Hawaii | Page 486 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

August 31, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Waiākea Sugar Mill

Theophilus Harris Davies and Alexander Young started the Waiākea Mill Company in 1879. It was “Situated one mile from Hilo in a southerly direction are the vast fields of sugar cane and mill of the Waiākea Mill Company …”

“… which controls 95,000 acres of land, 5,000 of which are now in cane, the product from same being converted into sugar at the mill of the company, which has a capacity of seventy tons in twenty-four hours. It is a 9-roller mill and fitted with every appliance for the successful reduction of the product of the plantation.” (Evening Bulletin, November 30, 1901)

The Mill was located at the back (most mauka side) of Waiākea Pond, part of what we now refer to as the Wailoa Pond and River. They would barge bagged sugar here from the headwaters through the pond to Hilo Bay.

“The lands of Waiākea, now held by the Waiakea Mill Company under General Lease No. 124, comprise an area of 96,988 acres. The lease is for a term of Thirty Years from June 1st, 1888, and expires on June 1st, 1918, and provides for an annual rental of $2000.00.” (Hawaii Legislature, House Journal, 1913)

“During the year 1900 the company cleared 700 acres of land, but this year, owing to the scarcity of labor, will not be able to clear any additional land and make it ready for planting.”

“The cane as it comes to the mill in cars of large capacity looks well and will average right through about four and one-half tons of sugar to the acre the year around.”

“As is the case elsewhere in the Hilo district of Hawaii, no Irrigation is required, as the rainfall is quite sufficient.”

“Some thirty miles of railroad is maintained upon the plantation, and some 700 men find steady employment in the fields of cane and about the main works.” (Evening Bulletin, November 30, 1901)

“Today, the steam train of the Waiakea Mill Co, was tested and it went well. There were some dignitaries and also regular people rode who rode the train, and it progressed to where the tracks were laid, and returned back to where it started.”

“I heard from a haole that it went well, and it would seem that in short time it will be chugging upland to where the cane is being grown. Sincerely, C. K. Hapai, (Kuiniki). (Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, July 19, 1879)

“During an Interview with C. C. Kennedy, the manager of the plantation, and likewise one of the owners, it was ascertained that the question of labor is one at great moment to the planters, and that at the present time the plantations throughout the entire islands could easily employ 20,000 additional laborers in clearing land, planting cane, etc.”

“(T)he first sugar cane was planted twenty-two years ago, which was the time that Mr. Kennedy came to Hilo to erect the Waiākea mill and also to manage the property.”

“He has made a careful study of the subject of cane culture in all its branches, and in his dally operations displays a practical knowledge of the subject In hand.”

“The company has a large warehouse capable of holding 1600 tons, in which the sugar is temporarily stored, It being shipped every week direct from Hilo to the Mainland.” (Evening Bulletin, November 30, 1901)

As leases expired, they implemented the Waiākea ‘experiment,’ some homestead and houselots were created on Waiākea cane land

In addition, “some of the property under lease to the Waiākea Mill Company in the vicinity of Reed’s Bay was sublet to persons who wanted dwelling places or week-end homes near the sea.” (Thrum)

This seems to be part of the transition for Waiākea Mill company that “has been reduced from the status of a sugar producing and manufacturing company to that of only a sugar manufacturer.”

“‘In the year 1917, the labor force employed by the mill company averaged 1,030 men per day. This force has dwindled to 270 men per day at present, distributed in the following occupations”. (Maui News, April 18, 1922)

Anticipating the expiration of some major leases on the island of Hawaii in 1947, the land commissioner appointed a special commission to determine the size of tracts to be disposed of by public auction.

In his words, “The Land Office desires particularly to see that the lands formerly used by … plantations are used in a constructive way.” The two plantations referred to were Waiākea, located near the urban area of Hilo on the island of Hawaii, and Waimānalo, located in an area of O‘ahu that would eventually be incorporated into Honolulu’s spreading metropolitan complex.

“The availability of land such as this for urban development presented a unique opportunity and challenge to those responsible for making Hawaii’s public land policy. They could be reasonably certain that the phasing out of two plantation companies whose operations had become marginal for a variety of reasons would not seriously injure the Islands’ sugar industry.”

“At the same time, the freeing of potentially valuable areas for urban development provided the land commissioner with an opportunity to move decisively in making available substantial numbers of house lots at reasonable prices.” (LRB)

The 1947 session of the legislature provided the land department with a revolving fund of $500,000, to assist in the development, subdivision, and sale of various tracts of government land, including that of Waiākea Mill Co.

