382:, arrived at the capitol at the hour the convention was scheduled to begin. Finding Oliver's men in control of the proceedings, a "battle royal" ensued, with delegates exchanging punches and throwing chairs and other stray objects at one another. Using "regular football tactics," the Evans men managed to push their way onto the platform, but were promptly accosted by Oliver's henchmen. Sanders, his "coat and hat gone, his shirt split and ragged, and even his trousers badly disarranged," was carried out onto the veranda and nearly thrown over the side. Future congressman
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322:, Stevens stated Oliver lacked the "nature, experience, or achievement" necessary to complete such a massive project. He also stated that canal construction crews disliked Oliver, and expressed concern over racial comments Oliver had made in various interviews (Oliver had said he would employ primarily Southern black laborers, considering them better workers than those from the West Indies or China).
477:. In July of that year, labor activist Joseph Gilmour organized a rally at the factory. According to a report issued by Gilmour, he was met at the rally by Oliver and about fifty "strike-breaking thugs and officials." Gilmour stated that as he tried to speak, Oliver's men blasted him with a fire hose, and afterward attacked him and knocked him unconscious.
285:
cost (the construction cost had been estimated as high as $ 465 million). When bids were opened on
January 12, 1907, Oliver's bid was the lowest of the four submitted, slightly lower than George Pierce and Company's bid of 7.19%, and easily ahead of the bids submitted by MacArthur-Gillespie (12.5%) and the North American Dredging Company (28%).
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240:, in 1903. In September 1904, he organized the William J. Oliver Manufacturing Company, 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.
661:
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Seeing the benefits that large-scale expositions had brought to other cities, Oliver teamed up with journalist
William Goodman, who had been using his position as secretary of the Knoxville Commercial Club to try and organize such a grand exposition in Knoxville since 1900. After a massive publicity
480:
In
October 1918, federal authorities seized Oliver's factory, and he and nine subordinates were arrested and charged with sabotage, fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the government for manufacturing defective artillery shells. Though the charges were later dismissed, Oliver's company was forced into
325:
Roosevelt and Taft initially dismissed
Stevens' concerns, but by the end of February 1907, the administration had decided not to use a contractor to build the canal (the abrupt resignation of Stevens may have influenced Roosevelt's decision). Oliver stated he had been "whangdoodled" by Roosevelt.
410:
economy since his arrival in the city in 1903. He was consistently frustrated, however, by the city's business and political leaders, who tended to be hostile or apathetic toward progressivism. Oliver suggested that
Knoxville had the immediate natural resources to become the "great manufacturing
389:
After a few hours, the
Nashville police arrived to restore order, and left Oliver in control of the convention. The following day, the Evans faction held its own convention and elected its own slate of delegates, including Hale as national committeeman. When both sets of delegates arrived at the
284:
When the United States government announced it would be hiring a contractor to build the Panama Canal, Oliver sent agents to Panama to investigate for a possible bid. He formed a partnership with New York-area contractor Anson Bangs, and the two compiled a bid of 6.75% of the canal's construction
365:
to go to Oliver, while Evans wanted it to go to Hale. The Evans faction dominated
Republican county conventions that year, winning most of the delegates to the party's March 1908 state convention in Nashville. With Brownlow ill and Austin out of the country, a frustrated Oliver decided to take
422:
from
September 12, 1910, to October 12, 1910. Its purpose was to showcase the region's commerce and industry, as well as promote the responsible use of the region's natural resources. The fair was a resounding success, earning a 140% return on the $ 100,000 invested. After it concluded, city
326:
MacDonald blamed the transcontinental railroads for the decision, arguing they had been trying to thwart the canal's construction. Though the government had decided against giving the canal contract to Oliver, he did receive a contract for 500 steel dump cars to be used on the canal project.
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several hours before the convention was scheduled to begin, overpowered the guards, and promptly opened the convention proceedings. After Oliver delivered a "red-hot speech" trashing Evans and Hale, he was "elected" national committeeman, and his associates were chosen as delegates to the
411:
city of the South," and argued the city was being held back by the business community's unwillingness to make risky, long-term investments. He once stated that "conservatism belongs to the man who has money invested in government bonds, and only has sufficient brains to play ping-pong."
466:, Oliver's Knoxville factory manufactured artillery shells. The factory received an order for 100,000 shells from the Italian army shortly after the war began. After the U.S. entered the war, the factory received an order for 130,000 shells from the U.S. Armed Forces.
243:
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
303:
initially accepted Oliver's bid, though Bangs was eliminated from the partnership due to a conflict of interest. Oliver was given ten days to organize a corporation and raise $ 5 million, a feat he accomplished in just three. He obtained the assistance of
263:
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
390:
Republican National Convention later that year, the national committee, after learning of Oliver's actions, awarded the state's committee seat to Hale, and awarded most of the convention seats to the Evans delegates.
393:
Oliver remained active in Republican Party politics in subsequent years, mainly as a supporter of Theodore Roosevelt. During the 1912 presidential election, he led statewide organizational efforts for Roosevelt's
158:. 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.
