Albert Spencer Wilcox
Encyclopedia
Albert Spencer Wilcox was a businessman and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii
and Republic of Hawaii
. He developed several sugar plantations in Hawaii
, and became a large landholder.
(1808–1869) and mother was Lucy Eliza Hart (1814–1869). His parents were in the eighth company of missionaries to Hawaii for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
. His parents taught at the Hilo Mission boarding school founded by David Belden Lyman
and his wife. He had three older brothers born while at Hilo.
In 1846 the family moved to teach at a similar school at the Waioli Mission
near Hanalei, Hawaii
on the northern coast of the island of Kauai
. There he had four more brothers, although one died young.
In 1851 he sailed to Boston
with his father for surgery to fix a birth defect in his foot.
He was educated at his parents' school and Punahou School
in Honolulu from 1858 to 1862.
He worked with his older brother George Norton Wilcox
(1839–1933) on the Princeville plantation
owned by Robert Crichton Wyllie
in the 1860s while living at Waioli.
but it failed by 1876.
Paul Isenberg
installed a sugar mill at Hanamāʻulu
in 1877 and hired Wilcox to be its manager. He continued to run the plantation for over two decades. With a reliable source of irrigation, and the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
removing sugar tariff
s to the US, he became wealthy.
He invested in a mill in the remote western area of Kekaha
, to process the sugar grown by Valdemar Knudsen
in the 1880s.
On February 7, 1883 he incorporated the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company
and served as a director.
By 1895 he was able to buy Princeville and turn it into a ranch.
He also invested in real estate in Honolulu.
from 1887 through 1892.
He was involved in drafting the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
, and its forceful imposition which put his brother George into the cabinet of King Kalākaua
. On January 14, 1893 he was appointed to the Committee of Safety
but resigned at the first meeting to return and take care of business on Kauai.
Some of his neighbors from Kauai such as William Owen Smith
and Sanford B. Dole
played major roles in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
On June 7, 1898 he married Emma Kauikeolani Napoleon Mahelona (1862–1931), and retired to an estate called Kilohana in Puhi, Hawaii
at 21°58′15"N 159°23′29"W. His stepdaughter Ethel Kulamanu Mahelona married his nephew Gaylord Parke Wilcox (1881–1970) and inherited Kilohana.
It is the site of one of the heritage railways in Kauai
.
He built a beach house in Hanalei
at 22°12′34"N 159°29′44"W directly on the shore of Hanalei Bay
near the Hanalei Pier
. It was built as a complex of main house, three garages, a boathouse, and separate cottages for gardener, caretaker, and other servants. It later was consolidated into a sprawling single story building with six bedrooms and six bathrooms, with a few remaining cottages. The beach house was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii on July 30, 1993 as Albert Spencer Wilcox Beach House
. The Hanalei Land Company, which Wilcox formed in 1903, restored the house and rents it to visitors as accommodations or events such as weddings. It has been kept in the Wilcox family for six generations.
The Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
in Lihue, Hawaii, is also listed on the National Register.
In 1908 he and his wife sponsored the Kauikeolani Children's Hospital in Honolulu. It became part of the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children
in 1978.
In 1917 he donated funds for a hospital named for his stepson Samuel Mahelona, who had died from tuberculosis
on October 20, 1912. It is the oldest hospital on Kauai.
Allen Clessen Mahelona was another stepson.
Wilcox died July 7, 1919.
In 1922 his widow donated funds for the Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
designed by Hart Wood
to be the first public library on Kauai. It now houses the Kauai Museum.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
and Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
. He developed several sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...
, and became a large landholder.
Early life
Albert Spencer Wilcox was born in Hilo, Hawaii on May 24, 1844. His father was Abner WilcoxAbner Wilcox
Abner Wilcox was a missionary teacher from New England to the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Abner Wilcox was born April 19, 1808 in Harwinton, Connecticut. His father was Aaron Wilcox and mother was Lois Phelps. He was fourth of nine children.On November 23, 1836 he married Lucy Eliza Hart who was born...
(1808–1869) and mother was Lucy Eliza Hart (1814–1869). His parents were in the eighth company of missionaries to Hawaii for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. It was proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World...