“The land office desires particularly to see that the lands formerly used by these two plantations are used in a constructive way.” (Annual Report of the Governor, Year Ended June 30, 1948)

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Waiakea Sugar Mill at Waiakea Pond-1890

Waiakea fishpond from Kilauea Ave-PP-29-5-011

Loading_cane_the_old_way

Flooding at Waiakea Mill Camp-PP-29-4-001-Feb_9,_1939

Waiakea River with fishing canoes and people gathered on shore-PP-29-4-014

First sugarcane loader made at the Waiakea Sugar Mill in Hilo

Wailoa Pond-former Waiakea Mill site in foreground

Hilo_and_Vicinity-Baldwin-Reg1561-1891-portion-noting_Waiakea_Mill

Waiakea Mill Bus Token

WaiakeaMillStockCertificate

August 30, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Honolulu Streets

Throughout the years of late‐prehistory, AD 1400s ‐ 1700s, and through much of the 1800s, the canoe was a principal means of travel in ancient Hawaiʻi. Canoes were used for interisland and inter‐village coastal travel.

Most permanent villages initially were near the ocean and at sheltered beaches, which provided access to good fishing grounds, as well as facilitating convenient canoe travel.

Royal Centers were where the aliʻi resided; aliʻi often moved between several residences throughout the year. The Royal Centers were selected for their abundance of resources and recreation opportunities, with good surfing and canoe‐landing sites being favored.

Ancient trails, those developed before western contact in 1778, facilitated trading between upland and coastal villages and communications between ahupua‘a and extended families. These trails were usually narrow, following the topography of the land; trails over ‘a‘ā lava were paved with water-worn stones.

In 1815, Kamehameha I granted Russian representatives permission to build a storehouse near Honolulu Harbor. But, instead, directed by the German adventurer Georg Schaffer (1779-1836,) they began building a fort and raised the Russian flag.

When Kamehameha discovered the Russians were building a fort he sent several chiefs (including Kalanimōku and John Young (his advisor,)) to remove the Russians from Oʻahu by force, if necessary.

The partially built blockhouse at Honolulu was finished by Hawaiians under the direction of John Young and mounted guns protected the fort. Its original purpose was to protect Honolulu by keeping enemy or otherwise undesirable ships out. But, it was also used to keep things in (it also served as a prison.)

Fort Street is named after this fort; it is one of the oldest streets in Honolulu. Today, the site of the old fort is the open space called Walker Park, a small park at the corner of Queen and Fort streets (also fronting Ala Moana/Nimitz.)

The missionaries, who arrived in April 1820, selected their key stations and localities based on their accessibility via the ala loa (long trail) and smaller ala hele (paths) from neighboring ahupua‘a. The mission stations generally coincided with the traditional chiefly centers, which by that time, were also developing as trade points with foreign vessels.

In 1838, a major street improvement project was started. Honolulu was to be a planned town. Kīnaʻu (Kuhina Nui Kaʻahumanu II) published the following proclamation: “I shall widen the streets in our city and break up some new places to make five streets on the length of the land, and six streets on the breadth of the land… Because of the lack of streets some people were almost killed by horseback riders …”

In 1845, Commander Charles Wilkes criticized the city of Honolulu by saying: “The streets, if so they may be called, have no regularity as to width, and are ankle‐deep in light dust and sand … and in some places, offensive sink‐holes strike the senses, in which are seen wallowing some old and corpulent hogs.”

“The boundaries of the old town may be said to have been, on the makai side, the waters of the harbor; on the mauka side, Beretania street; on the Waikiki side, the barren and dusty plain, and on the Ewa side, the Nuʻuanu stream. There were few, if any, residences other than the straw houses of the natives mauka of Beretania street.”

It wasn’t until 1850 that streets received official names. On August 30, 1850, the Privy Council first officially named Honolulu’s streets; there were 35‐streets that received official names that day (29 were in Downtown Honolulu, the others nearby.)

At the time, the water’s edge was in the vicinity of what we now call Queen Street. Back in those days, that road was generally called ‘Makai,’ ‘Water’ or Ali‘i Wahine.’ (Gilman)

‘Broadway’ was the main street (we now call it King Street;) it was the widest and longest ‐ about 2‐3 miles long from the river (Nuʻuanu River on the west) out to the “plains” (to Mānoa.) (It was also referred to as, ‘Chapel,’ ‘Halepule,’ ‘Church’ (due to Kawaiahaʻo fronting it) and ‘Ali‘i.’)

