We’ll, it wouldn’t be much of a visit, at least not for Bob, if we didn’t get a big head photo or two for his collection. So far during our St. Paul sit, we have two — one in front of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and one in Phelan Park in St. Paul.
(who also sculpted the impressive MLK Statue of Hope
near the National Mall)
Today, we did a guided tour of the James J. Hill house. James J. Hill was a native Canadien, who made his fortune in the US as a railroad titan. He was called the Empire Builder. He built a line from St. Paul to Seattle and Amtrak calls the line the Empire Builder, a few years ago we road that line.
His home, completed in 1891, was once the largest private residence in the state. At 36,000 square feet, the house had with 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, a three story pipe organ, as well as electric lights and security system. The final cost to build the home was $932,000, which would equal 31 million in today’s dollars. The guide provided interesting details of his and his family’s life as well as the home.
that the Hills used as a ballroom for entertaining.
The wall covering is hand-tooled Venetian leather above hand carved wood.
In Hill’s time it would have looked onto the Mississippi River.
on a blackboard in the upstairs school room
upon the completion of the Great Northern Railway,
much of which he personally financed.
Peckish Travels 
One reply on “Two Big Heads and a Very Big House (7/20/23)”
Goodness me ,”How the other half lived” 😳😳
Well Done Bob on the BIG HEAD count 😁👍
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