Hill, George

Submitted by Mike Miller

George Hill, a retired sugar planter residing at Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, is well upholding the honors of a family name which represents more than passing distinction in connection with Louisiana history, as may be seen by referring to the memoir that is dedicated to his father, the late John Hill, in a preceding sketch. By John Hill was given to the Louisiana State University its fine Hill Memorial Library Building, a gift indicating alike his civic liberality, his generosity and his deep appreciation of the higher ideals of human thought and action. As the memoir mentioned gives adequate record concerning the career of the father and a general outline of the family history, this data do not require repetition in the article here represented.

George Hill was born in the City of Baton Rouge, the fair old capital of Louisiana, and the state of his nativity was August 28, 1858. He was, reared on his father's plantation estate, known as the homestead Plantation, ,in West Baton Rouge Parish, and there gained his early education under the preceptorship of private tutors. He advanced his education by attending for a time the Louisiana State University and was a student also in historic old Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia. After leaving college he became actively associated with plantation enterprise and successfully reclaimed and rebuilt two plantations in West Baton Rouge Parish. These he operated a number of years, but upon the death of his honored father he sold the properties in order to preserve and operate the latter's, the Homestead Plantation, two-thirds of this estate being owned by him at the present time and the place comprising a tract of 2,000 acres of land. Mr. Hill resides in the handsome modern home, a building erected by him in 1915.

As a citizen and man of affairs Mr. Hill has shown the same splendid ideals of personal stewardship as did his honored father, and his aid and influence are to be counted upon in the advancing of measures and enterprises projected for the general good of the community. In local and state politics he supports the cause and candidates of the democratic party. He has been a member of the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana State University for over twenty years. He is a director of the Bank of Baton Rouge, and has held this position more than twenty-five years. Mr. Hill was specially loyal and zealous in furthering local patriotic activities in the World war period, which found him a worker in the drives for the sale of government war bonds, as well as in support of Red Cross work, etc. He was chairman of the parish committee in charge of the drive for the sale of the government War Savings Stamps, and later served in a similar capacity in the vigorous campaign for the raising of funds for the fine monument to be erected on the campus of the new Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, as a memorial to the gallant young Louisiana soldiers and sailors who lost their lives in the great World conflict. Aside from his active service in connection with war work Mr. Hill made his personal contributions of most liberal financial order. The same liberality has characterized his support of charitable and philanthropic agencies, and it is a matter of record that he subscribed $35,000 for the erection of the fine new edifice of the First Presbyterian Church in the City of Baton Rouge. This building is to be completed in the near future. He is affiliated with the Beta Chapter of the Delta Psi fraternity.

Mr. Hill retired in 1921 from the active management of the Homestead Plantation.

On the 26th of June, 1907, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hill, at Brewton, Alabama, to Miss Carrie Lee Taylor, who was born in the City of Montgomery, that state. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have two children: Catherine Marion is, in 1923, a student in the Port Allen High School, and John is attending the same school. Mr. Hill has two sisters, Miss Katherine M. Hill, residing in Baton Rouge, and Mrs. F. H. Carruth, residing in West Baton Rouge.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 294, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.