Description:

"Empire Builder" James J. Hill Signed Trustee Oath with Related TLS

A signed Oath of Office by James J. Hill as a Trustee, on behalf of the Great Northern Railroad Company. 1p, measuring 8" x 9.5", Ramsey Co., Minnesota, dated January 5, 1894. Signed "Jas. J. Hill" as a Trustee of the Seattle and Montana Railroad Company, swearing to "perform the duties of the office of trustee…faithfully, honestly and to the best of his ability." Countersigned by Notary Public, William A. Stephens, along with a blind embossed seal. The sworn oath is accompanied by a related Typed Letter Signed by Great Northern Railroad General Solicitor, M.D. Grover. Dated January 11, 1894 and addressed to Burke, Shepard & Woods, returning the verified affidavit. Both sheets have flattened folds, with a taped paper remnant on the typed letter. Boldly signed by all. Very fine overall.

James Jerome Hill (1838-1916) was a Canadian-American railroad director and the chief executive officer of a collection of rail lines headed by the Great Northern Railway. During the Panic of 1873, a number of railroads, including the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, went bankrupt, making it’s a golden business opportunity for Hill. Together with Norman Kittson, Donald Smith, George Stephen, and John Stewart Kennedy, he not only bought the railroad, but greatly expanded it by bargaining for trackage rights with the Northern Pacific Railway. In May 1879, the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Co. formed, with James J. Hill as general manager. With this acquisition, Hill continued his goal of further expansion and upgrades to the railroad systems. Between 1883 and 1889, Hill built his railroads across Minnesota, into Wisconsin, and across North Dakota to Montana. Because of the size of this region and the economic dominance exerted by the Hill lines, Hill became known during his lifetime as "The Empire Builder".

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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March 15, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
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University Archives

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