Prominent People | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

October 11, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Boer War

Gold had been mined since the early 1870s but was discovered on the Witwatersrand, in the Transvaal, in 1886. Thousands of white and black South Africans were employed on the mines by 1890.

South Africa became the single biggest gold producer in the world and this meant great growth for the independent Boer governments.

The Transvaal now also became more prominent in international finance because the importance of gold as an international monetary system. Britain was the center of industry and trade in the world at the time and needed a steady supply of gold to maintain this position.

There were various political leaders with opposing views in power in different parts of South Africa during the 1890s. Paul Kruger was president of the Transvaal or South African Republic (SAR) and Cecil John Rhodes became the premier of the Cape Colony in 1890.

Rhodes was from Britain and had made his fortune in South Africa by mining diamonds. He was also a supporter of the British imperial plan to unite South Africa under British rule. Kruger was a supporter of Boer independence and the two leaders were in direct conflict with each other. (South African History)

“The Boers were Dutch farmers of the Orange Free State in southern Africa. Incensed over British farmers moving into their land, the Boers declared war against Britain. … The British Empire, not to be trifled with, rushed half a million troops into the area. The Boers, never more than a few thousand in number, fought back using guerilla tactics.” (Star Bulletin, May 26, 1981)

“South African War (aka the Anglo-Boer War, or simply the Boer War) (October 11, 1899 – May 31, 1902) remains the most terrible and destructive modern armed conflict in South Africa’s history.”

“It was an event that in many ways shaped the history of 20th Century South Africa. The end of the war marked the end of the long process of British conquest of South African societies, both Black and White”. (Gilliomee and Mbenga )

Great Britain battled (and defeated) two Boer states in South Africa: the South African Republic (Republic of Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. Britain was aided by its Cape Colony, Colony of Natal and some native African allies.

Prince Kūhiō was with the British during the war in South Africa. … but, first, some background …

Prince Kūhiō studied under the late Alatau Atkinson in Honolulu, going from the Royal School to Punahou College and later attending St. Matthew’s College at San Mateo, Calif. He then went to England, studying at the Royal Agricultural College and taking business courses. (Orr; Nellist)

“As a young man Kalākaua wanted him to take up a military career and he was offered commissions in the British army, but his wishes ran to another way, he desired to study law and he achieved his desire. … His tastes were not militaristic, his trend was
toward law making and governing.” (Maui News, January 10, 1922)

In 1895, following the overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani, Kūhiō took part in a counterrevolution led by Robert Wilcox against the Republic of Hawai‘i. (DHHL)

The prince was charged with misprision of treason and served his sentence of one year in prison. During his imprisonment, a Kauai chiefess, Elizabeth Kahanu Ka‘auwai, visited him each day.

After his release, the two married on October 8, 1896. Kūhiō and Kahanu left Hawai‘i on a self-imposed exile and traveled extensively through Europe. (DHHL)

“They remained away two years, during which time they visited many interesting places” (Hawaiian Star, May 28, 1904), “vowing never to return to a Hawai‘i that appeared inhospitable to Hawaiians.” (Star Bulletin, March 26, 1996)

“They went to South Africa (where the) Prince was given an opportunity of enjoying some big game hunting. (Hawaiian Star, May 28, 1904)

“(T)he prince was anxious to see some of the fighting. But the authorities always managed to keep him away from the scene of the sklirmish although they saw bullets flying from a distance.” (Star Bulletin, February 20, 1932)

“(D)uring the Boer war … Prince Kūhiō had some exciting experiences with the British in their engagements with the Boer forces. The prince was on a train that was attacked by the Boers. He met the late Cecil Rhodes and was entertained by Sir J. Somers Vine.” (Hawaiian Star, May 28, 1904)

Kūhiō returned to the Islands and got into politics. In 1900, the Kanaka Maoli (aboriginal Hawaiians) had formed their own party, called the Home Rule Party, through merging two organizations, Hui Aloha ‘Āina and Hui Kālai‘āina, who had worked together to support Queen Lili‘uokalani and oppose annexation. (Silva)

That year, the Home Rulers elected Robert Wilcox as Hawaiʻi’s first delegate to the US Congress. (However, on July 10, 1902, Prince Kūhiō split from the Home Rule Party, joined the Republican Party and won the Congressional seat in the election on November 4, 1902.) (After a decade of election losses, the Home Rule Party was disbanded after the elections of 1912.)

Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Piʻikoi died on January 7, 1922 of heart disease. He was given the last state funeral for an ali‘i; he is buried at Mauna ‘Ala, the Royal Mausoleum.

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Kawananakoa, David, 1868-1908 and his brothers Edward Keliiahonui (1869-1887) and Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (1871-1922)-PP-97-17-008

Kalanianaole, Jonah Kuhio, 1871-1922, in his military uniform-PP-97-1-031

Kalanianaole, Jonah Kuhio, 1871-1922, in prison uniform (1895) PP-97-1-032

Kuhio Wearing his campaign hat and shirt-PP-97-2-017

Kalanianaole, Jonah Kuhio, 1871-1922-wearing_Order_of_Kamehameha regalia-(HSA)-PP-97-2-008

JonahKuhioKalanianaole

U.S. Congressman Carter Glass, Lincoln Holstein (1865-1943), Kuhio, Congressman Phillip Campbell of Kansas, and Honolulu mayor John C. Lane (1872-1958)-PP-9

October 9, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Baldwin House Settlement

In 1901, with the consent of the HP Baldwin heirs, who own the property, it was decided to use the old Baldwin homestead for the settlement work.

Mrs. Henry Perrine Baldwin and others helped newly arrived plantation workers from Japan, the Philippines and China adjust to living on Maui. Along with other members of the Baldwin family, she continued to support the kindergarten and settlement work.

“We have classes started in sewing, basket-weaving, and physical culture. In a short time lacemaking is to be taken up and also a class in music is to be opened, as many have signified their desire to learn to read music by note.”

“The reading-room on the second floor is now open twice a week, on Monday and Thursday evenings, where papers, magazines and books may be found, while games and music may be enjoyed on the first floor.”

“There is much interest shown, and we hope to accomplish much during the ensuing year in all branches of the work, and to put in new departments as the need arises.” (The Friend, December 1909)

Staffed by members of the middle class, the Hawaiian settlement house movement sought to help immigrant families adapt to the language and customs of their new country.

Behind the settlement house effort was the progressive belief in the importance of social cohesion, the belief that individuals are not autonomous but part of a web of social relationships and that welfare of any single person is dependent on the welfare of society as a whole. (Castle)

The old Baldwin homestead of coral rock and plaster was occupied by Dr DD Baldwin and family during his thirty-four years of missionary labors in Lahaina. In 1868 Dr. Baldwin was transferred to Honolulu and for some years the old home was deserted, or occupied for short periods only.

This second period of service at the old homestead began in 1900, when Miss Nancy Malone decided that Lahaina needed a kindergarten. She appealed to HP Baldwin; he approved her idea and offered to put up a building if others in the community would supply the furnishings and Pioneer Mill Co. would contribute to the current expenses.

The building was erected on the grounds of the Baldwin homestead, almost on the very site of that early Seaman’s Chapel, where Dr Sereno Bishop held services for so many years and where little Henry P Baldwin, at the early age of seven, began to lead the singing and to play hymns on the melodeon at morning and evening prayer.

When the kindergarten building was ready for use, Mrs HP Baldwin decided to start settlement work also. Accordingly, in 1901, she engaged both a kindergarten teacher and a settlement worker.

Since that beginning, workers have come and workers have gone but the work has never halted. The Pioneer Mill Co have faithfully kept their agreement to assist in current expenses

Mr DT Fleming of Baldwin Packers, has been a friend of the Settlement and has generously assisted when repairs or improvements were needed. Whatever Baldwin House has accomplished has been due to her wise and motherly guidance.

