Dwight Baldwin (missionary)
Encyclopedia
Dwight Baldwin was an American Christian missionary and physician on Maui
, one of the Hawaiian Islands
, during the Kingdom of Hawaii
. He was patriarch of a family that founded some of the largest businesses in the islands.
, and moved to Durham, New York
, in 1804. His father was Seth Baldwin (1775–1832) and his mother was Rhoda Hull. He was the second of 12 children. His brother Elihu Baldwin became president of Wabash College
. He studied for two years at Williams College
and graduated from Yale
in 1821; he taught school for three years.
He attended medical classes at Harvard College
, but only for a master of science degree, not a Doctor of Medicine
. Around 1826 he decided to become a missionary. He attended Auburn Theological Seminary
and was ordained at Utica, New York
in 1830. On December 3, 1830, he married Charlotte Fowler (1805–1873), the daughter of Deacon Solomon Fowler of North Branford, Connecticut
. Only a few weeks later, on December 28, 1830, they sailed on the ship New England from New Bedford, Massachusetts
with the Fourth Company of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
. Their ship, which also carried Sheldon Dibble
, arrived in Hawaii on June 21, 1831.
The Baldwins had seven children: David Dwight Baldwin (1831–1912), Abigail Charlette (1833–1913), Charles Fowler (1837–1891), Henry Perrine Baldwin
(1842–1911), Emily Sophronia (1844–1891), and Harriet Melinda (1846–1932). A son, Douglas Hoapili Baldwin, died young in 1843.
In November 1831, William P. Alexander and his wife, Mary Ann McKinney, also sailed from New Bedford in the next company.
The two families became life-long friends; they had two inter-marriages and a business partnership.
Dwight Baldwin returned to visit the United States
from 1856 to 1857. In 1870 he and Charlotte moved to Honolulu as their health deteriorated and lived with their daughter Harriet (called "Hattie"). Charlotte died October 2, 1873, and Dwight died on January 3, 1886; they are buried at the Kawaiahao Church cemetery.
to serve with Lorenzo Lyons
at Imiola Church
. Then in 1836 he was sent to Wainee Church
(now called Waiola Church) established by William Richards at Lahaina on the island of Maui
, which became the base for most of the rest of his career.
From 1834–1835 Reverend Ephraim Spaulding had constructed a house of coral and volcanic stone at Lahaina. Thick walls were framed by hand-hewn timbers. In 1838 Spaulding had returned to the United States, so the Baldwin family moved in, and would own the house for almost 130 years. In 1840, a bedroom and study were added, and in 1849 an entire second story was completed.
The house was deeded from the Baldwin family to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation in 1967 for use as the Baldwin House Museum (also called the Baldwin Home Museum).
The House is located at 696 Front Street, 20°52′23"N 156°40′40"W. Baldwin's collection of scientific books grew to be over 200 volumes. Visiting scientists, such as those on the United States Exploring Expedition
, stayed with his family.
Baldwin began a seaman's chapel at Lahaina where Lorrin Andrews
served. He acted as unofficial postmaster of Maui.
He understood the toll of alcoholism
on the people, so translated a tract on temperance into the Hawaiian language
and assisted Andrews with the translation of the Gospels and Acts for a new edition of the New Testament
.
Since Lahaina served as the capital of the Kingdom at the time, King Kamehameha III
and other important leaders such as Maui island governor Hoapili
and his wife Queen Kalākua Kaheiheimālie would attend his church.
A series of epidemics swept through the Hawaiian islands from October 1848 to early 1849. The first to hit were whooping cough and measles
, to which the Hawaiians had no resistance. Although trained primarily for spiritual healing, his biology coursework made him the leading expert on Maui in Western medicine. By then the royal court and government functions had moved to Honolulu. The few formally-educated physicians in the islands were in private practice there: Gerrit P. Judd
, Thomas Charles Byde Rooke, William Hillebrand
, and Wesley Newcomb
. Baldwin instead focused on public health issues, and discovered through experience what techniques could be applied in the remote tropical environment. In his words:
Soon after followed waves of dysentery
, and influenza
. Although there had been previous epidemics, one reason suggested for this timing was the California Gold Rush
. Before this time foreign arrivals sailed from either Europe
around South Africa
, or from New England
around Cape Horn
. These voyages were long enough that infected people had either died (and were buried at sea) or recovered by the time their ships arrived in Hawaii. But from 1848 faster ships from San Francisco could cross the ocean in less than two weeks; there could still be infection aboard when they arrived.
