Hill, James J

Hill, James J(erome)

(born Sept. 16, 1838, near Guelph, Ont., Can.—died May 29, 1916, St. Paul, Minn., U.S.) Canadian-U.S. financier and railroad builder. He began his career in St. Paul overseeing steamboat transportation. In 1873 he reorganized a bankrupt railroad as the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Co. and was named its president in 1882. The Great Northern Railway Co. absorbed the St. Paul line in 1890, and Hill became its president (1893–1907) and chairman of the board (1907–12). The Northern Pacific and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads also came under Hill's control; Edward Harriman's attempt to seize control of Northern Pacific from him (1901) triggered a Wall Street panic. Hill's banking activity as president of Northern Securities Co. was declared in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1904.