Prominent People | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

September 21, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

James Walker Austin

James Walker Austin (1829-1895) was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, January 8, 1829, son of William Austin (1778- 1841) and Lucy Jones (1802-1853).

“My father died in my boyhood (in Charlestown, June 27, 1841), and now, after nearly fifty years, his pleasant smile, his kind heart, and the light of his countenance are still living memories.” (James Walker Austin)

James was prepared for college in the schools of Charlestown and at the Chauncy Hall School, Boston, and was graduated from Harvard College in 1849, and from the Law School two years later, and was admitted to the Suffolk Bar in 1851.

He went in 1851 to California, and thence to the Hawaiian Islands. He was attracted by the beauty and fertility of the islands, and he determined to settle there.

Austin arrived in Hawaii and was quickly thereafter enlisted by Kamehameha III for his legal services. He served the monarchy in that capacity through the reigns of Kamehameha III, Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V.

On July 18, 1857, he married Ariana Elizabeth Smith Sleeper (1829-1911) who was the daughter of John Sherborn Sleeper (1794-1878) and Mary Folsom Noble (1798-1885). They were the parents of five children.

He rose rapidly in the public esteem, and was soon chosen to places of trust and honor. In rapid succession he was made District Attorney, Member of Parliament, Speaker of the House, and a Justice of the Supreme Court.

He was also placed on two important Commissions, — one for revising the Civil Code, the other for revising the Criminal Code of the Kingdom. (Edes; Colonial Society of MA, 1895)

In honor of his work for Kamehameha V, James Walker Austin was given the land upon which Kapualei Ranch sits on July 10, 1868. (Kapualei Ranch)

He was admitted to the Bar in that country, and was appointed district attorney. He was elected to the Hawaiian Parliament, and reelected for three sessions. He was speaker of the House one session.

He was the guardian a number of years, of Lunalilo, heir to the throne. “Prince Bill had many fine qualities. In spite of his many fine qualities he was overcome by one weakness. He became addicted to liquor.”

“In 1858 Kanaʻina, out of love and concern for his son, petitioned the court to appoint guardians for him. Prince Bill agreed to this idea even though he was twenty-three years old. So the court appointed his father and two others, Dr. Richard Armstrong and James W Austin, as guardians.” (Galuteria)

In 1868 Austin was appointed judge of the Supreme Court by a special act of the Legislature, and he was chosen to revise the criminal code of the islands, in connection with two other judges of the Supreme Court.

He had been a member of the commission to revise the civil code two years before. These codes were modeled on those of the State of Massachusetts.

He returned to the United States in 1872 for the education of his children. The Austins made 9 Arlington in Boston their home. Their children lived with them: Herbert Austin, who would become an iron and steel dealer; Walter Austin, who would become an attorney and author; William Francis Austin; and Edith Austin.

“Judge Austin was a man of strong character, and of many accomplishments. His integrity was unimpeachable. He had a large circle of friends at the islands, where he had much to do in building up a vigorous and well-ordered community.”

“He was highly esteemed for his many noble qualities. His rugged honesty of opinion and positive ideas were sometimes veiled by his gentle manner; but they never lacked vigorous expression upon all proper occasions, and he always had the courage of his convictions.”

“Frankness, purity of mind and of heart, loyalty to every duty and to friends, and sincerity were marked traits of his character. His sympathies were as tender and quick as a woman’s. Censoriousness had no place in his fine nature; and when he could not approve the actions of others, he cultivated that silence which is golden.”

“He was as generous in his judgments of others as in his gifts to many worthy objects; and in all the relations of life he furnished an example deserving emulation.” (Edes; Colonial Society of MA, 1895)

Austin went to Europe the last year of his life, with his wife and daughter, and they were with him at the time of his death. He died in Southampton, England, October 15, 1895. (New England Historic Genealogical Society)

“In every relation of his long and active life he was an example to be imitated and followed. Sincerity, truthfulness, and frankness spoke in every accent of his voice, in the pressure of his hand, in his manly and gentle spirit.”

“His affections, when once placed, were deep and lasting. His charity of thought and feeling and act seemed instinctive, but it rested on solid and enduring principles.”