Baldwin traveled throughout the islands of Maui, Molokai
and Lānaʻi
dealing as best he could with the epidemics.
Then in 1853, a smallpox
epidemic struck the islands. By now an experienced practicing physician, Baldwin was able to get Lahaina quarantine
d and vaccinated as many residents as he could, then set out to take care of people in the far reaches of Maui and adjacent islands.
Although precise counts are not known, there were thousands of deaths on Oahu; Baldwin is credited with keeping the toll to only a few hundred on Maui.
In 1855 the congregation of Wainee church volunteered their labor under his direction to build a large building called Hale Aloha to commemorate living through the epidemics.
He was finally granted a honorary degree
of medicine by Dartmouth College
in 1859.
The privately practicing physicians who formed the Hawaii medical association did not accept his credentials, and denied him an official medical license from the Board of Health.
He tried to retire in 1868, but Benjamin Wyman Parker (1803–1873) convinced him to help teach in a seminary to train native Hawaiian pastors.
He taught at the Theological School in Honolulu from 1872 until 1877.
He served as trustee of Oahu College (now known as Punahou School
, where many of his children and grandchildren would attend) from 1853 to 1875.
(1831–1912) was a businessman, biologist, and educator on Maui.
He and his sons started the first pineapple
business on the island.
Daughter Abigail Charlotte Baldwin (1833–1912) married William DeWitt Alexander
(1833–1913) in 1861, and their daughter Mary Charlotte Alexander (1874–1961) became an author.
Mary Charlotte Alexander wrote a biography of her grandfather, Dr. Baldwin of Lahaina and a history of Hawaii.
Son Henry Perrine Baldwin
(1842–1911) married Emily Whitney Alexander in 1869 and
co-founded with Samuel Thomas Alexander
the partnership of Alexander & Baldwin
, one of the "Big Five
" corporations that dominated Hawaii's economy in the early 20th century.
Daughter Emily Baldwin married businessman William Olmsted Atwater (1848–1908) on April 5, 1873.
Daughter Harriet Melinda Baldwin married Samuel Mills Damon
(1845–1924), the son of missionary Samuel Chenery Damon, who became a wealthy businessman. Before her last grandchild died in 2004, and the estate was divided, it was one of the largest private landowners in the state.
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, one of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, during the Kingdom of Hawaii
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...
. He was patriarch of a family that founded some of the largest businesses in the islands.
Life
Dwight Baldwin was born on September 29, 1798 in Durham, ConnecticutDurham, Connecticut
Durham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 6,627 at the 2000 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New...
, and moved to Durham, New York
Durham, New York
Durham is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Durham, Connecticut.The Town of Durham is in the northwest corner of the county.- History :...
, in 1804. His father was Seth Baldwin (1775–1832) and his mother was Rhoda Hull. He was the second of 12 children. His brother Elihu Baldwin became president of Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
. He studied for two years at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
and graduated from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
in 1821; he taught school for three years.
He attended medical classes at Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, but only for a master of science degree, not a Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
. Around 1826 he decided to become a missionary. He attended Auburn Theological Seminary
Auburn Theological Seminary
Auburn Theological Seminary was founded in 1818. Auburn Theological Seminary focuses on religious leadership development, movement-building, and research. Auburn is based in New York City and exists in covenant with the Presbyterian Church ....
and was ordained at Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
in 1830. On December 3, 1830, he married Charlotte Fowler (1805–1873), the daughter of Deacon Solomon Fowler of North Branford, Connecticut
North Branford, Connecticut
North Branford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,906 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.6 square miles , of which 24.9 square miles is land and 1.7 square miles is water...
. Only a few weeks later, on December 28, 1830, they sailed on the ship New England from New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
with the Fourth Company of 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...
. Their ship, which also carried Sheldon Dibble
Sheldon Dibble
Sheldon Dibble was a missionary to Hawaii who organized one of the first books on Hawaiian history, and inspired students to write more.-Early life:...
, arrived in Hawaii on June 21, 1831.
The Baldwins had seven children: David Dwight Baldwin (1831–1912), Abigail Charlette (1833–1913), Charles Fowler (1837–1891), Henry Perrine Baldwin
Henry Perrine Baldwin
Henry Perrine Baldwin was a businessman and politician on Maui in the Hawaiian islands. He supervised the construction of the East Maui Irrigation System and co-founded Alexander & Baldwin, one of the "Big Five" corporations that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:Henry Perrine...
