James Bicknell Castle
Encyclopedia
James Bicknell Castle was a Honolulu businessman in times of the Kingdom of Hawaii
, Republic of Hawaii
and Territory of Hawaii
.
1867–1873, and then Oberlin College
. He greatly expanded Castle & Cooke
in the sugar and railroad industries. He is credited with winning control of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company from Claus Spreckels
in 1898, which he sold to Alexander & Baldwin
for a large share of their stock. This episode resulting in a lawsuit by the former manager of the plantation, William J. Lowrie.
He bought large amounts of land, such as Kaneohe Ranch
.
He served as an officer in the Kingdom of Hawaii
army in 1890, and was appointed to the Bureau of Immigration. In 1891 he was acting Auditor General, and Collector General of Customs from April 15, 1893 to August 31, 1897. Later in 1897 he served as secretary of the delegation from the Republic of Hawaii
sent to Washington, DC to lobby for annexation at the request of Lorrin Andrews Thurston.
Castle sponsored a group of the Molokan
sect to come to Kauai island
from Los Angeles, California
. However, the colony failed and he paid for their passage back to California. He built a large house called Kainalu near Diamond Head
. When the Honolulu Rapid Transit & Land Co. was in danger of failing, he used his financial resources to keep the effort alive.
Castle married Julia Matilda White (1849–1943), daughter of cotton mill owner Nelson Davis White (1819–1889) in Winchendon, Massachusetts
on November 2, 1879.
Their son Harold Kainalu Long Castle (1886–1967) expanded the business and donated land for several educational institutions.
They also had two sons Nelson Northrop (1885) and Kenneth Kingsbury (1888) who both died young.
Castle died April 5, 1918. Two days later Benjamin Dillingham
died, who married a distant cousin, and partnered in building railroads to the Castle plantations.
He and his wife are buried in the cemetery at Kawaiahaʻo Church, across the street from where he was born.
James B. Castle High School
and the Castle Medical Center
are named for him.
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...
, 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...
and 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...
.
Life
James Bicknell Castle was born November 27, 1855 in Honolulu. His father was Samuel Northrop Castle (1808–1894), and mother was Mary (Tenney) Castle (1819–1907). He attended Punahou SchoolPunahou 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...
1867–1873, and then Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. He greatly expanded Castle & Cooke
Castle & Cooke
Castle & Cooke, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company at one time did most of its business in agriculture...
in the sugar and railroad industries. He is credited with winning control of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company from Claus Spreckels
Claus Spreckels
Claus Spreckels, formally Adolph Claus J. Spreckels , , was a major industrialist in Hawai'i during the kingdom, republican and territorial periods of the islands' history...
in 1898, which he sold to 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...
for a large share of their stock. This episode resulting in a lawsuit by the former manager of the plantation, William J. Lowrie.
He bought large amounts of land, such as Kaneohe Ranch
Kaneohe Ranch
Kaneohe Ranch Management Limited manages the real estate owned by the family of Harold K.L. Castle and Alice H. Castle, and their non-profit charitable foundation, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation founded in 1962. The real estate portfolio consists of land holdings on the windward side of Oahu,...
.
He served as an officer 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...
army in 1890, and was appointed to the Bureau of Immigration. In 1891 he was acting Auditor General, and Collector General of Customs from April 15, 1893 to August 31, 1897. Later in 1897 he served as secretary of the delegation from the 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...
sent to Washington, DC to lobby for annexation at the request of Lorrin Andrews Thurston.
Castle sponsored a group of the Molokan
Molokan
Molokans are sectarian Christians who evolved from "Spiritual Christian" Russian peasants that refused to obey the Russian Orthodox Church, beginning in the 17th century...
sect to come to Kauai island
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",...
from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. However, the colony failed and he paid for their passage back to California. He built a large house called Kainalu near Diamond Head
Diamond Head, Hawaii
Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin...
. When the Honolulu Rapid Transit & Land Co. was in danger of failing, he used his financial resources to keep the effort alive.
Castle married Julia Matilda White (1849–1943), daughter of cotton mill owner Nelson Davis White (1819–1889) in Winchendon, Massachusetts
Winchendon, Massachusetts
Winchendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 10,300 at the 2010 census. Home to Winchendon State Forest, the town includes the villages of Waterville and Winchendon Springs....
on November 2, 1879.
Their son Harold Kainalu Long Castle (1886–1967) expanded the business and donated land for several educational institutions.
They also had two sons Nelson Northrop (1885) and Kenneth Kingsbury (1888) who both died young.
Castle died April 5, 1918. Two days later Benjamin Dillingham
Benjamin Dillingham
Benjamin Franklin Dillingham was a businessman and industrialist during the late Kingdom of Hawaii era, throughout the period of the Republic of Hawaii, and during the first two decades of the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:...
died, who married a distant cousin, and partnered in building railroads to the Castle plantations.
He and his wife are buried in the cemetery at Kawaiahaʻo Church, across the street from where he was born.
James B. Castle High School
James B. Castle High School
For schools of the same name, see Castle High SchoolJames Bicknell Castle High School, more commonly James B. Castle High School or simply Castle High School, is a public coeducational high school located in Kāneohe CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii. The school serves grades 9 through 12 and...
and the Castle Medical Center
Castle Medical Center
Castle Medical Center is a 160-bed medical center located in Windward Oahu. It provides a full range of services, including: acute care, 24-hour emergency services, outpatient and home care, wellness and lifestyle medicine, chemotherapy clinic, Surgical Weight Loss Institute, Hawaii Muscular...
are named for him.