The present activities may be grouped in six departments, three of which are distinctly educational (the Kindergarten, the Library and the Evening School) and three of a more or less social nature.

Lahaina has no public hall suitable for small gatherings, and so when school hours are over, the bright, airy kindergarten room is metamorphosed into a free community hall. Here the Girl Scouts have drills; here various committees transact their business; and here are held all kinds of evening entertainments.

Lahaina has no boarding place comfortable for single women. Accordingly, Baldwin House has, in late years, offered its extra rooms to young business women, who join the family and carry on co-operative housekeeping. This is proving a pleasant arrangement for all concerned and is an added form of community service.

Perhaps the most popular feature of the Settlement is the playground, with its beautiful old shade trees, its fresh green grass, its rings, swings, see-saws, horizontal bar and sand box; its gay hibiscus flowers and its bubbling drinking fountains.

“Here, where once sweet Mother Baldwin dispensed open-hearted hospitality and gathered her Hawaiian friends about her for songs and for instruction in heavenly graces, the people of the neighborhood now come and go from dawn to dark, day after day …”

“… as freely as if they owned the place, and the Girl Scout leader assembles her troop for songs and for instruction in modern efficiency.” (Gossin, The Friend, December 1, 1922)

“One of the summer festivities was a garden party for which the Settlement children made really beautiful butterflies. On these were printed the words : ‘Keep Lahaina Clean.’ At the back of the butterflies the children pasted small burrs, which stuck when the butterflies were thrown at people.”

“One afternoon a week the sewing girls have been taught cooking. Simple food which they could make in their own homes, boiled rice, potatoes, cocoa, coffee, baked custard, gingerbread, muffins, pan-cakes, etc. Much emphasis has been laid on the preserving of Hawaiian fruits, papaia marmalade, guava marmalade and jelly, mango pickles and mango sauce, all with a view to the fact that sometime this could be made an industry for Lahaina girls.”

“The kindergarten is composed of several nationalities— Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, German, and Spanish. We find the homes of the children much cleaner and more sanitary this year than ever before, as each year the people are becoming more and more educated along hygienic lines, which is indeed encouraging. We are planning work for the coming year, which we hope will be helpful in all ways in teaching the children to care for themselves and others.” (HEA Annual Report, 1912)

“How appropriate that these activities are being conducted under the auspices of the descendants of the very missionaries whose beautiful lives consecrated this home to unselfish service.”

“How satisfactory it is that all departments of the work are crowded to capacity and that the Settlement, though small in scope and modest in endeavor, seems to have made a place for itself in the lives and hearts of the community it aims to serve.” (Gossin, The Friend, December 1, 1922)

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October 8, 2017 by Peter T Young 3 Comments

Ships to Hawaii Before 1819

The following is a chronological listing of voyages to Hawai‘i. The information is from a summary from Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society (HMCS) and is limited to material in the library of the Mission Houses’ library, one of the largest of Hawaiiana in existence.)

While a complete list is desirable, to accomplish this, it would be necessary to examine carefully all the known ships’ logs, private journals, newspapers and other old documents. While it may not be a complete listing, it notes the bulk of voyages to the Islands. (Judd, HMCS)

1778
Resolution – Captain James Cook, arrived January 18, 1778, departed Feb. 2, 1778; Discovery – Captain Charles Clerke
Second visit – arrived Nov. 26, 1778, departed Feb. 4, 1779; but a broken mast on the Resolution forced both vessels to return Feb. 11, 1779. Captain Cook was killed Feb 14. Vessels finally left islands March 13, 1779.
“For several years after this melancholy event no ship visited the islands after Captain Cook.” (Dibble)

1786
King George – British registry, Capt Nathaniel Portlock, arrived May 24, 1786, departed Jun 13, 1786 – came a second time in Nov 1786 and a third in Sept. 1787. Accompanied by Queen Charlotte.
Queen Charlotte – British registry, Capt. George Dixon, with Portlock’s expedition, arrived May 26, 1786, departed June 13, 1786
Boussole – French naval frigate, La Pérouse in command; arrived May 29, 1786, departed May 30, 1786. He landed at Maui only. Accompanied by Astrolabe.
Astrolabe – French naval frigate, de Langle in command, with La Pérouse’s expedition; arrived May 29, 1786, departed May 30, 1786.