(1842–1911), Emily Sophronia (1844–1891), and Harriet Melinda (1846–1932). A son, Douglas Hoapili Baldwin, died young in 1843.
In November 1831, William P. Alexander and his wife, Mary Ann McKinney, also sailed from New Bedford in the next company.
The two families became life-long friends; they had two inter-marriages and a business partnership.
Dwight Baldwin returned to visit the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1856 to 1857. In 1870 he and Charlotte moved to Honolulu as their health deteriorated and lived with their daughter Harriet (called "Hattie"). Charlotte died October 2, 1873, and Dwight died on January 3, 1886; they are buried at the Kawaiahao Church cemetery.
Work
Baldwin was first assigned in January 1832 to the mission in Waimea on the island of HawaiiHawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
to serve with Lorenzo Lyons
Lorenzo Lyons
Lorenzo Lyons or "Makua Laiana" was born in Colrain, Franklin County, Massachusetts, April 18, 1807. He graduated from Union College in 1827. Ordained as a Congregationalist minister at Auburn Theological Seminary, September 20, 1831, he embarked from Boston, Massachusetts on November 26, 1831, on...
at Imiola Church
Imiola Church
Imiola Church is a historic wood structure in Waimea, on the Island of Hawaii, coordinates .-History:The church was designed by its first pastor, Lorenzo Lyons....
. Then in 1836 he was sent to Wainee Church
Waiola Church
Waiola Church is the site of a historic mission established in 1823 on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Originally called Wainee Church till 1953, the cemetery is the final resting place for early members of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii....
(now called Waiola Church) established by William Richards at Lahaina on the island of Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, which became the base for most of the rest of his career.
From 1834–1835 Reverend Ephraim Spaulding had constructed a house of coral and volcanic stone at Lahaina. Thick walls were framed by hand-hewn timbers. In 1838 Spaulding had returned to the United States, so the Baldwin family moved in, and would own the house for almost 130 years. In 1840, a bedroom and study were added, and in 1849 an entire second story was completed.
The house was deeded from the Baldwin family to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation in 1967 for use as the Baldwin House Museum (also called the Baldwin Home Museum).
The House is located at 696 Front Street, 20°52′23"N 156°40′40"W. Baldwin's collection of scientific books grew to be over 200 volumes. Visiting scientists, such as those on the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
, stayed with his family.
Baldwin began a seaman's chapel at Lahaina where Lorrin Andrews
Lorrin Andrews
Lorrin Andrews was an early American missionary to Hawaii and judge. He opened the first post-secondary school for Hawaiians called Lahainaluna Seminary, prepared a Hawaiian dictionary and several works on the literature and antiquities of the Hawaiians. His students published the first newspaper,...
served. He acted as unofficial postmaster of Maui.
He understood the toll of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
on the people, so translated a tract on temperance into the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
and assisted Andrews with the translation of the Gospels and Acts for a new edition of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
Since Lahaina served as the capital of the Kingdom at the time, King Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
and other important leaders such as Maui island governor Hoapili
Hoapili
Ulumāheihei Hoapili was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted military and political advisor to King Kamehameha I, known as "Kamehameha the Great"...
and his wife Queen Kalākua Kaheiheimālie would attend his church.
A series of epidemics swept through the Hawaiian islands from October 1848 to early 1849. The first to hit were whooping cough and measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
, to which the Hawaiians had no resistance. Although trained primarily for spiritual healing, his biology coursework made him the leading expert on Maui in Western medicine. By then the royal court and government functions had moved to Honolulu. The few formally-educated physicians in the islands were in private practice there: Gerrit P. Judd
Gerrit P. Judd
Gerrit Parmele Judd was an American physician and missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii who later became a trusted advisor and cabinet minister to King Kamehameha III.- Life :...
, Thomas Charles Byde Rooke, William Hillebrand
William Hillebrand
William Hillebrand was a German physician. He traveled the world, including over 20 years in the Hawaiian islands. In 1850, Hillebrand lived at what is now Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu. He also became known as a botanist.-Life and career:...
, and Wesley Newcomb
Wesley Newcomb
Wesley Newcomb was an American Physician and malacologist specializing in land snails.-Life:Wesley Newcomb was born in New York 20 October 1808. His father was physician Simon Newcomb...
