Prominent People | Page 133 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

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March 29, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Theo H Davies & Co

Englishmen James and John Starkey and Robert Cheshire Janion founded Starkey, Janion, & Co, a trading company in Liverpool, in April 1845.

They chartered a vessel and filled it with general merchandise valued at $80,000; it set sail for Honolulu. On arrival Janion rented a room on Nuʻuanu Street near the waterfront and hung out a sign “Starkey, Janion & Co.”

Later the same year, he negotiated a lease for a Ka’ahumanu Street site from Kamehameha III for “only 299 years,” as he wrote to the Starkeys, since “this was the best I could do.” (It was part of the claim of former British Consul Richard Charlton.

The firm quickly prospered, thanks to the whaling trade and prosperity on the Pacific coast. Transactions with the Hawaiians were bartered, coins and gold dust with the whalers.

They soon had their own fleet of ships sailing the seas between Hawaiʻi, the West Coast and England. As agent for Lloyd’s of London, Janion began underwriting cargoes leaving Honolulu harbor, later introducing fire insurance into the Islands.

By 1851, Janion and the Starkeys parted company. In the following year, Janion left Hawaii to return to Liverpool; to succeed him in Honolulu, Janion appointed a fellow countryman named William Green, whom he had hired two years earlier.

Then in 1856 he persuaded a Welshman, 23-year-old Theophilus Harris Davies, to go out to Hawaiʻi as a clerk for Green under a five-year contract. Eventually the Janion-Green partnership was dissolved and Davies became Janion’s partner.

In 1876, Davies incorporated Honolulu Iron Works with Janion, Janion’s wife, Green’s mother and Alexander Young. Janion died in 1881, leaving Davies in control.

Davies proved himself an aggressive promoter, playing a key role in the organization of Hāmākua, Laupāhoehoe, Niuliʻi, Kaiwiki and Union Mill plantations on the Big Island. He was adept at raising capital in London and helped finance a total of 22-plantations during his career.

Years later, Davies was a stockholder with Young in the organization of von Hamm-Young Company, forerunner of The Hawaiʻi Corporation. Principals were Young’s son Archibald, and Conrad C. von Hamm. An early project was the Alexander Young Hotel.

Toward the end of his career, Davies divided his time between Honolulu and his Nuʻuanu home, Craigside, and England, where he maintained a home at Southport called Sunset in Hesketch Park. It was there that he served as guardian to Princess Kaʻiulani during her years in English schools.

Back in the Islands, his business was thriving despite political upheavals and sugar setbacks. In 1892, the company opened a steamship department as agent for Canadian-Australasian Line, which began service in that year. Later the department represented Canadian Pacific, Cunard and many others.

In 1893 grocery, dry goods and hardware departments were set up and the following year, when the company incorporated, a Hilo branch was opened. Four years later Davies died.

Formerly organized into merchandise, insurance and shipping departments, Theo H Davies set up subsidiaries for all its activities.

Merchandise lines are primarily heavy equipment: Pacific Machinery’s Caterpillar tractors, Hawaiian Fluid Power’s hydraulic lines, Stubenberg Company’s manufacturing of field equipment, Davies Building Materials, and Hilo Iron Works.

Inter-Island Equipment handled lighter lines such as lawn mowers and air compressors while Davies Brokerage handled some grocery lines. Davies Marine Agencies operated the former steamship department.

Davies Insurance Agencies acted for underwriters Janion represented. They also acquired EH Campbell Tire, Honolulu’s Goodyear Tire distributor, and Atlas Electric, electrical equipment distributor.

Davies expanded to the Philippines in 1928, opening a Manila branch. In the 1930s the company built up a heavy investment in four Philippine sugar plantations.

One of Hawaiʻi’s Big Five (Amfac – starting as Hackfeld & Company (1849;) Alexander & Baldwin (1870;) Theo H. Davies (1845;) Castle & Cooke (1851) and C. Brewer (1826,) Davies grew to be second only to Amfac in territorial wholesaling.

It operated Honolulu’s pioneer retail grocery chain, Piggly-Wiggly, until the mid-1950s; it was also involved with Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, the Mandarin, Mercedes and Jaguar.

For a time in the 1960s Davies operated a building materials subsidiary in Spain with headquarters at Madrid but back in Honolulu the parent company was barely treading water. In the late 1960s and early-70s the company closed or sold off the drugs, dry goods, hardware and contract furnishing departments.

Mergers and consolidations reduced the company’s Big Island sugar plantations from five to three. Profits in merchandising were meager and returns on plantation investments were low. The iron works affiliate was sold to a mainland buyer that retrenched its activities drastically.

In 1967 Dillingham Corp. made a tender offer for Davies stock to the company’s 200 stockholders in Hawaii and England; the bid for control failed. In 1972, the 22-story Davies Pacific Center replaced the former Davies corporate headquarters. In 1973, Jardine, Matheson & Co., based in Hong Kong, acquired Davies. (Lots of information here is from Greaney and Engle.)

