Ramsey County History – Spring/Summer 1975: “James J. Hill: A Search for the Man Behind the Legend”

James J. Hill: A Search for the Man Behind the Legend
Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz

Late in his life James J. Hill remarked, “I’ve made my mark on the surface of the earth and they [the U.S. Supreme Court] can’t wipe it out.” He knew he’d been a titan. Hill’s legendary “empire builder” image has obscured other qualities, including “a Celtic sense of humor and a flair for descriptive narrative.” Always a man of action, in his youth especially, Hill was physically intrepid, traveling the prairie in summer by caravan and in winter by dogsled. But above all he was an audacious and persevering man of business. This piece summarizes Hill’s early life, his start in business, and some of his major accomplishments.
PDF of Kunz article