1787
Nootka – British registry; John Meares, master; arrived Aug. 2, 1787, departed Sept. 2, 1787.
Queen Charlotte – British registry; Capt George Dixon; with Portlock’s expedition; arrived Sept. 5, 1787, departed Sept. 18, 1787
King George – British registry; Capt. Nathaniel Portlock; arrived Sept. 27, 1787, departed Oct. 8, 1787
Imperial Eagle or Loudoun – Charles William Barkley, master
Prince of Wales – British registry; James Colnett, master; spent winter of 1787-88 at Hawaii; accompanied by Princess Royal
Princess Royal – British registry, merchant vessel; Charles Duncan, master; spent winter of 1787-88 at Hawaii with Prince of Wales

1788
Felice – Britsh registry; John Meares, master; arrived Oct. 18, 1788, departed Oct. 26, 1788
Iphigenia – British registry, ship; William Douglas, master; arrived Dec. 6, 1788, departed Mar. 16, 1789; accompanied by North West America
North West America – British registry, schooner; Robert Funter, master; arrived Dec. 6, 1799, departed March 15, 1789; accompanied by North West America

1789
Iphigenia – British registry; William Douglas, master; arrived July 20, 1789, departed Aug. 20, 1789
Columbia – Boston registry, ship; Robert Gray, master; arrived in August 1789
Mercury – British registry, brig; Capt. John Henry Cox, master; arrived Sept. 23, 1789, departed Sept. 25, 1789; George Mortimer on board

1790
Eleanora – American registry, brig; Simon Metcalf, master; by ordering the Olowalu Massacre, Simon Metcalf provoked the natives to retaliation. This the Hawaiians accomplished by capturing the Fair American and murdering all the crew except Isaac Davis. When John Young, the boatswain, was sent ashore from the Eleanora a few days later, he was held by natives for fear he would tell Metcalf of the fate of the crew of the Fair American. Young and Davis became two of Kamehameha I’s chief advisors.
Fair American – American registry; Thomas Metcalf, master

1791
Princess Royal – Formerly British registry, now under Spanish colors; Manuel Quimper, master; arrived Apr. 1791
Argonaut – British registry, merchant vessel; James Colnett, master; arrived Apr. 1791; credited with bringing first sheep to Kauai
Hope – American registry, brigantine, trader; Joseph Ingraham, master; arrived Oct. 6, 1791, departed Oct. 12, 1791
Lady Washington – American registry, sloop; Capt. John Kendrick, master
Hancock – American registry, brig; Capt. Crowell, master

1792
Discovery – Capt. George Vancouver; accompanied by Chatham; arrived Mar. 2, 1792, departed Mar. 16, 1792
Chatham – Lieut. William Robert Broughton; accompanied Discover; arrived Mar 2, 1792, departed Mar. 16, 1792
Daedalus – British naval store ship; lieut. Hergest; arrived May 7, 1792, departed May 12, 1792
Columbia – Boston registry, ship; Robert Gray, master; arrived Oct 29, 1792, departed Nov. 3, 1792
Halcyon – Charles William Barkley, master; arrived Nov. 8, 1792, departed Nov. 15, 1792
Margaret – American registry, ship; Capt. Magee, master
Jenny – England; Capt. Baker, master

1793
Discovery – Capt. George Vancouver; accompanied by Chatham; arrived Feb. 12, 1793, departed Mar. 30, 1793
Chatham – Lieut. Peter Puget; accompanied Discovery; arrived Feb. 12, 1793
Jefferson – American registry, trader; Capt. Roberts, master; arrived Mar 1793
Butterworth – English registry, trader; William Brown, master