. Baldwin instead focused on public health issues, and discovered through experience what techniques could be applied in the remote tropical environment. In his words:
"I can compare to nothing but a raging battle, with all its turmoil & its sad scenes of death & carnage. Never was I driven so to distraction, week after week, & month after month, with no respite."
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
, and influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. Although there had been previous epidemics, one reason suggested for this timing was the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. Before this time foreign arrivals sailed from either Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
around South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, or from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
. These voyages were long enough that infected people had either died (and were buried at sea) or recovered by the time their ships arrived in Hawaii. But from 1848 faster ships from San Francisco could cross the ocean in less than two weeks; there could still be infection aboard when they arrived.
Baldwin traveled throughout the islands of Maui, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
and Lānaʻi
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
dealing as best he could with the epidemics.
Then in 1853, a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic struck the islands. By now an experienced practicing physician, Baldwin was able to get Lahaina quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
d and vaccinated as many residents as he could, then set out to take care of people in the far reaches of Maui and adjacent islands.
Although precise counts are not known, there were thousands of deaths on Oahu; Baldwin is credited with keeping the toll to only a few hundred on Maui.
In 1855 the congregation of Wainee church volunteered their labor under his direction to build a large building called Hale Aloha to commemorate living through the epidemics.
He was finally granted a honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of medicine by Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1859.
The privately practicing physicians who formed the Hawaii medical association did not accept his credentials, and denied him an official medical license from the Board of Health.
He tried to retire in 1868, but Benjamin Wyman Parker (1803–1873) convinced him to help teach in a seminary to train native Hawaiian pastors.
He taught at the Theological School in Honolulu from 1872 until 1877.
He served as trustee of Oahu College (now known as 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...
, where many of his children and grandchildren would attend) from 1853 to 1875.
Legacy
Eldest son David Dwight BaldwinDavid Dwight Baldwin
David Dwight Baldwin was a businessman, educator, and biologist on Maui in the Hawaiian islands. Within biology he is known for his contributions to the study of Hawaiian land snails, part of malacology....
(1831–1912) was a businessman, biologist, and educator on Maui.
He and his sons started the first pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
business on the island.
Daughter Abigail Charlotte Baldwin (1833–1912) married William DeWitt Alexander
William DeWitt Alexander
William DeWitt Alexander was an educator, author and linguist in the Kingdom of Hawaii and Republic of Hawaii.He then constructed maps for the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:...
(1833–1913) in 1861, and their daughter Mary Charlotte Alexander (1874–1961) became an author.
Mary Charlotte Alexander wrote a biography of her grandfather, Dr. Baldwin of Lahaina and a history of Hawaii.
Son Henry Perrine Baldwin
Henry Perrine Baldwin
Henry Perrine Baldwin was a businessman and politician on Maui in the Hawaiian islands. He supervised the construction of the East Maui Irrigation System and co-founded Alexander & Baldwin, one of the "Big Five" corporations that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:Henry Perrine...
(1842–1911) married Emily Whitney Alexander in 1869 and
co-founded with Samuel Thomas Alexander
Samuel Thomas Alexander
Samuel Thomas Alexander co-founded a major agricultural and transportation business in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Early life:In November 1831, the Reverend William Patterson Alexander and Mary Ann McKinney Alexander arrived in April 1832 as missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands...
the partnership of Alexander & Baldwin
Alexander & Baldwin
Following World War II, the company entered a new business: land development and real estate. The company formed a new subsidiary, the Kahului Development Co., to develop housing in the Kahului area. In the following years, the company became more involved in the development of its land and the...
, one of the "Big Five
Big Five (Hawaii)
The Big Five was the name given to a group of what started as sugarcane processing corporations that wielded considerable political power in the Territory of Hawaii during the early 20th century and leaned heavily towards the Hawaii Republican Party. The Big Five were Castle & Cooke, Alexander &...
" corporations that dominated Hawaii's economy in the early 20th century.
Daughter Emily Baldwin married businessman William Olmsted Atwater (1848–1908) on April 5, 1873.
Daughter Harriet Melinda Baldwin married Samuel Mills Damon
Samuel Mills Damon
Samuel Mills Damon was a businessman and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, through the Republic of Hawaii and into the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:Samuel Mills Damon was born in Honolulu on March 13, 1845....
(1845–1924), the son of missionary Samuel Chenery Damon, who became a wealthy businessman. Before her last grandchild died in 2004, and the estate was divided, it was one of the largest private landowners in the state.