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campaign, the Commercial Club finally embraced the idea in 1908. The club organized the Appalachian Exposition Company, and appointed Oliver president. The company raised $ 100,000 for the venture.
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matters into his own hands. He recruited around 800 Knoxville-area ruffians, armed them with pistols and hatchets, and transported them via train to Nashville. The mob burst into the
154:(1823–1908), an inventor and manufacturer known for the chilled plow, which William's firm would later market. William attended public schools in Mishawaka and nearby
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neighborhood of Vestal with Sevierville, began in June 1908, and was completed by January 1910. The railroad struggled financially, however, and construction stalled.
439:, but was initially named the Knoxville, Sevierville and Eastern Railway. The railroad was organized in hopes of providing a more direct route from Knoxville to
318:, who had been overseeing the canal's construction since 1905, vehemently opposed turning the project over to Oliver. In a message wired to Secretary of War
138:
convention, and had himself and several supporters elected to various party positions. He served as president of Knoxville's Appalachian Exposition in 1910.
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Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, Tennessee's Republican Party was bitterly divided between two factions: one led by ex-Congressman
346:. Oliver, like most Knoxville businessmen, supported Brownlow. The Brownlow faction controlled the party until 1904, when Evans ally
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in Knoxville, and never fully recovered. He died at his home on March 28, 1925. He was buried in the city's Greenwood Cemetery.
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276:. Completed in 1908, the tunnel was described by one newspaper as "one of the biggest feats in railroading in the south."
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312:, and the Milan Dredging Company of Baltimore. He stated he would personally travel to Panama to supervise the project.
123:' largest privately-owned manufacturing plant in 1905. He submitted the initial winning bid for the construction of the
111:(January 13, 1867 – March 28, 1925) was an American industrialist who operated one of the nation's most successful
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169:, aggressively sought regional railroad construction contracts throughout the 1890s. He won a contract to build the
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Along with industrial endeavors, Oliver was engaged in civic and political affairs in his adopted hometown of
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William Robert Rogers, "A History of the Smoky Mountain Railroad," East Tennessee Historical Society
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165:, and managed to finish the project at a profit. His company, W.J. Oliver and Company, based in
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260:. After two years and persistent cost overruns, however, he was forced to abandon the project.
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and Nashville, the Clinch Avenue Viaduct in Knoxville, and the Portland Cement Company plant in
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As Oliver's company grew, he sought to relocate to a more central location. On the advice of
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At the age of 23, Oliver formed a 15-team outfit that won a railroad grading contract for the
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firms in the early 20th century. He built several hundred miles of railroad in the Southern
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congressional seat, and Evans' associates gained control of the Republican state committee.
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Robert Lukens, "The New South on Display: The Appalachian Expositions of 1910 and 1911,"
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272:. The extension required the construction of a 3,537-foot (1,078 m) tunnel through
205:. In 1902, Oliver's company landed a million-dollar contract to build the stretch of the
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As the 1908 campaign season opened, the Brownlow faction wanted Tennessee's seat on the
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Chattanooga Railroad Series: Southern Railway Line Through the Lookout Mountain Tunnel
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eventually seized control of the railroad, arguing Oliver had manipulated the stock.
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William J. Oliver Manufacturing Company dump car used in the construction of the
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In 1920, Oliver was badly injured when he was hit by a truck near his home on
134:. He made national headlines in 1908 when he seized control of the Tennessee
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758:
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Hales Bar Powerhouse
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Tennessee G.O.P. on a Rampage: State Republican Convention Goes At It Rough
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And the Mountains Will Move: The Story of the Building of the Panama Canal
463:
451:. Construction on the initial phase of the railroad, which connected the
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30:
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leaders immediately began organizing a second fair for 1911. Colonel
386:, an Evans ally, was thrown off the platform and struck with a chair.
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The Evans faction, led by Evans' chief ally (and future U.S. Senator)
407:
532:(Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1976), p. 529.
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builder John B. MacDonald, New York Superintendent of Public Works
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attempted to unionize Oliver's factory in Knoxville, leading to a
193:, the following year. In 1899, his company won contracts for the
181:, in 1897, and completed a 25-mile (40 km) extension of the
435:
In 1907, Oliver established what would eventually become the
236:, president of the Southern Railway, he moved his company to
224:
Ad for the William J. Oliver Chilled Plow; Oliver's uncle,
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region during the 1890s and early 1900s, and opened the
530:
Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee
711:(East Tennessee Historical Society, 1982), pp. 94-98.
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The Man Who Bid Lowest for the Panama Canal Contract
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Oliver had been promoting Knoxville as a burgeoning
252:. In 1905, Oliver landed a major contract to build
329:
401:
150:, to Henry and Clara Oliver. He was a nephew of
127:in 1907, though the bid was eventually rejected.
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568:The Lowest Bidders for the Panama Canal Contract
481:bankruptcy, and he never recovered financially.
817:(Stanford University Press, 1947), pp. 252-257.
747:, Vol. 51, No. 2615 (2 February 1907), p. 174.
725:, Vol. 38, No. 13 (23 September 1904), p. 446.
