Buildings | Page 60 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

November 15, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1800s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1800s – horses arrive, sandalwood economy and Henry ‘Ōpūkaha’ia sails to New England. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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November 7, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Craigielea

“Nui ke anu! Nui ka uku!! Nui ka wauwau!!! Nui ka walaau!!!! Nui ka hiamoe ole!!!!
“It was so very cold! There were so many fleas!! There was so much scratching!!! There was so much talking!!!! There was so little sleep!!!!” (Charles E King, 1896; Engledow; Raymond, NPS)

“An undesirable pest has publicized its presence high above the park entrance by leaving its name on two caves which early visitors found convenient for shelter.”

“Big Flea and Little Flea Caves often appear in accounts of early trips, but never without mention of the annoyance that was caused by their permanent occupants.” (NPS)

Then, the first facility at the National Park was built in 1894 near the summit of Haleakala, a rest house at Kalahaku. The building was constructed by the Maui Chamber of Commerce to give tourists a rough shelter from the unpredictable climate. (NPS)

CW Dickey, acting upon the inspiration of his late father, circulated a subscription list on Maui, and secured $850 for the construction of a rest house on the crater rim.

Prior to its construction, visitors were staying in the caves known as “Little Flea” and “Big Flea” caves. The rest house was called “Craigielea” after a place in Scotland, which the builders knew. (Xamanek)

“The long anticipated pleasure of a ‘house warming’ at Craigielea, the new crater house, was realized on Friday night, Nov. 10th, by a jolly party of twenty-four. The clear, mild weather, the beautiful sunset and sunrise, the grand, old crater In all its varied hues, and the ever-changing cloud effects, all combined to make the occasion most enjoyable.”

“Thirteen of the party, Mrs. CW Dickey, Mrs. D. C. Lindsay, Ethel Mossman, Eva Smith, Grace Dickey, Lottie Baldwin, J. J. Hair, George Aiken, Fred. Baldwin, Sam Baldwin, Harry Mossman, Sylvin Crooke and CW Dickey, spent Thursday night at Olinda, getting an early start for the top on Friday morning.”

“The day slipped quickly away, and at five o’clock a cloud of dust far down the mountain slde announced the approach of HP Baldwin, Helen Chamberlain, Lillian Aiken, Mrs. HG Alexander, Nellie Alexander and Worth Aiken, who were soon followed by J. W. Colvill e, Miss Watson and Miss Hammond.”

“About seven o’clock two more cold and hungry travelers, D. C. Lindsay and F. “W. Armstrong, arrived. The night was too beautiful for any one to think of staying in the house, so, wrapping gay colored blankets about their shoulders, the whole party rallied forth to view the grand, old crater of Haleakala by moonlight.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, November 19, 1894)

“Here at Craigie Lea, on the brink of this cold furnace, overlooking the sea ten thousand feet below, or turning to gaze into the bottom of the crater two thousand feet beneath us, we ate our luncheon. Although it was deliciously cool, the rarified atmosphere made eating and drinking an indifferent pleasure.” (Overland Monthly, 1903)

“It is constructed of stone, the walls being twenty inches thick, and is covered with an iron roof. The principal entrance is at the west end, with a deep fireplace at the other end.”

“On either side are two pair of casement windows, each pair separated by a narrow stone pier, making the openings too small to serve as an entrance for vagrants. A small door on the mauka side, near the fireplace, furnishes a convenient exit for those occupying that end of the building.”

“The furniture consists of sixteen canvas cots which can be folded and put out of the way, two tables hung by hinges under two of the windows, so as to be let down when not in use, a cupboard with six shelves, and a full set of rough cooking utensils and tin table ware.”

“Near the house is a comfortable shed enclosed by crude stone walls, which can be used as a saddle house and be occupied by servants. Just makai of this shed is a shelter for horses. An oval cistern sir by ten by nine feet deep will provide plenty of water when the winter rains have filled it.”

“The house is securely locked so that no one can obtain access except in the use of a key, twenty of which have been provided, and distributed among the various plantations offices and other places convenient to the public.”

“Any respectable person will have no difficulty in obtaining a key before he climbs the mountain. It is now an easy undertaking to ride from Makawao to the summit, view the sunset and sunrise, and return to civilization on the following day.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, November 19, 1894)

This first rest house was completed in two months and served for some three years until a heavy storm unroofed it. Sometime later, Worth O Aiken, Chairman of the Haleakala Rest House Committee for many years, raised another community fund which was used to reroof the building, lay a concrete floor, and equip it with a metal door, window frames and shutters.