To date, 17 of those original names have survived the passage of time: Queen, Richards, School, Smith, Victoria, Young, Mauna Kea, Merchant, Mission, Nuʻuanu, Punchbowl, Beretania, Fort, Hotel, Kīnaʻu, King and Marin. (Gilman)

Some of the earlier-named streets that are no longer in use include, Garden, Crooked Lane, Printers Lane, French Place, Palace, Stone House, Eden House and Kaʻahumanu.

The Privy Council resolved “that the Minister of the Interior is instructed to have posts of solid durable wood, put down at the corners of all the streets that have been named … with the name of such streets … plainly printed in letters of the dimensions of one inch, painting said names in Hawaiian and English”.

In that same meeting, the Privy Council also “Resolved that Honolulu is declared to be a city, and the Capital of the Hawaiian Islands.” (Privy Council Minutes, August 30, 1850)

By the early-1850s, specific criteria were developed for realigning trails and roadways, including the straightening of alignments and development of causeways and bridges.

This system of roadwork, supervised by district overseers, and funded through government appropriations – with labor by prisoners and individuals unable to pay taxes in another way – evolved over the next 40 years.

Paved streets were unknown until 1881. In that year, Fort Street was macadamized (a paving process using aggregate layers of stone with a cementing agent binder – a process named after Scotsman John Loudon McAdam,) followed by Nuʻuanu Avenue.

In 1892, Queen Lili‘uokalani and the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i signed into law an “Act Defining Highways, and Defining and Establishing Certain Routes and Duties in Connection Therewith,” to be known as The Highways Act, 1892.

Through this act, all roads, alleys, streets, ways, lanes, courts, places, trails and bridges in the Hawaiian Islands, whether laid out or built by the Government or by private parties were declared to be public highways; ownership was placed in the Government (typically, under the control of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.)

Then, adopted in 1978, “Street names within the city (of Honolulu) … shall consist of Hawaiian names, words or phrases and shall be selected with a view to the appropriateness of the name to historic, cultural, scenic and topographical features of the area.”

“Street names shall be selected so as not to exceed the space limitation of a standard street name sign of the department of transportation services (normally 18 spaces).” (Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, Chapter 22)

“The history of the islands are well preserved in our Honolulu streets… They are a people’s creation … Let us hope that our Lanes and Ways will continue to reflect the charm, the color, and the variety of life in Honolulu.” (Clark, 1939 HHS)

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August 29, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Henry Perrine Baldwin

Henry Perrine Baldwin, the most successful sugar producer of the Hawaiian Islands (Mid Pacific, February 1912,) was born on August 29, 1842 in Lahaina, Maui.

His father was American missionary Dwight Baldwin (1798–1886), and his mother was Charlotte Fowler Baldwin. (He was named after Matthew LaRue Perrine (1777-1836), a professor at Auburn Theological Seminary, from which his father had graduated shortly before his departure to the Hawaiian Islands.) (Davis)

After receiving his education at Punahou School, HP Baldwin undertook the management of a rice plantation, but the venture was not successful and in 1863 he turned his attention to the cultivation of sugar cane, working first for his brother, Dwight Baldwin, Jr, who was engaged in planting at Lahaina.

Christopher H Lewers founded Waiheʻe sugar plantation on Maui. It the mid-1860s it was managed by Samuel Thomas Alexander. Henry Perrin Baldwin took a ‘Luna’ (foreman) job with Alexander. (HP Baldwin and Alexander grew up together as kids in Lāhainā and became close friends.)

It was Mr. Baldwin’s intention – he was then but 21 years of age – to earn enough money to enable him to go to Williams College to take a medical course. (His father was a physician.) His youthful ambition to be a doctor was never realized.

Once launched in the sugar industry he continued in it, an increasingly important figure, for the remainder of his life. Baldwin was particularly successful as an agriculturist, a developer of plantations.

He left to his associates the office and administrative details of his widespread interests but almost to the day of his death continued to take a personal and active interest in the basic level of the sugar industry, the cultivation and production of sugar. (Orr)

In 1869, Baldwin and Alexander became business partners and bought 12-acres in Hāmākuapoko (an eastern Maui ahupuaʻa (land division.)) (They later formed Alexander & Baldwin, one of Hawai‘i’s ‘Big Five’ companies – and the only Big Five still in Hawai‘i.)