1794
Discovery – Capt. George Vancouver; accompanied by Chatham; arrived Jan. 9, 1794, departed Mar. 14, 1794
Chatham – Lieut. Peter Puget; accompanied Discovery; arrived January 9, 1794, departed Mar. 14, 1794
Britannia – first vessel built in Hawaii; constructed under Vancouver’s supervision in Feb, 1794
Jefferson – American registry; Capt. Roberts, master; arrived Oct 1794
Phoenix – Capt. Moore, master
Jackal – English registry, schooner, trader; William Brown, master
Prince Lee Boo – English registry, Capt. Gordon, master
Lady Washington – American registry; Capt. John Kendrick, master

1795
Union – Boston registry; John Boit, jr., master; arrived Oct. 13, 1795, departed Oct. 16, 1795
Jane – arrived Oct. 13, 1795, departed Nov. 12, 1795
Ruby – Charles Bishop, master
Mercury – Capt. Barnett, master

1796
Providence – Capt. William Robert Broughton; arrived Jan. 1, 1796, departed Feb. 20, 1796
Arthur – Henry Barber, master
Otter – Boston registry; Ebenezer Dorr, master; sighted Hawaii Dec. 2, 1796, left Kauai Jan. 1, 1797

1798
Neptune – American registry; Daniel Greene, master; arrived Aug. 12, 1798, departed Aug. 31, 1798

1799
Caroline or Dragon – American registry, Richard J. Cleveland, master; arrived July 19, 1799, departed July 21, 1799

1800
Betsy – British registry; arrived Oct. 21, 1800, departed Oct. 28, 1800

1801
Perseverance – American registry; Masa Delano, master; arrived December 10, 1801, departed December 20, 1801

1802
Atahualpa – Boston registry; Capt. Wildes, master; arrived Aug. 5, 1802, departed Nov. 4, 1802
Margaret – British registry; Johy Buyers, master; arrived Dec 17, 1802, departed Jan. 21, 1803
Ann – American registry; arrived Dec. 25, 1802, departed Dec. 28, 1802

1803
Lelia Byrd – American registry; William Shaler, master; arrived June 21, 1803, departed July 7, 1803; brought first horse to Hawaii

1804
Nadeshda -Russian; Capt. Lieut. Adam John von Krusenstern in command; arrived June 7, 1804, departed June 10, 1804
Neva – Russian; Capt. Lieut. Urey Lisiansky in command under von Krusenstern; arrived Jun 8, 1804, departed Jun 20, 1804

1805
Lelia Byrd – American registry; William Shaler, master; arrived Aug. 22, 1805
Tamana – John Hudson, master; built in Hawaii 1805
Atahualpa – Boston; Capt. Adams, master; arrived Aug. 1805, departed Oct. 6, 1805
Yarmouth – arrived Dec. 8, 1805; Samuel Patterson; departed Dec. 22, 1805

1806
Hamilton – Boston; Capt. Porter
Perseverance – American; Amasa Delano, master; arrived Sept. 8, departed Sept. 30.
Port au Prince – London; Mr Brown, master; arrived Sept. 29, 1806, departed Oct. 26, 1806
Pearl – Boston; Capt. Ebetts, master
O’Cain – Boston; Jonathan Winship, master
Tamana – John Hudson, master

1807
Maryland – New York; Jonathan Perry, jr., master; arrived May 19, 1807, departed July 19, 1807

1809
Neva – Russian; Capt. Hargemeister; arrived Jan. 27, 1809
Dromo – American; arrived Feb. 24, 1809, departed Mar. 15, 1809