“No one who knew him intimately in public or in social life could ever doubt that he was a man of positive opinions, or that he had any hesitancy, when occasion required, in expressing them; but he never unduly pressed his own views, and was eminently tolerant of the opinions, and even the prejudices, of his associates.”

“No man loathed selfishness, deceit, or treachery more than he; but while he condemned the act he pitied the offender. He avoided controversy, and strove to be a peace-maker.”

“After more than twenty years of acquaintanceship – for many years seeing him almost daily – the writer of these lines does not recall an instance of hearing Judge Austin utter a censorious remark upon any man or woman.”

“And it is said that this temper and manner characterized him through his entire career, – in his boyhood days, at the university, at the bar, on the bench, and in all the various associations of his life, – public, social, and domestic.”

“But who can adequately express in words the prompt and unfailing sympathy he manifested for every form of woe and suffering? To many hearts surcharged with sorrow his ready and tender ministries have been a source of hope and courage, of comfort and of strength.

“He was, indeed, a rare man, and the world is poorer now that he has left us.” (Hoyt; New England Historic Genealogical Society)

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9-10-11 Arlington (ca. 1865), before construction of 8 Arlington; courtesy of Anthony Sammarco

8-9-10-11 Arlington (ca. 1942), photograph by Bainbridge Bunting, courtesy of The Gleason Partnership

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September 17, 2018 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

The Face of the Future

After attending the National Baptist Convention in San Francisco and speaking in Los Angeles, Dr Martin Luther King flew to Hawaii for several engagements and a brief vacation.

On September 17, 1959, arriving just three weeks after Hawaii became the fiftieth state, he addressed the legislature at the state capitol, the ‘Iolani Palace. King thanks the Hawaiians for offering the nation “a noble example” of progress “in the area of racial harmony and racial justice.”

“Mr. Speaker, distinguished members of the House of Representatives of this great new state in our Union, ladies and gentlemen:”

“It is certainly a delightful privilege and pleasure for me to have this great opportunity and, I shall say, it is a great honor to come before you today and to have the privilege of saying just a few words to you about some of the pressing problems confronting our nation and our world.”

“I come to you with a great deal of appreciation and great feeling of appreciation, I should say, for what has been accomplished in this beautiful setting and in this beautiful state of our Union.”

“As I think of the struggle that we are engaged in in the South land, we look to you for inspiration and as a noble example, where you have already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice, what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country …”

“… and you can never know what it means to those of us caught for the moment in the tragic and often dark midnight of man’s inhumanity to man, to come to a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity and racial justice.”

“People ask me from time to time as I travel across the country and over the world whether there has been any real progress in the area of race relations, and I always answer it by saying that there are three basic attitudes that one can take toward the question of progress in the area of race relations.”

“One can take the attitude of extreme optimism. The extreme optimist would contend that we have come a long, long way in the area of race relations, and he would point proudly to the strides that have been made in the area of civil rights in the last few decades.”

“And, from this, he would conclude that the problem is just about solved now and that we can sit down comfortably by the wayside and wait on the coming of the inevitable.”

“And then there is the extreme, the attitude of extreme pessimism, that we often find. The extreme pessimist would contend that we have made only minor strides in the area of human relations.”

“He would contend that we have created many more problems than we have solved. He would look around and see the tensions in certain sections of the country; he would listen to the rhythmic beat of the deep rumblings of discontent; he would point to the presence of Federal troops in Little Rock, Arkansas …”

“… he would point to schools being closed in some states of the Union and from all of this, he would conclude that we have retrogressed instead of progressed. And then he would go on later and contend that a monster human nature cannot be changed.”

“Sometimes he will turn to the realm of theology and talk about the tragic taint of original sin hovering over every individual, or he might turn to psychology and talk about the inflexibility of certain habit structures once they have been molded and from all of this, he would conclude that there can be no progress in the area of human relations because human beings cannot be changed once they have started on a certain road.”

“Now, it is interesting to notice that the extreme optimist and the extreme pessimist have at least one thing in common. They both agree that we must sit down and do nothing in the area of race relations.”

“The extreme optimist says do nothing because integration is inevitable. The extreme pessimist says do nothing because integration is impossible.”