With the increasing number of visitors to the crater, the rest house became inadequate and, at the Territorial Civic Convention of 1914, which was held on Maui, a new subscription list was started for a new rest house.

With this money, the new building was constructed and made ready for occupancy by the spring of 1915. It was later demolished in 1957. (NPS)

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Craigielea-Maui Historical Society-1904

Stairway-Kalahaku Overlook-NPS

Craigielea-NPS

Kalahaku Overlook-NPS

Rest House-NPS

Rest_House-NPS

Rest_House-Before Road Construction-NPS

Rest_House-After Road Construction-NPS

September 26, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Damon Memorial

In 1887, Samual C Gale wrote a letter to the Holden town officials stating: “I am now able to say, that unless prevented by some misfortune, I shall commence the present season to erect upon the Chenery lot a building adapted to both High School and Library purposes.”

“This building and ground, together with some books which we hope to add, my wife and I will present to the Town of Holden as a free gift …”

The result of this wonderful gift is the Damon Memorial Building, built in 1888, in honor of his wife Susan Damon Gale. Susan was the daughter of Colonel Samuel Damon.

The building was designed to house both the Gale Free Library and the Holden High School. The first floor was the library with the high school on the second floor. The Worcester architect Stephen C Earle designed the Romanesque style building.

The Damon Memorial was the second high school in Holden. The first opened in 1880 as part of the second floor of the Center School.

The Damon Building served as the high school until Holden High School opened on Main Street in 1926. In 1954 Wachusett Regional High School opened as the first regional high school in Massachusetts. (Assumption College)

One of the model public buildings of the towns of central Massachusetts is the Damon Memorial of Holden. It is architecturally an ornament to the village. The Memorial stands near the Common.

From the tower wall a rough boulder projects, bearing the words ‘Damon Memorial, 1888.’ The building is trimmed with brownstone, uncut as far as possible. The clock tower is an attractive feature of the building. Inside the arrangements for school and library have been made with great care and foresight.

The Memorial was appropriately dedicated August 29, 1888. In his address Mr. Gale, the donor, said: “Thirty-four years ago I came to this village to teach school. The frame school house, still standing and in use, was then new and was a subject of much interest and pride.”

“The only instruction I received from the school committee as to the management of the school was that I should keep the scholars from marking and scratching the new school house.”

“I entirely neglected my duty in this respect. At the end of the winter, marks and scratches were very abundant; and I knew it was all my fault, for no school master ever had better boys and girls.”

“After thinking over my offense for thirty-five years I concluded that the only suitable recompense that I could make was to give the town a new school house, which I accordingly have done.”

“I do not say, however, that there were no other and more serious considerations for the enterprise. Here my wife was born and reared, and this, in the opinion of at least her husband, entitles the place to monumental honors.”

“May I also especially mention her brother, the late Dr Samuel C Damon, a resident of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, a greathearted and broad-minded man, with a deep affection for his native town. He it was who first suggested to me the idea of aiding to establish here a public library.”

“It is in memory of him and of her other kinspeople and friends dear to us both, whose homes have been here in this and other generations, that we have sought to do this town some good thing, so important and permanent that the inhabitants will always kindly remember us.”

Charles E. Parker, who accepted the gift in behalf of the town, assured the donors that the simple conditions of the gift would be gladly observed.

At a town meeting, September 26, 1888, Holden formally accepted the gift and tendered its thanks and appreciation of the Memorial to the generous donors.

In addition to the building Mr. Gale added $3,000 for books, and John Wadsworth, of Chicago, sent $100 ‘as a slight recompense to Holden for having furnished him a wife.’

The Holden Library Association presented its library of fourteen hundred volumes to the town and the library opened in December, 1888, with forty-five hundred volumes, to which large additions have since been made. (Crane, Historic Homes, 1907)

Samuel Chenery Damon, son of Colonel Samuel Damon, was born in Holden, Massachusetts, February 15, 1815. He was graduated from Amherst College in 1836, studied at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1838-39, and was graduated at Andover Theological Seminary in 1841. He was an American missionary.

He was preparing to go to India as a missionary and was studying the Tamil language for that purpose, when an urgent call came for a seaman’s chaplain at the port of Honolulu in the Hawaiian Islands. He was ordained September 15, 1841, and he decided to accept the position at Honolulu.

He married Julia Sherman Mills of Natick, Massachusetts on October 6, 1841. Their children were: Samuel Mills, born July 9. 1843, died June 2, 1844; Samuel Mills, born March 13, 1845, who later was minister of finance under the monarchy in Hawaii; married Harriet M Baldwin, daughter of Rev. D. Baldwin, and their son (Samuel Edward Damon, born June 1, 1873) …

… Edward Chenery, born May 21, 1848; Francis Williams, born December 10, 1852; William Frederick, born January 11, 1857, died October 23, 1879.

