Hill, James Jerome (1838-1916), was a famous businessman. He earned the name “Empire Builder” for his work in developing the area of the United States that lies between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest. His energy and foresight in laying out a great transportation system played an important part in turning this unsettled region of the United States into a land of progress and prosperity.
Hill was born on Sept. 16, 1838, near Rockwood, Ontario. His father’s death forced him to go to work at an early age. When he was 16, he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, and took a job with a steamboat company. At 25, he became an agent for the Northwestern Packet Company, and five years later organized the Red River Transportation Company. This was the first in a series of enterprises which led to completion of the Great Northern Railway. This railway, completed in 1893, combined existing lines and new construction. It ran from Lake Superior to Puget Sound, Washington. It was the first transcontinental railroad built without government aid. Hill later founded a steamship line offering the first direct transportation between the United States and the Orient.
In 1901, Hill and Edward Henry Harriman struggled to gain control of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The battle ended without a decisive victory for either man. Hill was also a fluent speaker and writer. His best-known work is Highways of Progress (1910). He died on May 29, 1916.
