A reader suggested the paper write about the gates outside the Kailua Macy’s that still have the letters “L & H” welded into them for the previous store on the site: Liberty House.

Lee Cataluna wrote about it in her Sept. 30 column and plans a follow-up soon.

She pointed out that a 4-foot Liberty House hibiscus logo still can be found in the escalator area at Macy’s in Ala Moana Center. Bordering it on each side is the old store’s slogan, “A Tradition in Hawaii.”

I hope they don’t take it down now that we’ve pointed it out. When Macy’s took over, they destroyed all the other things that had Liberty House on them, despite my plea to let me save some.

Heinrich Hackfeld came to Hawaii and founded his store, later to be known as H. Hackfeld & Co., in 1849 on Fort Street. When World War I broke out, the U.S. seized German assets.

Hackfeld’s was paid $6 million, and the new board of directors changed the name to American Factors, for the sugar companies, and Liberty House, for the retail stores, to show their patriotism, businesswoman Julie Percell told me.

Hackfeld’s original store’s gate with the initials H H & Co. Ltd. has been preserved at the intersection of Fort and Queen streets in a small park.

There are remnants or leftovers of other companies that have departed the state’s business landscape.

Dillingham built Ala Moana Center but left the state in the 1980s. Outside the entrance to Macy’s, on the lowest level, mauka, my friend Midi Cox pointed out that there’s a Dillingham plaque in the ground.

Another interesting remnant is the Hawaiian Pineapple Co. logo that’s still on the gate of the Dole Cannery. HAPCO was founded by James Dole in 1901.

His cousin Sanford, who led the overthrow of the monarchy, recommended he not use the family name because it carried political baggage.

Ironically, the Dole name was not affixed to the company until 1991, long after James Dole had lost control of the company and Castle & Cooke had taken over.

Despite the changes, the HAPCO pineapple logo can still be found on the cannery gate. I still hear old-timers refer to it as “Hawaiian Pine.”

Some buildings have neon signs still in place from companies that have closed.

McCully Chop Sui opened in the 1940s and closed in about 2006. Carolyn and Mark Blackburn, owners of Mauna Kea Galleries, moved in but kept the sign, despite having to fight City Hall to do so. If I gave historic preservation awards, I’d surely give them one.

Wo Fat Chop Sui’s building and sign are still in place on Hotel Street. Wo Fat was Hawaii’s oldest restaurant when it closed in 2005. It had opened in 1882 and proudly displayed liquor license No. 1 for many years.

Two blocks away at 25 N. Hotel St., Club Hubba Hubba’s 11-foot-tall, 6-foot-wide sign is still up, and someone keeps it turned on at night. (Another award!)

It opened as Cafe Hubba Hubba in 1947, Charles Memminger told me. It and the Wo Fat sign were made by Robert “Bozo” Shigemura, who also made the Hawaii Theatre marquee.

Club Hubba Hubba was a prominent location for jazz, burlesque shows and, later, strip shows, Memminger said.

The Goodwear Dress Shop, managed by Fred Fukuroda at 1130 Bishop St., opened in 1947 and has been closed for years, but its huge sign is still up.

Over on Fort Street the Blaisdell Hotel’s sign still hangs from the building, although it was converted to offices decades ago.

The Blaisdell opened in 1912 and was called “Hawaii’s Handsomest Hostelry.”

It was owned by Charles M. Cooke Ltd. and managed by the Blaisdell family. A young Neal Blaisdell worked there before he became mayor.

The Blaisdell has the last manually operated elevator in town and is run by an employee. It’s known as “the Birdcage” as it is made of metal strips that are open to the air.

I also saw that the Fisherman’s Wharf sign is still there even though the building was recently torn down.

Several buildings are still named for companies that once occupied them. The Pan Am Building at Kapiolani Boulevard and Kaheka Street still has its sign across the top of the building even though Pam Am closed in 1991.

The Miss Hawaii Building on King Street in McCully was named for the Miss Hawaii Manufacturing Co., which opened in 1947. It was not associated with the beauty pageant.

I had an office in the Theo Davies Building in 1978. Theo H. Davies was one of the Big Five sugar producers and was bought by Jardine Matheson of Hong Kong.

In Hilo the Kress name is still on the building, although the store left a long time ago. F. Koehnen and Kaikodo likewise still have their names on Hilo buildings.

The Dillingham Transportation Building still sits at Bishop Street and Ala Moana Boulevard, although the company moved to California and closed in 2003. Dillingham built the Oahu Railway, Ala Moana Center, the airport and hundreds of other buildings.

The Honolulu Police Department moved away from Bethel and Merchant streets decades ago, but the name is still on the building.

Atop the building housing Murphy’s Bar & Grill at 2 Merchant St., you’ll see “Royal, 1890,” for the Royal Saloon, owned by Walter Peacock, who also built the Moana Hotel.

And on Queen Street near Punchbowl Street, a red-brick building still has the sign that says “The Honolulu Brew’g & Malt’g Co. 1900.” Primo Beer was once brewed here.

Our history is precious. I hope those of us who can, do something to preserve it.

I’m sure there are a lot more remnants of companies long gone across the state. Readers, can you suggest others?

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.