Theo. H. Davies Co., Bishop St-PP-8-3-014-00001

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March 28, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1920s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1920s – dredging of the Ala Wai Canal, Hawaiian Pineapple buys Lāna‘i, billboards outlawed and Honolulu Hale is completed. 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.)

March 27, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Father of Annexation

“There is a gentleman still living at Honolulu whose boast is that he was the father of the project to annex Hawaii to the American Union.”

“It may, therefore, be perfectly permissible to mention here that the Pearl Harbor scheme of 1873 is declared with good reason to have originated with him …”

“Dr. John S. McGrew, – and was then openly advocated by him as a preliminary to the obliteration of the native government by the annexation of the whole group to the United States.” (Lili‘uokalani)

Let’s look back …

John Strayer McGrew was born at Lancaster, Ohio, on December 23, 1825. He moved at an early age with his family to Cincinnati where his father, Robert McGrew, founded the ‘Cincinnati Enquirer.’ He attended the public schools of Cincinnati.

At the age of fifteen young McGrew entered Oxford College, where he graduated, then entered the Ohio Medical College, in which be qualified as a physician and surgeon. His MD was earned in 1847.

During the Civil War, Dr McGrew was among the first to volunteer. He served as a surgeon with the 83rd Ohio Regiment and was later promoted to staff surgeon of the US Volunteers.

At the close of the war, Dr. McGrew married Pauline Gillet at Washington, D.C. This was a second marriage for both parties. Mrs McGrew had a son, Henri Goulden, whom Dr McGrew adopted and who later became a doctor and practiced in Honolulu.

Following their wedding, the McGrews started on a world tour which brought them to Hawaiʻi on March 6, 1867, aboard the ‘AA Eldrich.’

Enchanted with the Islands, they abandoned their tour and settled in Honolulu. By April, McGrew had established an office over Dr. Edward Hoffmann’s drug store at the corner of Kaʻahumanu and Merchant streets. In 1869, he was appointed by the US Consul medical officer of the US Marine Hospital, a position he held for a number of years.

Dr and Mrs McGrew were widely known for their hospitality and entertained distinguished guests from all parts of the world. It was estimated that it cost Dr. McGrew $10,000 a year to keep open house for his guests.

His home, which was originally built by Dr. Robert Wood in 1840, stood on the former site of the Alexander Young Hotel on Bishop and Hotel streets (now Bishop Square) and was a Honolulu landmark and social center of the city.

McGrew was a member of the commission which worked with Generals Alexander and Schofield in making a survey in 1873 for an American naval base at Pearl Harbor, as provided for by the Reciprocity Treaty. He assisted in making plans for the coaling station and lived to see a portion of the harbor improvements completed.

His business interests, which were many, included leasing the Hawaiian Hotel for a time, being a shareholder in the Mutual Telephone Company and serving as vice-president of the People’s Ice and Refrigeration Company. In 1900, he limited his medical practice so that he could devote more time to his extensive real estate holdings.

‘Annexation’ McGrew, he was called by King Kalākaua, who, although opposed to Dr McGrew’s political program, expressed his admiration for the doctor’s sincerity and honesty of purpose.

McGrew was an earnest advocate of annexation long before the Hawaiian monarchy was destroyed by revolution, and not for an instant did he waver from his purpose.

“Three things were embodied in Dr. McGrew’s life here, which, apart from his strong personality, or perhaps because of it, made him a man of mark.”

“He was the most vigilant and hospitable American in Honolulu, especially toward his countrymen. Americans who came here with a claim to consideration found it at his hands; and he was the personal host of visiting admirals and generals.”

“He also kept the medical profession at a high standard; he may be said to have sustained its honorable ethics with as firm a hand as he did the patriotism of the little American community of which he was the inspiring center.”

“Then Dr. McGrew was first, last and all the time an advocate of the United States, and from this object neither royal blandishments nor social or political opposition could swerve him. After the revolution of ’93 he became editor-in-chief of the new annexation paper, the Star.” (Mid-Pacific Magazine, 1912)

When annexation finally became an accomplished fact in 1898, five years after the revolution, Dr McGrew was hailed as “The Father of Annexation,” just as Judge Sanford B. Dole, president of the Republic of Hawaii and first governor of the American Territory, became known in later years as “The Grand Old Man of Hawai‘i.”

“The idea of annexation did not originate with him; but if there is one man to whom it should be assigned, that man is Dr JS McGrew. Twenty years before Mr Stevens ever saw Hawaii, Dr McGrew stated in the strongest terms to me, as he did to about every person who would talk on the subject, that these islands should be, and would be, a part of the United States.” (Plamer)

“The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi was formed on April 30, 1900 by supporters of the queen in the wake of a plague quarantine in Honolulu. The meeting brought together five men: John H Wilson, son of Marshal of the Kingdom Charles B. Wilson; John S. McGrew, a doctor and supporter of Kalākaua …”

“… Charles J. McCarthy, a saloon owner and former Honolulu Rifle; David Kawānanakoa, prince of the House of Kawānanakoa; and Delbert Evener Metzger, an engineer from Kauai”. (Democratic Revolution)

The godfather of the Democratic party in Hawai‘i was acknowledged to be John S McGrew, a haole medical doctor, who had brought his political allegiance with him to the monarchy of King Kalākaua. (Krauss)

On October 9, 1911, McGrew fell and fractured his right hip; he died from the injuries on November 18, 1911. (Lots of information here is from Nellist, Democratic Revolution and Mid-Pacific Magazine.)