1810
Duke of Portland – Capt. Spence, master; arrived Feb., departed Mar. 4
Albatross – American

1811
Tonquin – American; Capt. Jonathan Thorn, master; arrived Feb. 13, 1811, departed Feb. 28

1812
Beaver – American; Capt. Cornelius Sowles, master; arrived Mar 26, 1812, departed Apr. 6, 1812

1813
Lark – American; Capt. Northcop, master

1814
Sir Andrew Hammond – U.S. ship of war; commanded by Lieut. John Gamble of Marine Corps; arrived May 23, 1814, departed June 11, 1814
Cherub – British ship of war; Capt. Tucker; arrived Jun 22, departed July 15
Atahualpa – Boston; sold to Russians, renamed to Bering; wrecked off Kauai during attempted occupation by Russians
Isabella, Othrytie, Kodiak, Ilmen and Bering – Russian vessels

1815
Columbia – British; Anthony Robson, master; arrived Jan 16, 1815, departed Jan 18, 1815
Millwood – New York; Samuel G. Bailey, master; arrived Dec. 7, departed Feb. 16
Columbia – British; Capt. Jennings; arrived Dec. 10, departed Jan 4, 1816

1816
Rurick – Russian; Lieut. Otto von Kotzenbue; arrived Nov 21, departed Dec 14

1817
Columbia – British; Capt. Jennings; arrived January 27, departed Apr. 16
Bordeaux Packet – American; Andrew Blanchard, master; arrived Aug 12; sold to Kalaimoku in Dec.
Rurick – Russian; Lieut. Otto von Kotzebue; arrived Sept 27, departed Oct. 14, 1817
Columbia – British; Capt. Jennings, master; arrived December 6; sold to Kamehameha I, May 2, 1818.

1818
Santa Rosa – A pirate ship under Capt. Turner; arrived May, departed Oct. 20
Osprey – arrived Aug 28, 1818, departed Sept. 20, 1818
Argentina – belonged to independents of South America; Capt. Hippolyte Bouchard; arrived Sept, departed Oct. 20
Kamschatka – Russian; Capt. Golovnin; arrived Oct. 20, 1818

(All information is from Voyages to Hawaii Before 1860, HMCS, 1929.)

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October 6, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

First American Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe

Jeanne Baret, a French woman from the Loire Valley, and her lover, botanist Philibert Commerson, implemented an elaborate plot so she could join him on a French expedition around the world, led by explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville.

Just before Bougainville’s ship, the Etoile, set sail in December 1766, Baret dressed as a man and showed up on the dock to offer her services – introducing herself as “Jean.”

They set sail, and over the couple of years amassed more than 6,000 plant specimens – including one they named for the expedition’s commander, bougainvillea. Although later found out to be a woman, and disembarked along the way, she later made it back to France – the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. (Cohen)

The credit of first American woman to circumnavigate the globe is given to Lucia Ruggles Holman – like Jeanne Baret’s, her trip around the world had its complications.

The 1819 departure of the Pioneer Company of missionaries to the Islands missionary was in danger of indeterminate delay because they lacked a physician.

One in the company, Samuel Ruggles, thought of Lucia, his sister, and her suitor, Thomas Holman, a physician practicing in Cooperstown, New York. If the doctor could be persuaded to join the missionary cause, events could proceed on schedule.

Ruggles thought Lucia and Thomas could marry, and then he would have the company of kin on this endeavor. However, Holman, a recent graduate of Cherry Valley Medical School in New York could not marry due to the debts incurred by the doctor’s unsuccessful practice. Then, a solution appeared in the guise of becoming missionaries.

The Prudential Committee acting on behalf of the American Board assumed the debts, purchased the necessary medical books, instruments, drugs, and supplies, and sent Holman to the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall for training. (Wagner-Wright)

On October 23, 1819, the Pioneer Company of American Protestant missionaries from the northeast US set sail on the Thaddeus for the Hawaiian Islands.

Dr Thomas Holman and his wife Lucia joined two Ordained Preachers, Hiram Bingham and his wife Sybil and Asa Thurston and his wife Lucy; two Teachers, Mr. Samuel Whitney and his wife Mercy and Samuel Ruggles and his wife Mary; a Printer, Elisha Loomis and his wife Maria; and a Farmer, Daniel Chamberlain, his wife and five children.