Samuel Chenery Damon died February 7, 1885, at Honolulu, and his funeral the next day was attended by a very large congregation, including King Kalākaua and his ministers.

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Damon Memorial 1888-Assumption

Damon Memorial Holden, MA

Damon Memorial

Damon Memorial 1999 -Assumption

Samuel-Chenery-Damon

Julia_Sherman_Mills_Damon_son_Samuel_Mills_ Damon_and_Samuel_Chenery_Damon-1850

September 15, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Grand Canyon

“Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, and for all who come after you, as the only great sight which every American … should see.” (Teddy Roosevelt)

It was the home of a group of people that some call the Anasazi, a Navajo word for ‘Ancient Ones.’ About 2,000 years ago, the Pueblo people learned to survive in extremely harsh conditions and for more than 1,000 years thrived there. Then, they simply disappeared. (Shields)

The Hopi, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache, Zuni, Paiute (Kaibab,) Havasupai and Hualapai are among the tribes that call the canyon home, each with their own language, customs and beliefs. (NPS)

The Colorado River began carving a course to create the Grand Canyon, 4 to 6-million years ago. The nearly 300-river-miles long Colorado cut the 1-mile deep, 10-miles wide canyon, exposing rock and sediment formations that are nearly 2-billion years old. (Stampoulos)

In 1540, a Spanish Nobleman, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, led the first expedition of Europeans into the southwest, in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola that were reputed to contain great riches.

Spanish explorer Don Pedro de Tovar accompanied Coronado and led an expedition to Hopi country. Tovar is credited with as being the first European to learn of the existence of the Grand Canyon. But the Spanish left, unable to cross its impassable void.

Later, more foreigners came.

In 1869, Major John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran and his nine companions became the first to record the 1,000-miles of the Green and Colorado River from Wyoming through the Grand Canyon. Powell was the first American to consistently use and publish the name, ‘Grand Canyon.’ (NPS)

Miners discovered valuable mineral resources in the Grand Canyon in the late-1800s; but extraction was dangerous and expensive. Mining claims waned and tourism increased.

In the early days, reaching the Grand Canyon was difficult. Initially, horses, mules, river rafts and stagecoaches brought people to the canyon. The 73-mile trip from Flagstaff to the canyon rim took 10 to 12-hours. (Stampoulos)

In 1876, the Santa Fe railroad was one of the fastest expanding railroads in the country. In 1889, Fred Harvey had a contract for exclusive rights to manage and operate the eating houses and lunch stands with the Santa Fe, west of the Missouri River.

Passengers on the Santa Fe ate well because of Harvey’s special refrigerated boxcar that supplied fresh California fruits and vegetables. He had ‘Harvey Girls’ (“young (unmarried) women between 18 and 30-years of age, of good character, attractive and intelligent”) as waitresses and salesgirls.

The Fred Harvey Company operated all of the hotels and restaurants along the Santa Fe railroad lines, as well as many dining cars. (Stampoulos)

Soon, the Santa Fe Railway (and others railways) reached the South Rim of the canyon. In 1901, Harvey died, and his son Ford Harvey took over the company. After Fred’s death, the company’s good reputation for fine food and service grew even more. (Armstrong)

Newspapers across the country heralded the passenger trains carrying visitors to the Grand Canyon; the story stirred public interest, instigating what would later become a ‘boom’ of visitors to the canyon – more than half of them arrived by train at the Santa Fe Station. (Shields)

The company decided to go ahead with plans for a first-class hotel at the Grand Canyon. Ford was in charge of what became the company’s crown jewel, the El Tovar Hotel (named after the early Spanish explorer) – the Charles Whittlesey-designed log structure opened its doors on the canyon rim (and at the rail station) on January 14, 1905.

The hotel soon became the mecca for travelers from all over the world. In order to serve the large number of visitors. The Fred Harvey Company had to maintain a fairly large staff. To accommodate them, men and women’s dormitories were built near the hotel.

The Harvey Company continued its growth well into the 20th century.

So, what’s the Hawai‘i connection? … In 1968, Amfac (one of Hawai‘i’s ‘Big Five’ companies) bought the Fred Harvey Company (and with it, the concession for El Tovar and other hotels, shops and activities at the Grand Canyon.)

