Henry Alexander Baldwin
Encyclopedia
Henry Alexander Baldwin or Harry Alexander Baldwin (1871–1946) was a sugarcane
plantation manager, and politician
who served as Congressional Delegate
to the United States House of Representatives
representing the Territory of Hawaii
. He was one of the earliest leaders of the Hawaii Republican Party
.
, one of the "Big Five
" corporations that dominated Hawaii economics in the early twentieth century, was started by his father Henry Perrine Baldwin
and uncle Samuel Thomas Alexander in 1869. His father was son of early missionary Dwight Baldwin
, and his mother Emily Whitney Alexander was daughter of early missionary William P. Alexander.
Born January 12, 1871 on the Baldwin house at the Paliuli sugar mill in the Kingdom of Hawaii
on the island of Maui
, between the towns of Pāia
and Makawao, Hawaii
. Baldwin was educated in Honolulu
at Punahou School
. His parents sent him to Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts
from which he graduated in 1889. In 1894, Baldwin obtained a degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity.
He returned to work for his father and uncle on the Haiku sugarcane
plantation
. From 1897 to 1904 he became manager. Sugarcane production became very profitable with increasing trade with the United States
and annexation of Hawaii in 1898. Haiku merged with the Pāia plantation, and he became president of the combined operation called the Maui Agricultural Company.
He served as president of Maui Telephone Company, and Maui Publishing Company. He was a director of Baldwin Bank, which later became part of First Hawaiian Bank
. In 1916, during World War I
, he served as colonel of the 3rd Regiment of the Hawaii National Guard
.
On July 19, 1897 he married Ethel Frances Smith (1879–1967), daughter of lawyer William Owen Smith
in Honolulu — his younger brother Samuel would later marry sister Katherine Smith. They had one daughter, Frances Hobron (1904–1996) who married J. Walter Cameron (1895–1976), manager of the Pineapple
plantation in Honolua
.
Cameron's company Maui Pineapple Company
merged with Baldwin's pineapple business to become the Maui Land & Pineapple Company
. The Camerons' son Colin Cameron founded the Kapalua Bay Hotel & Villas resort
.
The pineapple business continued until 2009.
in 1912.
He entered local politics in 1913 when he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial Senate. He was territorial senator until 1921 when he was called to higher office to fulfill the unexpired term of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole in Washington, D.C.
who had died. Baldwin was elected to fill the vacancy for Congressional Delegate from March 25, 1922 to March 3, 1923. Despite pleas to continue service, he retired from politics and returned to his private business ventures. Baldwin emerged from retirement to serve in the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives in 1933. Following a single term, Baldwin returned to the upper chamber where he became territory senate president in 1937. He died at Pāia, Maui
on October 8, 1946 and was buried in Makawao Cemetery.
The 1917 mansion designed by his cousin architect Charles William Dickey
called Kaluanui is now the home of Hui Noeau Visual Arts Center. It is located at 2841 Baldwin Avenue, Makawao, 20°52′14"N 156°19′17"W.
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
plantation manager, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as Congressional Delegate
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
representing the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
. He was one of the earliest leaders of the Hawaii Republican Party
Hawaii Republican Party
The Hawaii Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year...
.
Life
Alexander & BaldwinAlexander & 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 economics in the early twentieth century, was started by his father 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...
and uncle Samuel Thomas Alexander in 1869. His father was son of early missionary Dwight Baldwin
Dwight Baldwin (missionary)
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.-Life:...
, and his mother Emily Whitney Alexander was daughter of early missionary William P. Alexander.
Born January 12, 1871 on the Baldwin house at the Paliuli sugar mill in 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...
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,...
, between the towns of Pāia
Paia, Hawaii
Pāia is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, on the northern coast of the island of Maui. The population was 2,499 at the 2000 census. Pāia is home to several restaurants, art galleries, surf shops and other tourist-oriented businesses. One business, Charley's, is frequented by...
and Makawao, Hawaii
Makawao, Hawaii
Makawao is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 6,327 at the 2000 census. Located in the rural northeast slope of Haleakala on East Maui, the community is known for being the hub of the "Upcountry", a part of the island dominated by mostly...