“The early years of the partnership of Alexander & Baldwin, represented a continual struggle against heavy odds. Haiku plantation had to have water.”

“Straining their financial resources almost to the breaking point, the young partners succeeded in bringing to completion the Hāmākua-Haiku ditch, the first important irrigation project in the islands.”

“The eventual enormous success of this enterprise made possible the great future of Alexander and Baldwin. Pā‘ia plantation was started and other extensive acreages were added to the partners’ holdings.” (Orr)

“As a pioneer in the construction of big irrigation ditches, Mr. Baldwin laid the foundation for his great fortune. In the latter 70s he caused other planters to gasp by his daring ventures in ditch construction, risking sums of money that were considered very large in those days in enterprises that were believed to be impossible to consummate because of the great gulches and ravines that had to be crossed in the irrigation projects.”

Then tragedy happened … “In 1876, while engaged in adjusting machinery at the sugar mill at the Pā‘ia plantation. Mr. Baldwin almost lost his life by being drawn between the rolls.”

“The engineer fortunately witnessed the accident and reversed the engine, but not before the right arm had been fearfully mangled almost up to the shoulder blade. The amputation was not followed by any serious results, but the handicap was a severe one to so energetic a worker as was Mr. Baldwin all his life.” (Mid Pacific, February 1912)

“When Mr. Alexander removed to Oakland, Calif., in 1883, because of failing health, Mr. Baldwin assumed full direction of their affairs in Hawaii, and for almost thirty years thereafter he was a leading figure in the industrial expansion of the islands.” (Orr)

“A heavy expansion of Alexander and Baldwin came with the acquisition of control of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. of Puʻunene, Maui, formerly operated by the late Claus Spreckels.”

“Mr. Baldwin took personal charge of this plantation in 1902 and made it one of the most successful and productive estates in Hawaii. Today it ranks as one of the world’s finest and most modern sugar plantations.” (Orr)

“As manager of the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company, Mr. Baldwin had the satisfaction of seeing it become one of the greatest sugar plantations of the world, with other plantations under the control of his company ranking very high according to their size.” (Mid Pacific, February 1912)

“During its early years the firm operated a fleet of sailing vessels between Hawaii and the mainland, carrying sugar to California and returning with merchandise. These ships later were replaced by the steamers of the American-Hawaiian line and still later by the freighters of the Matson Navigation Co.” (Orr)

“It has been said that no man was ever more deserving of success, for he worked hard when manual labor was necessary, rising as early as four o’clock in the morning and working late into the night to make his enterprises what they have since become.”

“The benefactions of Mr. Baldwin were innumerable. His life in every way was an example to the white boy born in Hawaii. He was of the second generation to the islands born and behind him left eight children of the third generation and several of the fourth.”

“Mr. Baldwin married Emily W. Alexander, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. William Patterson Alexander, early missionaries, and a sister of Mr. Baldwin’s partner, S. T. Alexander, at Wailuku, Maui, on April 5, 1870.”

“Eight children were born to them, Harry A Baldwin, Frank F Baldwin, Mrs. Maud (Baldwin) Cooke, Arthur D Baldwin, Dr WD Baldwin, Mrs Charlotte (Baldwin) Rice, Fred Baldwin and AS Baldwin.” (Orr)

“His sons were and are all athletes, mental and physical, worthy successors to their father, and sons of Hawaii that demonstrate that the islands produce men of brain and brawn throughout the succeeding generations.” (Mid Pacific, February 1912)

In January 1909, HP had an operation for appendicitis. Just as the incident with his arm, he recovered quickly and by the summer of 1911 he was healthy enough to make the voyage to California, but sadly, he died a few days after returning on July 8, 1911. (Davis)

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HP_Baldwin-before 1896-WC

Henry Perrine Baldwin scanned from a page from “The Story of Hawaii and its Builders” Hawaii

Alexander & Baldwin Building-PP-7-4-004-00001

Maui-Puunene-Sugar-Museum

Henry Perrine Baldwin High School-plaque

Paia_Mill

Makawao_Union_Church_also known as the Henry Perrine Baldwin Memorial Church was built in 1917-(WC)

August 27, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Ho‘iho‘ikea

In 1845, Kamehameha III established a permanent seat of government in Honolulu (moving from the prior capital at Lāhainā.) He acquired for his capitol the former Hanailoia (a home built by Governor Mataio Kekūanāoʻa for his daughter (Princess Victoria Kamāmalu)) and named it Hale Ali‘i, it was the palace used by Kings Kamehameha III, IV, V and Lunalilo.

