James J. Hill

James Jerome Hill was a famous American railway entrepreneur.

He was born on September 16, 1838, in Eramosa Township, Upper Canada. A childhood accident with a bow and arrow blinded him in his right eye. This injury meant he could not join the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Hill was a very talented student of math and English. He even attended Rockwood Academy for a short time. He eventually moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, at age 18 to find new work.

Hill worked his way up through many different jobs. He started as a bookkeeper for a steamboat company. Later, he worked for grocers handling freight transfers. He learned how to move goods using both railroads and boats. During the winter, when the Mississippi River froze, he won contracts to work for himself.

He later entered the coal and steamboat businesses. By 1879, he had a local monopoly in the anthracite coal business. He also became a member of several major banks. Hill believed that hard work was the secret to success.

In 1873, many railroads went bankrupt during a financial panic. Hill spent three years researching the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. He believed he could make a profit if he found the money. He teamed up with partners like Norman Kittson and Donald Smith.

Together, they bought the railroad and expanded it. In May 1879, the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Co. formed. Hill served as the general manager. He was a hands-on leader who obsessed over every small detail. He even rode a horse to scout the best paths for new tracks.

Between 1883 and 1889, Hill built tracks across Minnesota and North Dakota. His greatest achievement was the Great Northern Railway.

This line ran from St. Paul to Seattle, Washington. It was completed in January 1893. It was the first transcontinental railroad built without using public money. To make the route easier, Hill found the Marias Pass in Montana. This pass had been seen by Lewis and Clark in 1805, but no one had found it since.

The railroad reached Seattle on January 7, 1893.

Hill helped many people move to new homes in the West. He sold cheap land to immigrants from Europe. He especially helped Germans and Scandinavians settle in North Dakota. He even helped found schools and churches for these new towns.

He also helped create trade with Japan. He shipped American cotton to Japanese industries. By the time he died in 1916, he had a fortune of about $63 million. People called him "The Empire Builder" because of the huge region his rails served.