. His parents taught at the Hilo Mission boarding school founded by David Belden Lyman
David Belden Lyman
David Belden Lyman was an early American missionary to Hawaii who opened a boarding school for Hawaiians. His wife Sarah Joiner Lyman taught at the boarding school and kept an important journal. They had several notable descendants.-Family life:David Belden Lyman was born in on July 28, 1803 in...
and his wife. He had three older brothers born while at Hilo.
In 1846 the family moved to teach at a similar school at the Waioli Mission
Waioli Mission District
The Waioli Mission District at Hanalei Bay, on Route 560 along the north shore of the island of Kauai, is the site of a historic mission. The first permanent missionaries to the area arrived in 1834, and the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.-Description:Wai oli...
near Hanalei, Hawaii
Hanalei, Hawaii
Hanalei is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 478 at the 2000 census. Hanalei means "lei making" in Hawaiian...
on the northern coast of the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. There he had four more brothers, although one died young.
In 1851 he sailed to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
with his father for surgery to fix a birth defect in his foot.
He was educated at his parents' school and Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
in Honolulu from 1858 to 1862.
He worked with his older brother George Norton Wilcox
George Norton Wilcox
George Norton Wilcox was a businessman and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii.-Life:George Norton Wilcox was born in Hilo August 15, 1839.His father was Abner Wilcox and mother was Lucy Eliza Hart...
(1839–1933) on the Princeville plantation
Princeville, Hawaii
Princeville is a census-designated place on the north shore of the island of Kauai in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Princeville is located at ....
owned by Robert Crichton Wyllie
Robert Crichton Wyllie
Robert Crichton Wyllie was a Scottish physician and businessman. He also served two decades as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Early life:...
in the 1860s while living at Waioli.
Business
Wilcox started a small plantation in Waipā ValleyWaipa Foundation
The Waipa Foundation is a non-profit organization which sponsors a program called Aina Ulu , funded by Kamehameha Schools.-The program:...
but it failed by 1876.
Paul Isenberg
Paul Isenberg
Paul Isenberg was a German businessman who developed the sugarcane business in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Paul Heinrich Friedrich Carl Isenberg was born April 15, 1837 in Dransfeld, Kingdom of Hanover, Germany...
installed a sugar mill at Hanamāʻulu
Hanamaulu, Hawaii
Hanamāulu is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States...
in 1877 and hired Wilcox to be its manager. He continued to run the plantation for over two decades. With a reliable source of irrigation, and the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
The Treaty of reciprocity between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Kingdom was a free trade agreement signed and ratified in 1875 that is generally known as the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875....
removing sugar tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s to the US, he became wealthy.
He invested in a mill in the remote western area of Kekaha
Kekaha, Hawaii
Kekaha is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 3,175 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, to process the sugar grown by Valdemar Knudsen
Valdemar Knudsen
Valdemar Emil Knudsen was a sugar cane plantation pioneer on west Kauai, Hawaii.-Background:Valdemar Emil Knudsen was born in Kristiansand, in Vest-Agder county, Norway. He was college-trained in botany and science in Copenhagen. Knudsen was successful both as a publisher in New York City and as a...
in the 1880s.
On February 7, 1883 he incorporated the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company
Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company
Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company was the company headquartered in Honolulu that ran steam boat service between Hawaiian cities from 1883 until 1947. On January 30, 1929 company founded the subsidiary company Inter-Island Airways that was later renamed to Hawaiian Airlines...
and served as a director.
By 1895 he was able to buy Princeville and turn it into a ranch.
He also invested in real estate in Honolulu.
Politics
Wilcox was elected as a representative from Kauai to the legislature of the Hawaiian KingdomLegislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
from 1887 through 1892.
He was involved in drafting the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a legal document by anti-monarchists to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, initiating a transfer of power to American, European and native Hawaiian elites...
, and its forceful imposition which put his brother George into the cabinet of King Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
. On January 14, 1893 he was appointed to the Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (Hawaii)
The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group of the Hawaiian League also known as the Annexation Club...
but resigned at the first meeting to return and take care of business on Kauai.
