ra James Hill, Mary Elizabeth Brooks (born Hill), Alexander Samuel Dunbar Hill, Louis Warren Hill,
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