“But I think there is a third position, a third attitude that can be taken, namely the realistic position. The realistic attitude seeks to reconcile the truths of two opposites while avoiding the extremes of both.”

“So the realist in the area of race relations would agree with the optimist that we have come a long, long way, but he would balance that by agreeing with the pessimist that we have a long, long way to go.”

“And so this is my answer to the questions of whether there has been any progress in the area of race relations. I seek to be realistic and say we have a long, long way to go.”

“Now, it is easy for us to see that we have come a long, long way. Twenty-five years ago, fifty years ago, a year hardly passed that numerous Negroes were not brutally lynched in our nation by vicious mobs. Lynchings have about ceased today.”

“We think about the fact that just twenty-five years ago, most of the Southern states had a system known as a poll tax to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters. The poll tax has been eliminated in all but four states.”

“We think about the fact that the Negro is voting now more than he has ever voted before. At the turn of the century, there were very few Negro registered voters in the South. By 1948 that number had reached to 750,000, and, today, it stands at about 1,300,000.”

“And even in the area of economic justice, we have seen a good deal of progress. The average Negro wage earner in the South today and over the nation makes four times more than the average Negro wage earner of ten years ago and the national income of the Negro is now $17 billion a year.”

“That is more than all of the exports of the United States and more than the national income of Canada. So, we’ve come a long, long way.”

“Then we’ve come a long, long way in seeing the walls of segregation gradually crumble. When the Supreme Court rendered its decision in 1954, seventeen states and the District of Columbia practiced segregation in the public schools, but, today, most of these states have complied with the decision …”

“… and just five states are left that have not made any move in the area of compliance and two of these states are now under orders to integrate – Atlanta, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana.”

“So after next September, that will only leave Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina as the states that have not complied with the Supreme Court’s decision.”

“So, you can see that we have come a long, long way. But before stopping –it would be wonderful if I could stop here – but I must move on for two or three more minutes and say that there is another sign.”

“You see, it would be a fact for me to say we have come a long, long way, but it wouldn’t be telling the truth. A fact is the absence of contradiction, but truth is the presence of coherence. Truth is the relatedness of facts.”

“Now, it is a fact that we have come a long, long way, but in order to tell the truth, it is necessary to move on and say we have a long, long way to go.”

“If we stop here, we would be the victims of a dangerous optimism. We would be victims of an illusion wrapped in superficiality. So, in order to tell the truth, it’s necessary to move on and say we have a long, long way to go.”

“Now, it is not difficult to see that. We know that the forces of resistance are rising at times to ominous proportions in the South. The legislative halls of many of our states ring loud with such words as ‘interposition’ and ‘nullification.’”

“While lynchings have ceased to a great extent, other things are happening. Churches are being bombed, homes are being bombed, schools are being bombed, synagogues are being bombed by forces that are determined to stand against the law of the land.”

“And although the Negro is voting more than ever before, we know that there are still conniving forces being used to keep the Negro from being a registered voter. Out of the potential 5,000,000 Negro registered voters in the South, we only have 1,300,000.”

“This means that we have a long, long way to go in order to make justice a reality there in the registration of voting. And although we have come a long, long way in the economic realm, we have a long, long way to there in order to make economic justice a reality. And then segregation is still with us.”

“Although we have seen the walls gradually crumble, it is still with us. I imply that figuratively speaking, that Old Man Segregation is on his death bed, but you know history has proven that social systems have a great last-minute breathing power, and the guardians of the status quo are always on hand with their oxygen tents to keep the old order alive, and this is exactly what we see today.”

“So segregation is still with us. We are confronted in the South in its glaring and conspicuous forms, and we are confronted in almost every other section of the nation in its hidden and subtle forms.”

“But if democracy is to live, segregation must die. Segregation is a cancer in the body politic which must be removed before our democratic health can be realized.”

“In a real sense, the shape of the world today does not permit us the luxury of an anemic democracy. If we are to survive, if we are to stand as a force in the world, if we are to maintain our prestige, we must solve this problem because people are looking over to America.”

“Just two years ago I traveled all over Africa and talked with leaders from that great continent. One of the things they said to me was this …”

“No amount of extensive handouts and beautiful words would be substitutes for treating our brothers in the United States as first-class citizens and human beings. This came to me from mouth of Prime Minister Nkrumah of Ghana.”