Various residences were placed around the grounds, the Palace being used principally for state purposes. Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) built a large, old-fashioned, livable cottage on the grounds a little to ewa and mauka of the palace (near the Kīna‘u gate, opening onto Richards Street.) (Taylor)

He called his home ‘Ho‘iho‘ikea’ (most spell the house this way, some say Hoʻihoʻi ‘ea – for consistency, the former is used) in commemoration of the restoration of the sovereignty and independence of Hawai‘i by Admiral Thomas of the British Navy, on July 31, 1843. (Taylor and Judd)

(In 1843, Paulet had raised the British flag and issued a proclamation annexing Hawai‘i to the British Crown. This event became known as the Paulet Affair. Queen Victoria sent Rear Admiral Richard Thomas to restore the Hawaiian Kingdom. That day is now referred to as Ka La Hoʻihoʻi Ea, Sovereignty Restoration Day.)

It was a dwelling place, provided with the simpler comforts of a citizen, and greatly enjoyed by the sovereigns. This served as home to Kamehameha III, Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V; the Palace being used principally for state purposes. (Taylor)

In Ho‘iho‘ikea were transacted some of the most important affairs connected with the history of Hawai‘i and within its walls were held many an important council to decide the interests of this nation, their advancement and their prosperity.

In 1834, Kīna‘u, Kauikeaouli’s half-sister, had given birth to a son, Alexander Liholiho. Kauikeaouli look Alexander as his hānai child and raised his young nephew as his own son, preparing him to be the next monarch of Hawai‘i. Kauikeaouli died at Ho‘iho‘ikea.

Kamehameha IV ascended the throne at age 21 and reigned for nearly nine years. Royal informality as well as strict protocol was recorded by Gorham D. Gilman, who attended a reception given by King Kamehameha IV:

“Having received an invitation to attend one of the receptions of King Kamehameha IV, a friend and myself entered the grounds at the mauka gate, intending to pass around and enter at the front of the building.”

“As we were passing the bungalow (Ho‘iko‘ikea) a friendly voice, somewhat familiar, hailed us and asked us to come up on the veranda. We accepted the invitation and were welcomed by the King himself, who invited us to seats and cigars.”

“While chatting upon social events the King, suddenly, looking at his watch, said hastily, ‘Excuse me, gentlemen, I am due in the throne room in five minutes,’ and disappeared within.”

“Passing to the front entrance of the palace, up the broad steps, and across the wide veranda to the brilliantly lighted rooms, we found a large company gathered. In a short time the band announced the arrival of His Majesty and presentations began.”

“These were made by the officers of the court, dressed in full uniform, and with great formality. When our tum came, my friend Mr. Bartow, and myself were escorted by two of the officers to the presence of the King.”

“We were announced with much formality by the stereotyped expression, ‘Your Majesty, permit me to present to you Mr. Gilman.’ With a formal bow on the part of both, we passed on, as if it were the first time we had ever been in the royal presence, while really it was only a few minutes since we had been smoking together.” (Gilman; Judd)

“During the reign of Kamehameha V, cabinet councils were frequently held there. There was held the council which called the Constitutional Convention, the result of which was the abrogation of the constitution of 1852 and the promulgation of the present one.”

“There Kamehameha V, he of the strong mind, humbly succumbed to his fate, and thus passed away the last of the Kamehameha dynasty.”

“In that house also the present reigning family met with their first great grief, and far distant be the day when they shall be called to mourn another void in the family.” (Thrum)

(Prince Albert (Ka Haku O Hawaiʻi (‘the Lord of Hawaiʻi,’)) the only son of Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma died there on August 27, 1862.)

The palace building was named Hale Ali‘i meaning (House of the Chiefs.) Kamehameha V changed its name to ʻIolani Palace in honor of his late brother and predecessor.

(ʻIo is the Hawaiian hawk, a bird that flies higher than all the rest, and lani denotes heavenly, royal or exalted.) Although the old palace was demolished in 1874, the name ʻIolani Palace was retained for the building that stands today.

This image is from Burgess’ No. 2 – View of Honolulu From the Catholic church (c. 1854) – on the right side you can see a church steeple (Kawaiahaʻo,) in front of it is Hale Ali‘i, with the flag to its right (it was renamed ʻIolani Palace in 1863.) In and around there are the respective houses of the aliʻi, including Ho‘iho‘ikea.