Amfac had its beginning in the Islands when, on September 26, 1849, German sea captain Heinrich (Henry) Hackfeld arrived in Honolulu with his wife, Marie, her 16-year-old brother Johann Carl Pflueger and a nephew BF Ehlers.

Hackfeld opened a general merchandise business (dry goods, crockery, hardware and stationery,) wholesale, as well as retail store.

Hackfeld later developed a business of importing machinery and supplies for the spreading sugar plantations and exported raw sugar. H Hackfeld & Co became a prominent factor – business agent and shipper – for the plantations.

A few years later, with the advent of the US involvement in World War I, things changed significantly for the worst for H Hackfeld & Co. In 1918, using the terms of the Trading with the Enemy Act and its amendments, the US government seized H Hackfeld & Company and ordered the sale of German-owned shares. (Jung)

The patriotic sounding “American Factors, Ltd,” the newly-formed Hawaiʻi-based corporation (whose largest shareholders included Alexander & Baldwin, C Brewer & Company, Castle & Cooke, HP Baldwin Ltd, Matson Navigation Company and Welch & Company,) bought the H Hackfeld stock. (Jung) At that same time, the BF Ehlers dry goods store also took the patriotic “Liberty House” name.

American Factors shortened its name to “Amfac” in 1966. The next year (1967,) Henry Alexander Walker became president and later Board Chairman of Amfac.

Over the next 15-years, Walker took Amfac from a company that largely depended on sugar production in Hawaiʻi to a broadly diversified conglomerate (which included the acquisition of the Fred Harvey Company in 1968.)

Later, the resort management company became known as Xanterra Parks and Resorts (the present concessionaire and operator of hotels (including El Tovar) and other functions at the Grand Canyon, and elsewhere.)

In 1893, President Benjamin Harrison established it as a forest reserve. On January 11, 1908, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt placed the Grand Canyon under public protection, declaring it a national monument. Congress updated the Grand Canyon to national park status and doubled the protected area in 1975. It was named a World Heritage Site in 1979.

They say the average length of stay for visitors to the Grand Canyon is 3-hours; take some time to see and experience what some suggest is one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World (Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, Northern Lights, Harbor at Rio de Janeiro, Great Barrier Reef, Paricutin and Victoria Falls) – it is something to behold, that neither words, nor pictures, can adequately describe.

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Tourist at the edge of the Grand Canyon, ca. 1914

Grand Canyon-1872

Grand View Trail, Grand Canyon, 1906

Grand_Canyon_Dorie_In_Marble_Gorge_1964

grand-canyon-harvey-girls

Harvey Girls – Grand Canyon National Park – Fred Harvey Company

Grand Canyon Train

Vintage-Grand-Canyon-Bus

Vintage-Grand-Canyon-look out

El Tovar Hotel-facing Canyon

El_Tovar_Hotel_in_early_1900s

El_Tovar_Hotel_1968

El_Tovar_Hotel-snow

El_Tovar_Hotel-menu-1953

September 14, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

McKinley Memorial Fund

William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his assassination on September 14, 1901. (He was standing in a receiving line at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition when he was shot; he died eight days later.)

Born in Niles, Ohio, in 1843, McKinley briefly attended Allegheny College, and was teaching in a country school when the Civil War broke out. Enlisting as a private in the Union Army, he was mustered out at the end of the war as a brevet major of volunteers. He studied law, opened an office in Canton, Ohio, and married Ida Saxton, daughter of a local banker.

At 34, McKinley won a seat in Congress. He spent 14 years in the House and in 1891 was elected Governor of Ohio, serving two terms. McKinley became US President in 1897. (White House) Following his assassination, “Steps were at once taken toward raising funds for the erection of a suitable memorial”.

In Ohio, “within a month from the date of its creation the committee was incorporated at Canton under the name The McKinley National Memorial Association.” Auxiliary associations were formed in nearly every State for the purpose of aiding the National body.

“The memorial is to be, in the highest sense, the sincere expression of all the people of the country of their love for President McKinley and of their admiration for the qualities expressed so eminently in his life and deeds.” (New York Tribune, September 14, 1902)

A fund was started in the Islands. “An engraved or lithographed memorial certificate will be furnished to each contributor. It is believed that the project of erecting a local memorial to Mr McKinley …”

“… if carried out by all classes of the Hawaiian population, and participated in by the school children, will tend to develop patriotism and go to strengthen the interest of our people in American Institutions and principles.”