“Just four months ago, I traveled throughout India and the Middle East and talked with many of the people and leaders of that great country and other people in the Middle East, and these are the things they talked about …”

“That we must solve this problem if we are to stand and to maintain our prestige. And I can remember very vividly meeting people all over Europe and in the Middle East and in the Far East, and even though many of them could not speak English, they knew how to say ‘Little Rock.’”

“And these are the things that we must be concerned about – we must be concerned about because we love America and we are out to free not only the Negro.”

“This is not our struggle today to free 17,000,000 Negroes. It’s bigger than that. We are seeking to free the soul of America. Segregation debilitates the white man as well as the Negro. We are to free all men, all races and all groups.”

“This is our responsibility and this is our challenge, and we look to this great new state in our Union as the example and as the inspiration. As we move on in this realm, let us move on with the faith that this problem can be solved, and that it will be solved, believing firmly that all reality hinges on moral foundations, and we are struggling for what is right, and we are destined to win.”

“We have come a long, long way. We have a long, long way to go.”

“I close, if you will permit me, by quoting the words of an old Negro slave preacher. He didn’t quite have his grammar right, but he uttered some words in the form of a prayer with great symbolic profundity and these are the words he said:”

“‘Lord, we ain’t what we want to be; we ain’t what we ought to be; we ain’t what we gonna be, but thank God, we ain’t what we was.’ Thank you.” (Dr Martin Luther King)

He later shared his impressions of Hawai‘i’s multi-ethnic society: “As I looked at all of these various faces and various colors mingled together like the waters of the sea, I could see only one face – the face of the future!” (King)

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September 14, 2018 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Hind-Clarke Dairy

Robert Hind and Hannah Peirce Low were married in Honolulu, April 26, 1892. In 1893 he entered into a partnership with his brother-in-law, Eben P. Low, in the cattle ranch on the Island of Hawaii, now known as Puuwaawaa.

In 1903 Mr. Hind purchased Mr. Low’s interest in the ranch and took over full management of the property, resigning his position with the Hawi Mill and Plantation Co., Ltd. which he had held continuously since 1885. Mr. Hind now has more than two thousand head of cattle on the Puuwaawaa ranch.

Identified for forty years with the development of cattle ranching and dairying in Hawaii, Robert Hind, son of a pioneer sugar planter who came to the islands from England in the 60’s, has also been prominent in public life and at present is devoting most of his attention to the improvement of land holdings on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu. (Nellist)

In 1918 Robert Hind started Kapahulu Dairy. (Kelly) In 1924, Hind purchased 2,090-acres and established the Hind-Clarke Dairy with John K Clarke. “Rancher and Cattleman To Import 100 Pure Bred Guernseys At Once Will Be Added To Stock Ready for Opening of Hind-Clarke Dairy”

“One hundred pure bred Guernsey milch cows for the Hind-Clarke dairy, which is to be opened for business in the Waialae district later in the summer, will arrive from San Francisco June 30, announces Robert Hind, rancher and dairyman, who returned from the mainland on the steamer Wilhelmina Tuesday.”

“The cows, which represent one of the largest purchases of milch cows ever made for any dairy In Hawaii, were obtained by Hind during his recent trip to the mainland. The cost of the cows has not yet been announced, but it will total many thousands of dollar.”

“‘The cows are of the purest breed.’ explained Hind in discussing his purchase. ‘I bought them in Wisconsin and I expect them to arrive about the latter part of June.’”

“‘These cows will produce the highest quality of milk, which will be of a rich color and of a taste for which the Guernsey is famous. The animals have the best kind of pedigrees and would be valuable additions to any dairy.’”

“The dairy already has 150 Holstein cows, which produce milk In quantity, and the coming herd will increase his herd to at least 250 milk producers.”

“During his visit on the mainland Hind visited many of the leading dairies of the United States. He studied their methods and has brought back to Hawaii many ideas and plans for the dairy.”

“According to present plans the Hind-Clarke dairy will wholesale and retail milk. The dairy will specialize in certified milk and it is planned to make the dairy one of the most efficient In the islands. Modern machinery, such as bottling machines, will be used In the dairy, Hind added.”