Some of his neighbors from Kauai such as William Owen Smith
William Owen Smith
William Owen Smith was a lawyer from a family of American missionaries who participated in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He served as attorney general for the entire duration of the provisional Government of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii.-Life:Smith was born August 4, 1848 in Kōloa...
and Sanford B. Dole
Sanford B. Dole
Sanford Ballard Dole was a lawyer and jurist in the Hawaiian Islands as a kingdom, protectorate, republic and territory...
played major roles in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Later life and legacy
Wilcox married Mary Luahiwa, but they divorced.On June 7, 1898 he married Emma Kauikeolani Napoleon Mahelona (1862–1931), and retired to an estate called Kilohana in Puhi, Hawaii
Puhi, Hawaii
Puhi is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,186 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Puhi is located at ....
at 21°58′15"N 159°23′29"W. His stepdaughter Ethel Kulamanu Mahelona married his nephew Gaylord Parke Wilcox (1881–1970) and inherited Kilohana.
It is the site of one of the heritage railways in Kauai
Heritage railways in Kauai
There are two heritage railways in Kauai, the birthplace of Hawaiian railroading. The Grove Farm Museum preserved original steam locomotives from the earliest days of rail transport in Kauai, restoring the small-gauge engines without much notice beyond the local community...
.
He built a beach house in Hanalei
Hanalei, Hawaii
Hanalei is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 478 at the 2000 census. Hanalei means "lei making" in Hawaiian...
at 22°12′34"N 159°29′44"W directly on the shore of Hanalei Bay
Hanalei Bay
Hanalei Bay is the largest bay on the north shore of Kauai island in Hawaii. The town of Hanalei is at the mid-point of the bay.Hanalei Bay consists of nearly two miles of beach, surrounded by mountains. In the summer, the bay offers excellent mooring for sailboats, stand up paddle boarding and...
near the Hanalei Pier
Hanalei Pier
Hanalei Pier is a pier built into Hanalei Bay on the northern shore of island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii.-History:The wetlands of Hanalei Bay were used to grow taro by ancient Hawaiians...
. It was built as a complex of main house, three garages, a boathouse, and separate cottages for gardener, caretaker, and other servants. It later was consolidated into a sprawling single story building with six bedrooms and six bathrooms, with a few remaining cottages. The beach house was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii on July 30, 1993 as Albert Spencer Wilcox Beach House
Albert Spencer Wilcox Beach House
The Albert Spencer Wilcox Beach House was a home of Albert Spencer Wilcox. Located on Weke Road in Hanalei, Hawaii, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It is a "Folk Victorian"-style building. A property, including five contributing buildings and four other...
. The Hanalei Land Company, which Wilcox formed in 1903, restored the house and rents it to visitors as accommodations or events such as weddings. It has been kept in the Wilcox family for six generations.
The Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
The Albert Spencer Wilcox Building, was originally a library and then converted to the Kauai Museum, which displays exhibits on the history of the island of Kauai in Hawaii.-Library:...
in Lihue, Hawaii, is also listed on the National Register.
In 1908 he and his wife sponsored the Kauikeolani Children's Hospital in Honolulu. It became part of the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children
Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children
Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children is part of Hawaii Pacific Health's network of hospitals. It is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, within the residential inner city district of Makiki...
in 1978.
In 1917 he donated funds for a hospital named for his stepson Samuel Mahelona, who had died from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on October 20, 1912. It is the oldest hospital on Kauai.
Allen Clessen Mahelona was another stepson.
Wilcox died July 7, 1919.
In 1922 his widow donated funds for the Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
The Albert Spencer Wilcox Building, was originally a library and then converted to the Kauai Museum, which displays exhibits on the history of the island of Kauai in Hawaii.-Library:...
designed by Hart Wood
Hart Wood
Hart Wood was an American architect who flourished during the "Golden Age" of Hawaiian architecture. He was one of the principal proponents of a distinctive "Hawaiian style" of architecture appropriate to the local environment and reflective of the cultural heritage of the islands...
to be the first public library on Kauai. It now houses the Kauai Museum.