John Strayer McGrew

March 25, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

‘Biggest Single Gate in the History of Show Business in Hawai‘i’

“The ultimate completion of the USS Arizona Memorial will be a constant reminder of the heroes’ deeds performed by our armed forces on Dec. 7, 1941.” (Rear Adm Roy S Benson, Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec 8, 1960)

President Dwight D Eisenhower had approved the creation of Arizona Memorial in 1958. $500,000 was needed for its construction. (Ho‘okele)

The public law stipulated that the monument would be built without federal funding. Several organizations and individuals helped in the effort to raise the required amount. In 1958, the Territory of Hawaii contributed the initial $50,000.

On December 3, 1958 the popular television series, ‘This is Your Life’ hosted by Ralph Edwards kicked off the public fundraising campaign. The program featured Samuel Fuqua, Medal of Honor recipient and the senior surviving officer from the USS Arizona.

Over $95,000 was raised for the new permanent structure. However, within a couple of years, donations slowed and the memorial fund was in dire need of cash. USS Arizona Memorial historian Dan Martinez credits newspapers for keeping the memorial concept alive.

“Editors of daily newspapers across the country were connected in their profession, that was how they kept the story going. … The total already raised at that time was $250,000, which was only half of what they needed.” (Martinez; Star Bulletin)

George Chaplin of the Honolulu Advertiser mailed something like 1,500 letters, asking for articles or editorials about the Arizona Memorial. (Star Bulletin)

The Los Angeles Examiner responded with an editorial on December 4, 1960 … “and a very fine gentleman read an editorial in one of the California newspapers.”

“That man (Colonel Tom Parker) called George Chaplin and said: ‘I know a young man whose services can be a big help.’” (Advertiser, March 26, 1961)

Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager, thought this would be a good publicity for the new film ‘Waikiki Beach Boy’ (later renamed to ‘Blue Hawai‘i’ that was filmed in Hawai‘i.)

Parker offered a benefit concert with Elvis. Parker came to Hawai‘i and set up the show and stipulated that every cent would go toward the War Memorial fund.

“‘Forty eight hours ago we met in this very room and we were $10,000 short,’ said H Tucker Gratz chairman of the memorial fund commission. “We made an agreement with Parker that he and Elvis would raise $5,000 if the War Memorial Commission would raise the other $5,000…” (Advertiser, March 26, 1961)

Rear Adm. Robert L Campbell introduced Elvis, saying, “He is a fine American. He has had many starring roles, not the least of these has been as a soldier in the US Army.”

(Elvis was drafted into the Army at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 24, 1958; his overseas service took place in Germany from October 1, 1958, until March 2, 1960, as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion. He left active duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 5, 1960.) (Army)

March 25, 1961, during his hour on stage, Elvis sang 15 songs: ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’ ‘All Shook Up,’ ‘A Fool Such As I,’ ‘I Got a Woman,’ ‘Love Me,’ ‘Such a Night,’ ‘Reconsider Baby,’ ‘I Need Your Love Tonight,’ ‘That’s All Right,’ ‘Don’t Be Cruel,’ ‘One Night,’ ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight,’ ‘It’s Now or Never,’ ‘Swing Down Sweet Chariot’ and ‘Hound Dog.’

The show was “fastpaced and slick. It jumped. When Elvis came on the teenagers screamed for 2 ½ minutes without let-up. Elvis was wearing his famous gold jacket with silvery glints like sequins, dark blue trousers and a white shirt and a blue string tie.” (Advertiser, Ho‘olele)

Appearing along with Elvis were Minnie Pearl, The Jordanaires and DJ Fontana and Scotty Moore, two members of Elvis’ original backing band. Sterling Mossman, a local Hawaiian comedian, also served as master of ceremonies and performed.

“It was a crackjack show, a sellout, and the biggest single gate in the history of show business in Hawai‘i.” (Advertiser, March 26, 1961)

All receipts, $54,678.73, were donated to the construction of the Arizona Memorial. The concert accounted for more than ten percent of the $515,728 cost of constructing the memorial. (HABS)

This Bloch Arena performance was Elvis’ last live concert until June 27, 1968 when he recorded two shows in front of a live audience at NBC’s Burbank studios.

The day after the concert, filming began on O‘ahu for the motion picture ‘Blue Hawai‘I,’ starring Elvis and Joan Blackman. (HABS)

In 1960 the construction of the Arizona Memorial began; it was dedicated Memorial Day, May 30, 1962 just over a year after Elvis’s charity concert.

It marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 Sailors and Marines killed on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. (Ho‘okele)