“Hind for some years has been operating a large dairy at Kaimuki, but bought a big tract of land between Kaimuki and Koko Head and is developing a model dairy plant there, construction of which has been under way for many months.”

“John K. Clarke is associated with him and O. A. Young, dairy expert, formerly of Seattle. is resident manager.” (Star Bulletin, June 10, 1925)

The Hind-Clarke Dairy was a favored stop along the road, as noted in a 1930 visitor’s guide …

“The Hind-Clarke Dairy, a short way ahead and to our left with a large sign over the entrance, is not to be passed unnoticed. The dairy is a model of its kind and well affords an opportunity to see dairying in its most scientific form. The cottage cheese on sale is, perhaps, the most delicious you have ever tasted.” (Cultural Surveys)

“And Hind-Clarke Dairy had this drive-in where they had their own ice cream parlor [Hind-Clarke Drive Inn]. And later on it got to be known as M’s Ranch House.” (‘M’ referencing Mona Hind Holmes, Robert’s daughter.)

“Until only recently it was still there, and they finally closed down. But it started out as a Hind-Clarke Dairy ice cream parlor, but people drove in there to buy ice cream.” (Yamaguchi Oral History)

Robert Hind died in December 1938. Robert Hind, Ltd, under the direction of Trustee John K. Clarke (who oversaw the trust until his death in 1951), continued operation of the Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Ranch holdings, and various interests both on Hawai‘i (Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a, Captain Cook, and Honomalino) and O‘ahu (Aina Haina). (Rechtman)

In 1946, the ‘Āina Haina dairy operation was sold to Creameries of America, and soon after that began to develop the remainder of his land for residential use.

The former cattle pasture was subdivided into lots to form a new residential community called ‘Āina Haina (which means, “Hind’s land.”)

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Hind Clarke Dairy aerial-1930s

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People standing in front of the Hind-Clarke Dairy Ice Cream Stand, Aina Haina Valley-(gsu-edu)-1930s

Hind-Clarke Dairy Truck-Women_of_YWCA_helping_out-(maunalua-net)

Hind-Clarke Dairy Ice Cream Stand, Aina Haina Valley, Honolulu-(gsu-edu)-1930s

Hind-Clarke Dairy Ice Cream Stand-(maunalua-net)-1930s

Hind-Clarke Dairy Cattle going to Milking Barn-Henke-UH-1929

Hind-Clarke Dairy Drive Inn Ad-Adv-June 16, 1933

Sign posted within the garage of the Hind-Clarke_Dairy Ice Cream Stand, Aina Haina Valley-(gsu-edu)-1930s

Sign posted within the garage of the Hind-Clarke Dairy Ice Cream Stand, Aina Haina Valley-(gsu-edu)-1930s

Hind Clarke Dairy Token-(maunalua-net)

Ranch House

M’s Ranch House

Hind-Clarke Dairy Patch-(maunalua-net)

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Hind-Clarke Dairy Milk Bottle

Hind-Clarke Dairy Milk Bottle-(back)

Hind-Clarke Dairy-Milk Cap

Hind-Clarke Dairy Milk Cap

September 13, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Charles Seaforth Stewart

Charles Seaforth Stewart was born at sea, April 11, 1823, on board the American ship Thames, in N. Lat. 8 degrees, 30 minutes, W. Long. 134 degrees of the Pacific Ocean.

He was the only son of the Reverend Charles Samuel Stewart, missionary to the Hawaiian Islands, and of Harriet Bradford Tiffany (Stewart). He was the great-grandson of Colonel Charles Stewart of New Jersey, Commissary General of Issues of the Army of the Revolution and member of the Continental Congress.

His ancestors were Scotch-Irish; Stewarts of Garlies and Gortlee. The father of Colonel Charles Stewart having resided upon the family demesne of Gortlee, Donegal County, Ireland. Harriet Bradford Tiffany came also of Revolutionary stock, her forefathers having landed on the Massachusetts’ coast in 1663.

Stewart’s boyhood was passed mostly at Cooperstown, Otsego County, New York, and at Princeton, New Jersey, where he received his classical education at Edgehill School.