“It is desirable that the names of all donors with their addresses and the amount of their contributions be accurately reported and recorded by the chairman of your committee, who will forward such record of contributions to the Treasurer, Mr. C. M. Cooke, and he will mail the above mentioned certificate to the donor.” (Dole; Hawaiian Star, November 22, 1901)

Ideas ranged as to the appropriate memorial, “The McKinley memorial fund (had) been started in Honolulu with four subscriptions of $1,000 each and half a dozen more aggregating $2,000, a total of $6,060 from ten subscribers. The money is to be used for the purchase of a large playground for children.” (San Francisco Call, March 6, 1902)

“A letter has been received by the executive committee from the Mothers and Teachers Club in reference to the McKinley Memorial. … Accompanying the letter was a petition to the effect that the McKinley Memorial take the form of a large park somewhere in Honolulu, to be known as McKinley Park.”

“Sculptor Rupert Schmidt is desirous of providing Honolulu with a McKinley monument. Other propositions in this line have been received and will be considered.” (Honolulu Republican, November 14, 1901)

“The committee in charge of the McKinley memorial fund In Hawaii has decided in favor of a public park and playground as the best form of memorial.” (San Francisco Call, January 7, 1902)

On Maui, where “few will refuse to contribute something … Naturally the people and the papers of Honolulu desire to see their town embellished with parks, pleasure grounds and public buildings, but the proposition to take advantage of the death of President McKinley to levy on all the Islands for that purpose smacks a little of selfish thrift.”

“However if the idea is to be practical, let it be so, but instead of a play garden in Honolulu, let the funds be devoted to the construction of a lighthouse for Kahului harbor, which would forever stand as a beacon and a memorial of the most practical and useful nature possible.” (Maui News, November 30, 1901)

Back on O‘ahu, “For making an actual beginning … of beautifying Honolulu, herewith something definite, practicable and not excessively costly is presented. It is the improvement of the presently disused public market building, including its transformation into a great assembly pavilion useful …”

“… and even much wanted for many purposes of the people at large the structure as remodeled to be perpetually dedicated to the memory of the martyred President William McKinley, under whose administration Hawai‘i was annexed to the great American Commonwealth.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, November 13, 1907) (Included was a memorial entrance arch.)

Rather, “The corner-stone of the new Honolulu High School which is to be the beneficiary of the McKinley Memorial fund and take the name of the McKinley High School was laid yesterday afternoon by the Alumni of the school assisted by a large assembly of friends and pupils of the Institution.”

“A very important incident of the function was the announcement by Judge Dole, who was one of the principal speakers, that the trustees of the McKinley Memorial Fund had voted to devote the memorial funds to the High School. The terms of the gift are contained in the following resolution, which Mr. Dole read:”

“‘Resolved, That the proposal of the Board of Education and the students of the Honolulu High School that the new building of the Honolulu High School be named the McKinley High School be accepted …’”

“‘… and in consideration thereof that a bronze statue of the late President McKinley, costing not more than $9,000 be erected on the grounds of such school and that the balance of the funds in the hands of this committee be assigned to three trustees …’”

“‘… $1,000 of such funds to be expended in books for the school library and the net Income of the balance of such trust funds to be devoted to the increase, and care of the library of such school and the care of the statue.’”(Evening Bulletin, March 6, 1908)

Later, “A very marked improvement has been attained in the architecture of buildings recently erected in Hawai‘i and the school-houses, constructed within the last few years, have kept pace with the movement. This is notably true of the imposing McKinley High School, a building which compares most favorably with any of its kind in the world.”

“The McKinley High School is located on Victoria street, occupying the grounds between Young and Beretania, and facing historical Thomas Square. The foyer entrance is very attractive and through either of two doors the visitor steps directly into the main hall.”

“A part of the McKinley Memorial Fund has been expended for an heroic size statue of President McKinley, which will stand in front of the building, a part in purchasing books for the library and the Trustees have invested the balance of the fund in bonds, the income to be utilized in acquiring additions to the school library from time to time.” (Thrum, 1908)

“The Bulletin extends its congratulations to those who have interested themselves in solving the problem of the memorial and the Territory, whose present and future citizenship will profit by the example of the man and the practical equipment for life’s, work which the community has given in his name.” (Evening Bulletin, March 6, 1908)

In September 1907, the McKinley Memorial in Canton, Ohio was finished; 9-states had contributed material for the memorial, a 50-foot wide, 77-foot tall domed structure. At the top of the dome is a red, white and blue skylight. The skylight has 45-stars in its design representing the 45-states in the Union at the time of his death.

President McKinley and his wife Ida rest in the monument on an altar in the center of the rotunda in a pair of marble sarcophagi. Their young daughters rest in the wall directly behind them. (McKinley Museum)

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