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William Jesse Oliver (January 13, 1867 – March 28, 1925) was an American industrialist who operated one of the nation's most successful contracting firms in the early 20th century. He built several hundred miles of railroad in the Southern Appalachian region during the 1890s and early 1900s, and opened the South's largest privately owned manufacturing plant in 1905.〔 He submitted the initial winning bid for the construction of the Panama Canal in 1907, though the bid was eventually rejected. Along with industrial endeavors, Oliver was engaged in civic and political affairs in his adopted hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. He made national headlines in 1908 when he seized control of the Tennessee Republican Party convention, and had himself and several supporters elected to various party positions. He served as president of Knoxville's Appalachian Exposition in 1910. ==Early life== Oliver was born in Mishawaka, Indiana, to Henry and Clara Oliver.〔 He was a nephew of James Oliver (1823–1908), an inventor and manufacturer known for the chilled plow, which William's firm would later market.〔"(The Lowest Bidders for the Panama Canal Contract )," ''Engineering News'', Vol. 57, No. 4 (24 January 1907), p. 104.〕 William attended public schools in Mishawaka and nearby South Bend.〔 When he was 16, his father suffered a serious financial setback, forcing William to leave home to find work. He was hired as a bookkeeper for a railroad contractor,〔 and had risen to foreman within a few years.〔Robertus Love, "(William J. Oliver, Who Wants to Dig the Canal )," ''Bismarck Daily Tribune'', 15 February 1907, p. 6.〕 At the age of 23, Oliver formed a 15-team outfit that won a railroad grading contract for the Cotton Belt Railroad,〔 and managed to finish the project at a profit.〔 His company, W.J. Oliver and Company, based in Langley, South Carolina, aggressively sought regional railroad construction contracts throughout the 1890s.〔"(May Dig Panama Canal )," ''Muskogee Cimeter'', 16 February 1907, p. 3.〕 He won a contract to build the Pickens Railway, connecting Easley, South Carolina with Pickens, South Carolina, in 1897,〔''(Railway Age )'', Vol. 24, No. 25 (17 December 1897), p. 1019.〕 and completed a extension of the Seaboard Railroad from Richmond, Virginia, to Ridgeway, North Carolina, the following year.〔"(Railways )," ''Engineering News'', Vol. 41, No. 17 (4 May 1899), p. 167.〕 In 1899, his company won contracts for the Sumter and Wateree River Railroad in South Carolina and an extension of the Southern Railway in the vicinity of Augusta, Georgia.〔''(The Manning (SC) Times )'', 18 January 1898, p. 3.〕〔''(The Watchman and Southron )'', 21 June 1899, p. 7.〕 In 1902, Oliver's company landed a million-dollar contract to build the stretch of the Tennessee Central Railroad between Nashville, Tennessee, and Clarksville, Tennessee.〔(Throughout South Carolina )," ''The Watchman and Southron'', 4 June 1902, p. 2.〕 As Oliver's company grew, he sought to relocate to a more central location. On the advice of Samuel Spencer, president of the Southern Railway, he moved his company to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1903.〔William MacArthur, Jr., ''Knoxville: Crossroads of the New South'' (East Tennessee Historical Society, 1982), pp. 94-98.〕 In September 1904, he organized the William J. Oliver Manufacturing Company,〔''(Railway Age )'', Vol. 38, No. 13 (23 September 1904), p. 446.〕 which built a massive machineworks on Dale Avenue in Knoxville. Described as the largest of its kind in the South, this plant produced railroad, mining and construction equipment, as well as metal castings and foundry supplies.〔 During this period, Oliver was recognized as a specialist in concrete construction, and was described by one newspaper as "the most successful concrete contractor in America."〔 His company constructed railroad bridges around the region, as well as buildings in Louisville and Nashville,〔"(The Man Who Bid Lowest for the Panama Canal Contract )," ''Harper's Weekly'', Vol. 51, No. 2615 (2 February 1907), p. 174.〕 the Clinch Avenue Viaduct in Knoxville,〔 and the Portland Cement Company plant in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.〔 In 1905, Oliver landed a major contract to build Hales Bar Dam, the first hydroelectric dam to span the Tennessee River. After two years and persistent cost overruns, however, he was forced to abandon the project.〔Paul Archambault, "(National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Hales Bar Powerhouse ), 30 May 2008, Sec. 8, pp. 6-7.〕 By 1907, Oliver's company held $30 million in contracts,〔 and had built hundreds of miles of railroad tracks.〔 One of his most ambitious railroad projects was the Southern's Stevenson extension, which aimed to connect Chattanooga with Stevenson, Alabama.〔Alan Walker, ''(Railroads of Chattanooga )'' (Arcadia, 2003), p. 56.〕 The extension required the construction of a tunnel through Lookout Mountain.〔John Wilson, "(Chattanooga Railroad Series: Southern Railway Line Through the Lookout Mountain Tunnel )," ''The Chattanoogan'', 19 May 2014.〕 Completed in 1908,〔 the tunnel was described by one newspaper as "one of the biggest feats in railroading in the south."〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「William J. Oliver (industrialist)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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