When some seventeen years of age, with his father he made the three years’ European cruise as captain’s clerk aboard the U. S. S. Brandywine.

Soon after his return to the United States he was appointed a cadet at the U. S. Military Academy, from New Jersey, entering September 1, 1842, and being graduated July 7, 1846, at the head of his class, numbering fifty-nine members, the largest class that had up to that time been graduated from the Academy. (US Military Academy, Annual Reunion, 1904)

“No single group of men at West Point – or possibly any academy – has been so indelibly written into history as the class of 1846. The names are legendary …”

“Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman.”

Graduating just as the Mexican War began, fifty-three of the fifty-nine member of this class (the largest in the Academy’s history to that time) fought in Mexico. Four of them lost their lives there. Two more were killed fighting Indians in the 1850s. (Waugh)

Ten members of that class became Confederate generals; twelve became Union generals; three of the Confederates and one of the Unionists were killed or mortally wounded in action during the Civil War. (CivilWarTalk)

“The class fought in three wars, produced twenty generals, and left the nation a lasting legacy of bravery, brilliance, and bloodshed.” (Waugh)

Stewart “was graduated from US Military Academy and promoted in the Army as Second Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1846, and passed through all the intermediate grades to that of Colonel …”

“… receiving the brevet of Lieutenant Colonel, February 25, 1865, ‘for long, faithful and efficient services’; and declining the brevet of Colonel, March 13, 1865, ‘for gallant and meritorious services during the Rebellion.’”

On April 15, 1857, (he) married at Buffalo, NY, Cecilia Sophia DeLouville Tardy, granddaughter of Alexis Evstaphieve, Russian Consul General at New York. Mrs. Stewart, born October 22, 1836, died at San Francisco, Cal., November 24, 1886.”

“Three children were born of this marriage—Charles Seymour Stewart, April 12, 1858; died, February 8, 1893. Cecil Stewart, born April 12, 1864, and now a Captain in the Fourth Regiment of Cavalry. Cora Stewart, born March 15, 1873; died, February 1, 1876.”

“Stewart was retired from active service, at his own request, September 16, 1886, having served forty years as a Commissioned Officer. He was appointed a Brigadier General U. S. Army, retired, in accordance with the act of Congress, approved April 23, 1904.”

After retiring from active service, Stewart went to Cooperstown, New York, where still lived kinsmen and friends of his boyhood.

Here he led a quiet life, interested in town and church and local charities, devoting time and labor to genealogical research in which he took a lively interest. He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, the Loyal Legion and the American Geographical Society.

“Living quietly (there) he has been a more than liberal giver to all worthy causes and many are those who have had their suffering relieved through the charity of this kindly man.”

“He was a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church, holding at his death as he had for many years the office of clerk of the session.”

“A week prior to his death General Stewart went to Siasconset where he had gone every summer for many years to spend a month. He had been in failing health for some time and his friends disliked to have him go away but he insisted and went.”

“He was accompanied on his journey and upon his arrival the hotel proprietor had a watchful eye to his welfare and occupied a room adjoining his. Friday night he was heard to raise from his bed and a moment or two after to fall.”

“Investigation showed that he had fallen through the low window near his bed to a small piazza, from that to the ground. It is probable that he received the fall on account of his feeble condition.”

“This occurred about two o’clock in the morning. He was conscious when found but died (July 21, 1904) a few hours afterward, probably from an internal hemorrhage.” (Cooperstown Republican; US Military Academy, Annual Reunion, 1904)

“It was peculiarly characteristic of Captain Stewart that he would never delegate to another what he could possibly perform himself, and he was indefatigable in all his official work.”

“It was this attention to detail, and unnecessary attention at times, and this unsparing although unassuming energy, that consumed his power and limited his ultimate service.” (US Military Academy, Annual Reunion, 1904)

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Charles Seaforth Stewart

September 9, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Victoria Falls

In 1843, Samuel Thomas Alexander and Henry Perrine Baldwin, sons of early missionaries to Hawaiʻi, met in Lāhainā, Maui. They grew up together, became close friends and went on to develop a sugar-growing partnership.

Alexander was the idea man, more outgoing and adventurous of the two. He had a gift for raising money to support his business projects. Baldwin was more reserved and considered the “doer” of the partners; he completed the projects conceived by Alexander.