After rounding Cape Horn (the southern tip of South America) and 164-days at sea, on April 4, 1820, the Thaddeus arrived and anchored at Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Hawai‘i’s “Plymouth Rock” is about where the Kailua pier is today.

On April 11, King Kamehameha II gave the missionaries permission to stay. However, “The King gives orders that Dr. H. and our teacher must land at Kiarooah – the village where he now resides, and the rest of the family may go to Oahhoo, or Wahhoo.”

“(H)e wanted the Dr. to stay with them, as they had no Physician and appeared much pleased that one had come; as to pulla-pulla (learning), they knew nothing about it. Consequently it was agreed that Dr. H. & Mr. Thurston should stay with the King and the rest of the family go to Oahhoo.” (Lucia Ruggles Holman)

Things did not go smooth for the Holmans and the rest in the mission – it started on the trip over – “Long before the close of the voyage this little community began most sensibly to feel the unpropitious influence of a most refractory spirit in (Dr Holman) …”

“… (who declared) determination not to comply with the principles established by the Board, & expressed to us in the instructions of the prudential committee, for the regulation of our economical policy.”

“Both the Dr. & his wife spoke often of acquiring personal wealth & returning early if they should succeed, to their own country. The Dr. objected to subscribing to our byelaws founded on the above named principles, because he said they cut him off from his original plans.”

“He wished to acquire the miens of returning at pleasure to America, & to educate his children there &c. … When he was referred to the general tenure of our instructions, he replied … that he had not subscribed them all &c. Sister H. too, from the time of leaving Boston repeatedly talked loudly of returning to her friends.”

“He has now received the 2nd admonition – Br. Thurston says ‘it is most manifestly our duty to proceed in our course of discipline with him even to excision if he does not confess his faults & evidence repentance future amendment’”. (Bingham to Samuel Worcester, October 11, 1820)

Dr. Holman, contrary to the unanimous advice and request of the brethren, left them, and went to reside on the island of Maui, more than 80 miles from any of them. This they considered an abandonment of the mission.

“The subject is too painful to dwell on, except when imperious duty demands – All the mission family is exhausted with it and with one voice, much as they need a physician, they would desire the Dr & his wife were safely landed on their native shore.” (Bingham to Evarts, November 2, 1820)

After only four months in the islands, the Holmans had not adjusted to the spirit of the mission. (Kelley) He withdrew from the mission on July 30, 1820 and returned to the US with his family (including Lucia Kamāmalu Holman born in 1821).

On October 2, 1821, Dr. Holman and family accepted free passage home on the Mentor, a whaleship, via China and the Cape of Good Hope. Mrs. Lucia Ruggles Holman is believed to be the first American woman to circumnavigate the globe. (Portraits)

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October 5, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

‘Pine City’

After methodically buying up individual parcels, by 1907, Charles Gay, youngest son of Captain Thomas Gay and Jane Sinclair Gay, acquired the island of Lānaʻi (except for about 100-acres.) He was the first to establish the single-ownership model for Lānaʻi (with roughly 89,000 acres.)

Around 1919, Gay experimented with planting pineapple on a small scale. In November 1922 James Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Ltd (HAPCo) acquired nearly the entire island and began the subsequent establishment of its pineapple plantation.

HAPCo was incorporated in 1901 by Dole and began its pineapple operations at Wahiawa on the Island of Oahu. Over the next two decades, the company grew in scale and prospered. Production increased from 1,893 cases of canned pineapple in 1903 to over 1,700,000 cases in 1920.

The acquisition of Lānaʻi “means that (the) pineapple business which has grown so rapidly into large proportions may safely grow much further. The future of canned Hawaiian pineapple looms large.” (HAPCo, 25th Anniversary)

Plans for building Lānaʻi City were drawn up in early 1923, as Dole and his partners set out to make Lānaʻi the world’s largest pineapple plantation.