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No._2._View_of_Honolulu._From_the_Catholic_church._(c._1854)-center image

August 26, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Confederate Flag

In the 1840s, Captain John Dominis, an Italian-American ship captain and merchant from New York, purchased property on Beretania Street and built a home for his family, Mary Lambert Dominis (his wife) and John Owen Dominis (his son.)

In 1847, on a voyage to the China Sea, Captain Dominis was lost at sea. To make ends meet, Mary Dominis rented out spare bedrooms in the house.

One such was to American Commissioner Anthony Ten Eyck. Ten Eyck said the house reminded him of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s mansion and that it should be named “Washington Place.”

King Kamehameha III, who concurred, Proclaimed as ‘Official Notice,’ “It has pleased His Majesty the King to approve of the name of Washington Place given this day by the Commissioner of the United States, to the House and Premises of Mrs. Dominis and to command that they retain that name in all time coming.” (February 22, 1848)

Twenty-four year-old Curtis Perry Ward (whom some called a ‘lonely Southern bachelor,’ while others say he was an ‘aloof, aristocratic Southerner’) arrived in the islands in 1853 and rented a room at Mary Dominis’ Washington Place.

He later opened a livery stable, started a small feed company and a draying business, all of which made money for Ward. In 1858, Ward rented a residential block now occupied by Davies Pacific Center as a home and location for his livery business. He named the property “Dixie”.

When tensions began to rise between the American North and South, the first shot of the American Civil War was fired at Fort Sumter off the coast of South Carolina on April 12, 1861, nearly six thousand miles away.

On August 26, 1861, five months after the outbreak of hostilities and four months after the news of Civil War arrived in Honolulu, Kamehameha IV issued a Proclamation that, in part, stated …

… “hostilities are now unhappily pending between the Government of the United States, and certain States thereof styling themselves ‘The Confederate States of America.’”

With the Proclamation, the King also stated “Our neutrality between said contending parties.” The discussion of neutrality versus partisanship had to include the reality that the Hawaiian kingdom had no standing army …

… and most importantly, no navy to protect its harbors if supporting either the Union or Confederacy brought the other side’s vessels to threaten the principal cities of Honolulu or Lāhainā. (Illinois-edu)

Likewise, while the majority of foreigners in Hawaiʻi were Americans from New England who supported the Union cause with great fervor, leadership and advisors to the King included European ties who believed that the Confederacy would succeed in securing its independence.

In 1862, John Owen Dominis married Lydia Kamakaʻeha (also known as Lydia Kamakaʻeha Pākī – later, Queen Lili‘uokalani.) Lydia Dominis described Washington Place “as comfortable in its appointments as it is inviting in its aspect.”

“Lili‘uokalani liked young Ward and felt sympathy for him as a passionate upholder of Confederate rights.” (Taylor) “(A)ccording to a family story, some members of the court privately expressed sympathy for Ward’s Southern allegiance during the War Between the States.”

“Lydia Lili‘u Pākī is said to have worked quietly at night, in the privacy of her chambers, sewing a Confederate flag for Ward.”

“He accepted her gift with pleasure and promptly attached it to the canopy of his four-poster bed, declaring it was his wish to die under the flag.” (Hustace)

In 1865, Ward married Victoria Robinson, Hawai‘i-born daughter of English shipbuilder James Robinson and his wife Rebecca, a woman of Hawaiian ancestry whose chiefly lineage had roots in Kaʻū, Hilo and Honokōwai, Maui.

For many years they made their home at ‘Dixie;’ later Ward Homes were ‘Sunny South’ and ‘Old Plantation. The Wards had seven daughters.

It was said that all of them were born in the bed under the Confederate flag. The flag is a “treasured relic of the Ward family to this very day.” (Taylor) In 1882, Curtis Ward died at age 53.

Victoria rallied against the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893; and, reportedly, after promulgation of the law forbidding the public display of the Hawaiian flag, Victoria Ward replaced the Confederate flag with a Hawaiian flag bed-quilt with the words Ku‘u Hae Aloha (My Beloved Flag.)

It is said Victoria made the remark, “I was born under the Hawaiian flag and I shall die under it.” (Allen; Karpiel) (The image shows the Confederate ‘Stars and Bars’ flag, captured by soldiers of the Union Army at Columbia, South Carolina – the flag later had 13-stars.)

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Confederate_Stars_and_Bars_Flag_captured_at_Columbia_South_Carolina_-_Wisconsin_Veterans_Museum