Who is James Hill?

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.’  He tactfully entered the coal business during the time of the Civil War in 1867, where he supplied coal instead of wood, which was undergoing heavy shortage. This business brought good profit in five folds by 1879, consolidating his monopoly in the anthracite coal industry. In 1870 he partnered with a few acquaintances and began his own ‘Red River Transportation Company’, which offered steamboat freight shipping between St. Paul and Winnipeg. 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.

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