634:, Vol. 24, No. 25 (17 December 1897), p. 1019.
960:Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
594:William J. Oliver, Who Wants to Dig the Canal
547:The National Cyclopedia of American Biography
1009:, Vol. 28, No. 8 (August 1916), pp. 815-816.
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709:Knoxville: Crossroads of the New South
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528:Alice Howell, Lucile Deaderick (ed.),
1121:American manufacturing businesspeople
992:, Vol. 28, No. 6 (June 1916), p. 593.
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881:(Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 250-251.
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1066:"Col. W.J. Oliver Is Laid to Rest,"
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373:1908 Republican National Convention
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945:, Vol. 69 (1997), pp. 6-8, 25, 28.
16:American industrialist (1867–1925)
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943:Journal of East Tennessee History
195:Sumter and Wateree River Railroad
1101:People from Knoxville, Tennessee
1003:Report of Organizer J.H. Gilmour
986:Report of Organizer J.H. Gilmour
330:1908 Republican state convention
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1106:People from South Bend, Indiana
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760:, 30 May 2008, Sec. 8, pp. 6-7.
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427:succeeded Oliver as president.
350:defeated Brownlow's lieutenant
1126:People from Mishawaka, Indiana
956:Appalachian Exposition of 1910
879:Tennessee: A Political History
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544:George Derby, James T. White,
402:Appalachian Exposition of 1910
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1096:Businesspeople from Tennessee
962:. Retrieved: 8 October 2014.
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418:The exposition took place at
363:Republican National Committee
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975:, Vol. 44 (1972), pp. 72-75.
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1007:Machinists' Monthly Journal
990:Machinists' Monthly Journal
550:(J.T. White, 1929), p. 193.
228:, invented the chilled plow
10:
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1057:, April 1920, pp. 146-149.
923:, 27 March 1908, pp. 1, 6.
901:, 26 March 1908, pp. 1, 5.
865:, 12 September 1907, p. 3.
207:Tennessee Central Railroad
1040:, 24 February 1920, p. 1.
1037:Morning Tulsa Daily World
1024:The Watchman and Southron
693:The Watchman and Southron
689:Throughout South Carolina
676:The Watchman and Southron
620:, 16 February 1907, p. 3.
600:, 15 February 1907, p. 6.
250:Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
98:
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775:Railroads of Chattanooga
707:William MacArthur, Jr.,
665:, 18 January 1898, p. 3.
191:Ridgeway, North Carolina
778:(Arcadia, 2003), p. 56.
437:Smoky Mountain Railroad
368:Tennessee State Capitol
338:, and the other led by
179:Pickens, South Carolina
167:Langley, South Carolina
1070:, 30 March 1925, p. 5.
899:Bismarck Daily Tribune
662:The Manning (SC) Times
598:Bismarck Daily Tribune
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215:Clarksville, Tennessee
175:Easley, South Carolina
121:Southern United States
1111:Tennessee Republicans
1026:, 5 April 1919, p. 2.
895:Tennessee Republicans
851:, 3 March 1907, p. 1.
834:, 1 March 1907, p. 2.
832:The Cornell Daily Sun
679:, 21 June 1899, p. 7.
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1020:W.J. Oliver Indicted
1001:Joseph H. Gilmour, "
984:Joseph H. Gilmour, "
845:Blames the Railroads
695:, 4 June 1902, p. 2.
614:May Dig Panama Canal
310:Frederick C. Stevens
306:New York City Subway
238:Knoxville, Tennessee
211:Nashville, Tennessee
163:Cotton Belt Railroad
132:Knoxville, Tennessee
109:William Jesse Oliver
84:Knoxville, Tennessee
71:Knoxville, Tennessee
921:The Nashville Globe
756:Paul Archambault, "
320:William Howard Taft
201:in the vicinity of
146:Oliver was born in
877:Phillip Langsdon,
344:Walter P. Brownlow
316:John Frank Stevens
301:Theodore Roosevelt
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270:Stevenson, Alabama
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187:Richmond, Virginia
148:Mishawaka, Indiana
82:Greenwood Cemetery
52:Mishawaka, Indiana
425:Lawrence D. Tyson
396:Progressive Party
352:Richard W. Austin
183:Seaboard Railroad
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280:Panama Canal bid
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65:(1925-03-28)
1091:1925 deaths
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722:Railway Age
631:Railway Age
464:World War I
445:Sevierville
266:Chattanooga
117:Appalachian
113:contracting
1080:Categories
492:References
449:Gatlinburg
431:Later life
299:President
246:Louisville
156:South Bend
142:Early life
93:Republican
44:1867-01-13
408:New South
645:Railways
354:for the
209:between
475:lockout
462:During
213:, and
99:Spouse
268:with
189:, to
185:from
177:with
447:and
443:via
60:Died
38:Born
1053:,"
1022:,"
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988:,"
958:,"
919:,"
897:,"
847:,"
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570:,"
1082::
928:^
906:^
886:^
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765:^
730:^
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605:^
579:^
555:^
537:^
499:^
398:.
375:.
217:.
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1018:"
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843:"
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612:"
566:"
46:)
42:(
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