Dole contracted Hawaiian Dredging Co of Honolulu to ‘establish a small town … with suitable water supply, electric lights, sewerage, etc,’ build a harbor with a breakwater and wharf at Kaumālapaʻu, and a road from there to the site of the new city. (HABS)

Dole had originally proposed that his main town on Lānaʻi be named Pine City. He preferred this name for the town as a shortened version of Pineapple City.

When the US Postal service began to set up postal operations there, it informed HAPCo that it would not allow the use of the name Pine City (apparently that name was already over-used on the US mainland). The main town was instead named Lānaʻi City. (HAPCo, 25th Anniversary)

With Hawaiian Dredging Co. contracted to build much of the infrastructure, it fell to HAPCo engineers to formulate the design of the new city’s layout and its buildings. For this task they turned to HAPCo plantation engineer David E Root and his assistant James T Munro.

Root was plantation engineer for HAPCo on Lānaʻi from 1923 to 1926. HAPCo hired Munro in 1923 to assist Root by taking charge of the ‘development and operation of the water system and other responsibilities.’ In 1926 Munro took over as plantation engineer, a position he held until 1939 when he was transferred to the Honolulu office.

Building construction in Lānaʻi City began in 1923 using Japanese work crews under the direction of Kikuichi Honda, who was a contractor on Maui before coming to Lānaʻi City to work for HAPCo.

Honda and his crew worked on buildings (mostly residences) into 1924. Honda left Lānaʻi in mid-1924 for reasons unknown and did not return to do any more construction work.

In his stead, he appointed a member of his 1923-24 construction crew, Masaru Takaki as the crew leader for building on Lānaʻi. Takaki directed building from 1924-1929. (HABS)

“Lānaʻi is about 60 miles from the cannery. So we needed a harbor. By cutting away the cliffs on one side, running a heavy breakwater into the ocean on the other and then dredging, we got it.”

“Then a road for heavy trucking – seven miles back and 1600 feet up into the island. That was built. Water was brought across the mountain range on the windward side of the island to a reservoir near the town.”

“A city was needed where laboring families and overseers could live happily. Lānaʻi City stands (as) a model community of its kind – population already past 1,000 and complete even to stores, bank, schools, hospital, Buddhist temple, ‘movies’ and ‘Mayor!’”

“The island is completely organized and is in daily touch with the cannery by radio telephone.” (HAPCo, 25th Anniversary) (Lānaʻi City would ultimately house about 3,000 HAPCo employees and their families.)

Under Dole’s tenure, the Lānaʻi plantation and city grew, and at one time the island supported nearly 20,000 acres of cultivated pineapple, making it the world’s largest plantation.

Lānaʻi City blossomed upon the landscape; most of the buildings and streets which we still see today were constructed during this short period.

By March 1924, the general layout of Lānaʻi City was established and some 40 buildings—many of which remain in the present-day Lānaʻi City—were built or were under construction.

In the early years of the plantation, the largest group of immigrant laborers was made up of skilled Japanese carpenters and stone masons. Their initial work was undertaken on an almost barren landscape, overgrazed by years of sheep, goat, and cattle pasturing.

Lānaʻi City was the first planned community in the Territory of Hawaii and today is the last intact plantation town in Maui County.

It was laid out and built using the contemporary principles of the Garden City planning concept developed in the 1890s and adopted in the 1920s by the HSPA.

This was a rejection of the model of worker housing as an industrial slum. It embraced the idea that a well planned and laid out city in the midst of a greenbelt with open spaces and tree-lined streets was more conducive to worker productivity.

For seventy years, from 1922 to 1992 when the last harvest took place, the name “Lānaʻi” was synonymous with pineapple.

Early photographs of Lānaʻi City do not show it to be appreciably superior to other, contemporaneous plantation towns.

However, the wide streets and commodious-looking structures eventually enhanced by thousands of Norfolk pine trees make Lānaʻi City now one of the handsomest small towns in Hawaii. (HABS) (Lots of information here is from Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center, HABS and HAPCo 25th Anniversary.)

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