. Baldwin was educated in Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
at 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...
. His parents sent him to Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
from which he graduated in 1889. In 1894, Baldwin obtained a degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity.
He returned to work for his father and uncle on the Haiku sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
. From 1897 to 1904 he became manager. Sugarcane production became very profitable with increasing trade with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and annexation of Hawaii in 1898. Haiku merged with the Pāia plantation, and he became president of the combined operation called the Maui Agricultural Company.
He served as president of Maui Telephone Company, and Maui Publishing Company. He was a director of Baldwin Bank, which later became part of First Hawaiian Bank
First Hawaiian Bank
First Hawaiian Bank is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii at the First Hawaiian Center. It is a subsidiary of BancWest Corporation, which itself is a subsidiary of the French banking company, BNP Paribas...
. In 1916, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served as colonel of the 3rd Regiment of the Hawaii National Guard
Hawaii National Guard
The Hawaii National Guard consists of the Hawaii Army National Guard and the Hawaii Air National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered...
.
On July 19, 1897 he married Ethel Frances Smith (1879–1967), daughter of lawyer 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...
in Honolulu — his younger brother Samuel would later marry sister Katherine Smith. They had one daughter, Frances Hobron (1904–1996) who married J. Walter Cameron (1895–1976), manager of the 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...
plantation in Honolua
Honolua, Hawaii
Honolua Bay, Mokuleia Bay and Lipoa Point are part of an area known as the ahupua'a of Honolua, located just North of Kapalua, West Maui in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The area is a mix of agricultural and conservation land tended by the Maui Land & Pineapple Company in Lahaina, Hawaii,...
.
Cameron's company Maui Pineapple Company
Maui Pineapple Company
Maui Pineapple Company, Ltd. was a subsidiary of Maui Land & Pineapple Company Inc, and was the USA’s largest grower, processor, and shipper of Hawaiian pineapples. MPC had existed for a century, based in Maui, Hawaii, United States, and at one time cultivated and processed approximately of...
merged with Baldwin's pineapple business to become the Maui Land & Pineapple Company
Maui Land & Pineapple Company
Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. is a land holding and operating company founded in 1909 and based in Maui, Hawaii, United States. It owns approximately on the island of Maui. It develops, sells, and manages residential, resort, commercial and industrial real estate; and operates retail, golf...
. The Camerons' son Colin Cameron founded the Kapalua Bay Hotel & Villas resort
Kapalua Resort
Kapalua Resort is a golf and beach resort in Kapalua, Hawaii on the northwest shore of the island of Maui near Lahaina, Hawaii.-Description:Surrounded by from the verdant mountain ridges and summit of Puu Kukui to lava rock bays, Kapalua Resort is set amidst two nature preserves and former...
.
The pineapple business continued until 2009.
Politics
Baldwin became county chairman for the Hawaii Republican PartyHawaii Republican Party
The Hawaii Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year...
in 1912.
He entered local politics in 1913 when he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial Senate. He was territorial senator until 1921 when he was called to higher office to fulfill the unexpired term of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
who had died. Baldwin was elected to fill the vacancy for Congressional Delegate from March 25, 1922 to March 3, 1923. Despite pleas to continue service, he retired from politics and returned to his private business ventures. Baldwin emerged from retirement to serve in the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives in 1933. Following a single term, Baldwin returned to the upper chamber where he became territory senate president in 1937. He died at Pāia, Maui
Paia, Hawaii
Pāia is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, on the northern coast of the island of Maui. The population was 2,499 at the 2000 census. Pāia is home to several restaurants, art galleries, surf shops and other tourist-oriented businesses. One business, Charley's, is frequented by...
on October 8, 1946 and was buried in Makawao Cemetery.
Legacy
A beach park near Pāia, originally a company recreation facility, is named for him at 20°54′46"N 156°23′27"W.The 1917 mansion designed by his cousin architect Charles William Dickey
Charles William Dickey
Charles William “C.W.” Dickey was an American architect famous for developing a distinctive style of Hawaiian architecture...
called Kaluanui is now the home of Hui Noeau Visual Arts Center. It is located at 2841 Baldwin Avenue, Makawao, 20°52′14"N 156°19′17"W.