In my first column of the year, I thought I’d look at some of the companies and organizations that have significant anniversaries coming up this year.

235TH ANNIVERSARY

1778
>> Capt. Cook arrived and named Hawaii the Sandwich Islands. His sponsor in the Admiralty was John Montague, the fourth Earl of Sandwich.

180TH ANNIVERSARY

1833
>> Seaman’s Bethel church, for whalers and sailors, was dedicated. Samuel C. Damon served as pastor from 1841 to 1882. The church has divided, united and moved several times and is now called Central Union church.

170TH ANNIVERSARY

1843
>> The Queen Emma Summer Palace was built in Nuuanu.

165TH ANNIVERSARY

1848
>> St. Anthony Schools began on Maui. The Great Mahele allowed for private ownership of land. “Mahele” means “to share.”

160TH ANNIVERSARY

1853
>> Foster Botanical Garden was begun by William Hillebrand, head physician at Queen’s Hospital. He sold the property in 1884 to Thomas and Mary Foster.

155TH ANNIVERSARY

1858
>> First Hawaiian Bank was founded downtown by Charles Reed Bishop.
>> Macy’s began in New York City.

150TH ANNIVERSARY

1863
>> Iolani School was founded with the help of Queen Emma and Kamehameha IV on Maui as Luaehu School.

140TH ANNIVERSARY

1873
>> Saint Damien de Veuster moved to Kalaupapa at the age of 33.

135TH ANNIVERSARY

1878
>> The law firm now known as Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel began as Castle & Hatch. Some of its earlier clients included B.F. Dillingham, Bernice Pauahi Bishop and Queen Liliuokalani.

130TH ANNIVERSARY

1883
>> Hawaiian Telcom began as Mutual Telephone.
>> The Kamehameha statue was unveiled on King Street.
>> St. Marianne and six sisters of Saint Francis arrived in Hawaii to help those with Hansen’s disease at the Kakaako Branch Hospital.

125TH ANNIVERSARY

1888:
>> Honolulu Magazine began as Paradise of the Pacific, under a royal charter from King David Kalakaua.
>> B.F. Dillingham created the Oahu Rail & Land Co.
>> The law firm Case Lombardi & Pettit was begun by William O. Smith on Fort Street.
>> Maui’s oldest and largest family-owned cattle ranch, Haleakala Ranch, was incorporated.
>> Haleakala Dairy and Maui Land & Pineapple trace their beginnings to that event as well.
>> Maui Soda & Ice Works was founded near Kahului Harbor.

115TH ANNIVERSARY

1898
>> Moanalua Golf Club, the first in the islands, was built by Samuel Mills Damon.
>> Honolulu Brewing & Malting Co. was formed by industrialist Alfred Hocking. In 1901 the brewer came out with Primo Lager, Hawaii’s original beer.

110TH ANNIVERSARY

1903
>> Hawaii’s first circus, carnival, rodeo, Wild West show, bullfighting and ice show were all due to Edwin Kaneikawaiola (E.K.) Fernandez, who began 110 years ago.
>> The largest food distributor in the state today, Y. Hata, began as a mom-and-pop store in Hilo by Yoichi and Naeko Hata.

105TH ANNIVERSARY

1908
>> The Outrigger Canoe Club was founded near the Moana and Seaside hotel (now the Royal Hawaiian) by Alexander Hume Ford. His mission was to revive the ancient sports of surfing and outrigger canoe paddling, then on the verge of extinction.

100TH ANNIVERSARY

1913
>> Hawaii State Library opened on King Street.

95th ANNIVERSARY

1918
>> HOPACO began as the Honolulu Paper Co.
>> The Hirano Store opened in Glenwood on the Big Island, as did Hanahauoli (“joyous work”) School in Makiki. 

90th ANNIVERSARY

1923
>> Honolulu Shriners Hospital opened as a ward of Kauikeolani Children’s Hospital, now part of Kapiolani.
>> The Ala Wai Golf Course, originally the Territorial Fair Grounds Golf Course, began with a single hole.
>> Valley Isle Motors began on Maui.

80th ANNIVERSARY

1933
>> One of the Big Island’s oldest family-owned businesses, Sure Save Super Market, began as Okuyama Meat Market.

75th ANNIVERSARY

1938
>> Charley’s Taxi, Hawaii’s oldest taxi service, began.
>> Hawaii Medical Service Association was founded. $3 a month in dues provided a maximum of $300 in medical coverage in a year.
>> Longs Drug Stores began in Piedmont, Calif., when brothers Joe and Tom Long helped institute the idea of self-service in the retail drug industry. They came to Hawaii in 1954.
>> Wilcox Memorial Hospital was founded on Kauai.
>> Waipahu High School opened.

65TH ANNIVERSARY

1948
>> Foodland Super Market opened in Market City.

50TH ANNIVERSARY

1963
>> Castle Medical Center opened.
>> The Merrie Monarch Hula Festival began as a way to help Hilo’s economy recover from the 1960 tsunami.

40TH ANNIVERSARY

1973
>> Anna Miller’s, the Pearl City restaurant with a Pennsylvania Dutch theme, was named for founder Stanley Miller’s grandmother.
>> Jose’s Restaurante Mexicana y Cantina began.

30TH ANNIVERSARY

1983
>> Perry & Price were paired at KSSK radio, taking over Aku’s morning drive time.

25TH ANNIVERSARY

1988
Roy Yamaguchi opened his first restaurant. He’s expanded to 31 around the world.

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Bob Sigall, author of the “Companies We Keep” books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories each Friday of Hawaii people, places and companies. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.