The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1916-06-02
HILLS LIFE RECORDS
HISTORY OF NORTHWEST

To make a record of the life OF
James Jerome Hill is to write the his,
tory of the great Northwest for near.
ly three-quarters Of a century.
For the development Of almost hall
e continent has kept pace, step by
step, year by year, with the building
Of Mr. Hills own career-a history
that stands out in strong relief even
in this new world, where thrilling
personal histories have been SO many.
Born near Guelph Ont, Sept. 10,
1893, J, J. Hill had perhaps rather less
than averaSe early opportunities.
His father and mother, James and
Anne Hill, We're plain, hagd working
people, who did the most they could
for the boy when they sent him to a
neighboring school-Rockwood acad-
emy-until he was fifteen years Of
age.
Just at this time his father, the
mainstay Of the family, died. leaving
his tifteen-year-old son to confront the
necessity of working for his daily
needs and he took the first opening
that was otfered-a position in the
nearby country store, where he stayed
three years.
Reached St. Paul in 1885,
In July, 1856, Mr.. Hill reached st.
Paul. He was a stranger from
strange land. No technical prepara-
tion had fitted him for a definite line
of endeavors and he took the first
chance of profitable employment that
offered--a clerkship in the office of
Mississippi river steamship company
and this he held until nine years later,
when he became agent for the North
western Packet company.
Two years later-the same year in
which he married Miss Mary Theresa
Michigan OF st. Paul-he went into
the general fuel and transportation
business on his own account, being
the first man to bring coal to st. Paul.
And it was about that time that he
commenced his specific railroad edu-
cation by becoming station master for
the only line entering the town.
BY 1869, by virtue of tremendous
application and a persistent study of
commercial conditions in Southern
Minnesota, he found himself at the
head of what was known as the Hill
Griggs Transportation company. which
also handled fuel, and he continued
in that position for six years.
Begins Railroad Activity.
The activity of Mr.. Hill, which has
since made him worldwide trans
portation genius, began in 1870, when
he organized the Red River Transport
tation company, and began the devel
opment of the great Red River valley.
1t was in 1873 that Mr. Hill entered
the railroad business in earnest. The
Minnesota and Pacific road, which had
been forced to stop work at the time
of the 1857 panic, had mortgaged it's
properties. The mortgage was fore
closed in 1860 and the property and
franchises went to the state.
Two years later the legislature con.
ferred them upon Edmund Rice and
other St. Paul men. The name of the
corporation was changed to the St.
Paul and Pacific Railroad company
This same year the ten-mile road to
St. Anthony was completed.
The road got into financial Difficult
ties again, however, and in the course
of ten years had seven mortgages on
it's property, aggregating S33,oo0,000.
When the 1879 business disturbances
came it was unable to earn interest
charges.
Studies Out Details of Pet Plan.
Meantime Mr.. Hill had acquainted
himself with the details of the situa-