After studying on the Mainland, Alexander returned to Maui and began teaching at Lahainaluna, where he and his students successfully grew sugar cane and bananas.

Word of the venture spread to the owner of Waiheʻe sugar plantation near Wailuku, and Alexander was offered the manager’s position. Alexander hired Baldwin as his assistant, who at the time was helping his brother raise sugar cane in Lāhainā. This was the beginning of a lifelong working partnership.

In 1869, the young men – Alexander was 33, Baldwin, 27 – purchased 12-acres of land in Makawao and the following year an additional 559-acres. That same year, the partners planted sugar cane on their land marking the birth of what would become Alexander & Baldwin (A&B.)

In 1883, Alexander and Baldwin formalized their partnership by incorporating their sugar business as the Paia Plantation also known at various times as Samuel T Alexander & Co, Haleakala Sugar Co and Alexander & Baldwin Plantation.

By spring of 1900, A&B had outgrown its partnership organization and plans were made to incorporate the company, allowing the company to increase capitalization and facilitate expansion.

A&B was one of Hawaiʻi’s five major companies (that emerged to providing operations, marketing, supplies and other services for the plantations and eventually came to own and manage most of them.) They became known as the Big Five.

Hawaiʻi’s Big Five were: C Brewer (1826;) A Theo H Davies (1845;) Amfac – starting as Hackfeld & Company (1849;) Castle & Cooke (1851) and Alexander & Baldwin (1870.)

“It came as no surprise to Samuel’s family and friends when he announced plans to embark on an African safari in the summer of 1904. Neither did the inclusion of Annie (his daughter).”

“The part of British East Africa that Samuel had selected for their safari was considered at the time to be the greatest hunting ground on the entire African continent, if not in the world.”

“He envisioned an expedition that would traverse a distance of almost 800 miles, beginning several hundred miles northwest of Mombasa near Nakuru and continuing west to the terminal point of the Uganda railroad at Port Florence, approximately 580 miles inland.”

“Henry Stanley and David Livingstone had explored much of this region during the last half of the nineteenth century and their reports had piqued the interest and excitement of adventurers and armchair travelers alike.” (Stein)

“The trip commenced in early April 1904 when father and daughter, aged 67 and 36, traveled by boat from New York to Europe. From there they boarded a German steamer, the Kanzler, from a Dutch port and landed in Mombasa, British East Africa (present day Kenya) more than a month later.” (Childers)

“Samuel’s original itinerary did not call for their journey to end in British East Africa but rather to travel south from Mombasa by steamer and to visit Victoria Falls.”

“Although he and Annie now held less enthusiasm for this significant addition to their journey, at her behest he agreed to go, fearing that if they did not they might always regret it.”

“The two secured passage on the German steamer the Konig, sailing to Beira. From there they traveled by rail to Bulawayo and then to Matapao, a small town on the Zambesi River where they visited the grave of Cecil Rhodes.”

“Rhodes had died two years earlier, a mere three years before the completion of the famed Zambesi Railway Bridge. Through his foresight and backing, the bridge would span the canyon below Victoria Falls, promoting commerce and uniting the areas that became Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe).” (Stein)

“On the morning of September 9 they crossed to the northern shore of the Zambesi River by cable in order to view the great chasm into which the water was falling. Work on the famous 900-foot bridge across the river had barely begun. “

“Finding a trail leading into the Palm Grove Ravine, the two descended to view the falls at their exit point, the narrow chasm from which the water emerges after falling over the precipice.”

“Just as the pair reached the point that afforded them their best view into the chasm, they became aware of small rocks falling from the heights directly above them.”

“They turned and ran, Annie reaching safety first and setting up her camera. While Samuel stood just a few feet from her, a large boulder fell, striking a rock, veering and hitting Samuel on his left foot, disabling him.” (Stein)

“He was transported, in agony and with much loss of blood, to a doctor’s house six miles away where his leg was amputated. He died the next morning, September 10, 1904, at the age of sixty-seven, Annie having sat by his side during the operation and throughout the night. Annie buried her beloved father in a small cemetery at Livingstone, Zambia.” (Williams)

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