Many local companies and organizations are celebrating important anniversaries in 2014. Here are some of them.
175th Anniversary
1839
Royal School: Hawaii’s third-oldest school was created by Kamehameha III and run by Amos and Juliette Cooke for 18 children of alii, including Kamehameha IV and V, Queen Emma, Queen Liliuokalani and Bernice Pauahi. When the royal children graduated, The Chiefs’ Children’s School, as it was called, moved to its current location on Punchbowl Street from Iolani Palace grounds and changed its name to Royal School. School Street is named for it.
150th Anniversary
1864
Grove Farm: One of the oldest sugar plantations in Hawaii was founded by Hermann Widemann and later sold to George Wilcox. Steve Case bought it in 2000, and today it is Kauai’s largest private landowner. It is involved in community development, sustainable agriculture, solar energy and industry.
155th Anniversary
1859
The Queen’s Healthcare System: It was founded by Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma, originally on Fort Street.
145th Anniversary
1869
YMCA of Honolulu: It’s hard to imagine, but the "Y" did not believe in serious exercise in its first 25 years. Its original mission in Hawaii was to recruit Sunday school teachers and help newcomers find jobs in Hawaii.
135th Anniversary
1879
Hawaii State Library: The original idea was to provide men with an alternative to bars and saloons. Women and children were not allowed in the Workingmen’s Library. Within a week the gates were thrown open for all.
130th Anniversary
1884
Maui Memorial Medical Center: St. Marianne Cope and the sisters of St. Francis opened Maui’s oldest hospital under the name Malulani ("protection by heaven"). Queen Kapiolani came for the grand opening.
125th Anniversary
1889
Gay & Robinson
Bishop Museum: The world’s largest collection of Polynesian and Hawaiian cultural artifacts was built by Charles Reed Bishop originally to hold family memorabilia and heirlooms of his wife, Bernice Pauahi.
120th Anniversary
1894
Salvation Army of Hawaii: It was founded at the request of Central Union Church to help the thousands of immigrants to Hawaii with their spiritual and social needs.
115th Anniversary
1899
City Mill: It was founded by Chung Kung Ai, a friend of Sun Yat Sen. It was originally a lumber and rice mill in Chinatown.
The original Diamond Head Lighthouse: It was erected in 1899 in reaction to the grounding of the SS Miowera six years earlier. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1917 and has a Fresnel lens imported from France.
110th Anniversary
1904
The Gas Co.: Now known as Hawai’i Gas, it has 1,000 miles of pipeline to nearly 28,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers.
The Waikiki Aquarium: It is the third oldest in the U.S. It was built to encourage people to ride the trolley all the way to its end at Kapiolani Park.
Oahu Market on King Street in Chinatown: It was founded by Anin Young as an open-air market. It was sold to his tenants in 1984.
105th Anniversary
1909
C.S. Wo: Ching Sing Wo founded a general merchandise store on King Street in 1909. The second generation specialized in furniture.
Sacred Hearts Academy: The college preparatory school for girls in Kaimuki was founded by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts.
Maui Land & Pineapple:It began in 1909 as the Keahua Ranch Co.
Kemo’o Farm: It began as a pig farm near Schofield Barracks.
100th Anniversary
1914
Watumull’s: It started in retail fashion but is now mainly in real estate.
The Blueprint Co.:It began in 1914 and is now called American Reprographics.
95th Anniversary
1919
Servco Pacific:It was founded by Peter Fukunaga as the Waialua Garage. An Army sergeant won a $25 contest to rename the business when it moved to Wahiawa.
Aloha United Way:It was started by Frank Atherton as the United Welfare Fund.
Fujikami Florist:It was founded by Walter Fujikami and is now run by the second generation at 1200 Pensacola St.
90th Anniversary
1924
Saint Francis School:It was founded by the Franciscan Sisters who came with St. Marianne Cope from Syracuse, N.Y.
85th Anniversary
1929
Hawaiian Airlines:It was founded as Inter-Island Airways two years after Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic. His flight inspired Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co. to start the airline.
Teshima’s Restaurant: It was founded by Shizuko "Mary" Teshima in Kona. Mary died in October at the age of 106.
80th Anniversary
1934
Stanley Ito Florist
9th Avenue Bakery
75th Anniversary
1939
Island Insurance
Easy Music Center
Honolulu Sign Co.
Fukuya Delicatessen
Kona Community Hospital
Kramer’s Men’s Wear: Samuel R. Kramer Naval Uniforms altered military shirts and pants so they would fit right and look sharp.
70th Anniversary
1944
The Willows:It was named by Kathleen Hauston and her husband, musical legend Al Kealoha Perry, for the willow trees that grew in the area.
Wahiawa General Hospital
Waikiki Yacht Club
65th Anniversary
1949
Times Supermarkets: It was launched by brothers Wallace and Albert Teruya in McCully.
60th Anniversary
1954
KITV:It began as KULA-TV and later was KHVH-TV.
Central Pacific Bank:It was founded by a small group of World War II veterans over 50-cent plate lunches at Ala Moana Park.
Hardware Hawaii:It was founded by Dana and Mary Lundquist in Kailua.
55th Anniversary
1959
Dee Lite Bakery:It merged with Saint Germain in 1994.
Ala Moana Center:It opened a few days before statehood.
Reyn’s:It moved from Catalina Island to Ala Moana Center.
KPOI: Hawaii’s first Top 40 rock ‘n’ roll radio station went on the air in 1959 at 1380 on the AM dial. The DJs — Poi Boys — entertained with their ‘thons and "Circus Radio." KPOI also sponsored the five Sunshine Festivals inside Diamond Head crater starting in 1969.
50th Anniversary
1964
Ilikai Hotel
McKinley Car Wash
Lex Brodie’s Tire Co.
Pagoda Hotel
Pohai Nani Retirement Community
Crazy Shirts: Rick Ralston and his friend "Crazy Arab" founded Ricky’s Crazy Shirts at the International Market Place.
40th Anniversary
1974
Eggs ‘n Things
Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios
Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand
Tedeschi Vineyards
Pizza Bob’s
Cutter Group
Mutual Publishing:It has sold more than 6 million books about Hawaii and has more than 500 active books in print.
30th Anniversary
1984
Ba-Le: Thanh Quoc Lam opened his first Chinatown sandwich shop in 1984. There are now more than 20 Ba-Le outlets in Hawaii, Japan, Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities.
25th Anniversary
1989
Pali Momi Medical Center: The state thought a Leeward Oahu hospital wasn’t necessary until 13,000 resident signed a petition asking for it. Pali Momi means "Pearl Ridge" in Hawaiian.
20th Anniversary
1994
Cinnamon Girl
Congratulations to all these companies that have served the public of Hawaii so well for so many years.
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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.
