John George Brill

John George Brill
BornMay 31, 1817
Kassel, Germany
DiedSeptember 22, 1888
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
NationalityGerman
Occupation(s)Businessman, engineer

John George Brill (German: Johann Georg Brill) (Kassel, Germany, May 31, 1817 – September 22, 1888)[1] was a co-founder of J. G. Brill and Company,[1] which, at its height, was the largest manufacturer of streetcars and interurban cars in the United States.

In 1847, at the age of 30, he emigrated with his wife and two children from Germany to Philadelphia.[2] For twenty years, he worked for Murphy and Allison. In 1868, with his son George Martin Brill, he founded the firm J. G. Brill & Son, which, in 1887, became J. G. Brill and Company.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Brill, Debra (2001). History of the J.G. Brill Company. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-33949-9.
  2. ^ Handlin, Oscar (1969). American Immigrant Collection. Ayer Publishing. p. 102.