Paul Isenberg
Encyclopedia
Paul Isenberg was a German businessman who developed the sugarcane
business in the Kingdom of Hawaii
.
, Kingdom of Hanover
, Germany
. His father was Lutheran
minister Daniel Isenberg (1807–1875), and mother was Dorothea (Strauch) Isenberg (1808–1871).
He came to the Hawaiian Islands
in 1858, and became known as Paul Isenberg.
Isenberg moved to the island of Kauai
and first worked in Wailua
.
In October 1861 he married Hannah "Maria" Rice, daughter of William Harrison Rice
, who was born February 17, 1842, and died April 7, 1867.
They had two children, Mary Dorothea Rice Isenberg (1862–1949) and Daniel Paul Rice Isenberg (1866–1919) known as "Paul Jr."
He traveled back to Germany in 1869 where he married Beta Margarete Glade (born 1846) before returning to Hawaii. They had six more children: Johannes "John" Carl Isenberg (born September 12, 1870), Heinrich Alexander Isenberg (born January 17, 1872), Julie Maria Pauline (Isenberg) Barckhausen (born November 1876), Clara Margarete (Isenberg) Wendroth (born 1878), Richard Menno Isenberg (born 1880) and Paula Bertha Johanna Isenberg (born 1883).
Isenberg took over managing the sugarcane
plantation at Līhuʻe in 1862, after the death of his father-in-law who was previous manager.
The plantation was originally founded by diplomat Henry A. Peirce
, but struggled to make a profit until Rice built an irrigation system.
Isenberg made improvements to the cane sugar mill
such as using an evaporating pan and steam pipes to concentrate the cane juice.
In 1872 the Lihue Plantation company was officially incorporated, and the 3300 acres (1,335.5 ha) expanded by 17000 acres (6,879.7 ha) at Hanamāʻulu
.
On January 24, 1874 he was appointed to the upper House of Nobles in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
by King Lunalilo
.
He officially became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii
at that time.
In 1877 he bought equipment for a new mill from George Norton Wilcox
and installed it at Hanamāʻulu to be managed by Albert Spencer Wilcox
.
In 1878 Isenberg retired as plantation manager, but kept and ownership interest while moving his family back to Bremen
in Germany. He visited the islands at least every two years for legislative sessions. His brother Carl Isenberg then managed the plantation.
In 1881 Isenberg became a business partner with earlier German merchant Heinrich Hackfeld in his Hackfeld & Company.
Although most other plantation laborers were Chinese or Japanese, Isenberg arranged for groups of workers from Bremen to settle on his company's plantations.
In the 1887 session of the legislature, he was one of the few who objected to the threat of military force that caused the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
to be called the "Bayonet Constitution".
He died in Bremen on January 16, 1903.
" corporations that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii
.
During World War I
, Hackfeld & Company was seized by the U.S. government Alien Property Custodian
along with other assets owned by Germans. It was sold to a consortium of Hawaii businessmen in 1918, who changed the name to "American Factors" and the company's store Liberty House
. A 1920 lawsuit argued the price was below market value, and some former stockholders including John Carl Isenberg recovered some damages.
In 1966, the name was further shortened to Amfac, Inc.
His son Paul Jr. married Annie Beatrice McBryde, daughter of neighboring sugar planter Duncan McBryde on October 19, 1891. On August 31, 1891 Queen Liliuokalani appointed him to the Privy Council
. From 1898 to 1915 he was elected as representative to the house of representatives of the Territory of Hawaii
, and from 1902 to 1905 the senate.
He married Bertha Koepke on August 9, 1916, and they had one child, Dorothea "Dora" Jane Isenberg (1917–1988), who married Joseph Cole.
Cole was first manager of the Kauai Museum in 1960.
In 1887 his younger brother Johannes Friedrich Wilhelm "Hans" Isenberg (1855–1918) was brought in to be pastor of the first Lutheran church on the island for the immigrants who starting arriving in 1881.
Hans had married his own niece, Paul's first child, Mary Dorothea Rice Isenberg, known as Dora, in 1883.
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...
business 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...
.
Life
Paul Heinrich Friedrich Carl Isenberg was born April 15, 1837 in DransfeldDransfeld
Dransfeld is a town in the district of Göttingen, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 12 km west of Göttingen.Dransfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Dransfeld....
, Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His father was Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
minister Daniel Isenberg (1807–1875), and mother was Dorothea (Strauch) Isenberg (1808–1871).
He came to 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...
in 1858, and became known as Paul Isenberg.
Isenberg moved to 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",...
and first worked in Wailua
Wailua, Hawaii
Wailuā is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 2,083 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
In October 1861 he married Hannah "Maria" Rice, daughter of William Harrison Rice
William Harrison Rice
William Harrison Rice was a missionary teacher from the United States who traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and managed an early sugar plantation.-Life:...
, who was born February 17, 1842, and died April 7, 1867.
They had two children, Mary Dorothea Rice Isenberg (1862–1949) and Daniel Paul Rice Isenberg (1866–1919) known as "Paul Jr."
He traveled back to Germany in 1869 where he married Beta Margarete Glade (born 1846) before returning to Hawaii. They had six more children: Johannes "John" Carl Isenberg (born September 12, 1870), Heinrich Alexander Isenberg (born January 17, 1872), Julie Maria Pauline (Isenberg) Barckhausen (born November 1876), Clara Margarete (Isenberg) Wendroth (born 1878), Richard Menno Isenberg (born 1880) and Paula Bertha Johanna Isenberg (born 1883).
Isenberg took over managing the 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 at Līhuʻe in 1862, after the death of his father-in-law who was previous manager.
The plantation was originally founded by diplomat Henry A. Peirce
Henry A. Peirce
Henry Augustus Peirce was an American businessman and diplomat. Some sources spell his last name as Pierce.-Early life and business:...
, but struggled to make a profit until Rice built an irrigation system.
Isenberg made improvements to the cane sugar mill
Cane sugar mill
A cane sugar mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar.- Processing :Traditionally, sugarcane processing requires two stages. Mills extract raw sugar from freshly harvested cane, and sometimes bleach it to make "mill white" sugar for local consumption...
such as using an evaporating pan and steam pipes to concentrate the cane juice.
In 1872 the Lihue Plantation company was officially incorporated, and the 3300 acres (1,335.5 ha) expanded by 17000 acres (6,879.7 ha) at Hanamāʻulu
Hanamaulu, Hawaii
Hanamāulu is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States...
.
On January 24, 1874 he was appointed to the upper House of Nobles in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Legislature 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...
by King Lunalilo
Lunalilo
Lunalilo, born William Charles Lunalilo , was king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 8, 1873 until February 3, 1874...
.
He officially became a citizen of 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...
at that time.
In 1877 he bought equipment for a new mill from 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...
and installed it at Hanamāʻulu to be managed by Albert Spencer Wilcox
Albert Spencer Wilcox
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.-Early life:...
.
In 1878 Isenberg retired as plantation manager, but kept and ownership interest while moving his family back to Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
in Germany. He visited the islands at least every two years for legislative sessions. His brother Carl Isenberg then managed the plantation.
In 1881 Isenberg became a business partner with earlier German merchant Heinrich Hackfeld in his Hackfeld & Company.
Although most other plantation laborers were Chinese or Japanese, Isenberg arranged for groups of workers from Bremen to settle on his company's plantations.
In the 1887 session of the legislature, he was one of the few who objected to the threat of military force that caused 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...
to be called the "Bayonet Constitution".
He died in Bremen on January 16, 1903.
Legacy
Hackfeld & Company grew to be one of the "Big FiveBig 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 the economy of 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...
.
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...
, Hackfeld & Company was seized by the U.S. government Alien Property Custodian
Alien Property Custodian
An Alien Property Custodian was an office within the Government of the United States during World War I and again during World War II, serving as a Custodian of Enemy Property to property that belonged to US enemies.-World War I:...
along with other assets owned by Germans. It was sold to a consortium of Hawaii businessmen in 1918, who changed the name to "American Factors" and the company's store Liberty House
Liberty House
Liberty House, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a department store and specialty store chain with locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands and on Guam, as well as several locations on the mainland U.S.-History:...
. A 1920 lawsuit argued the price was below market value, and some former stockholders including John Carl Isenberg recovered some damages.
In 1966, the name was further shortened to Amfac, Inc.
His son Paul Jr. married Annie Beatrice McBryde, daughter of neighboring sugar planter Duncan McBryde on October 19, 1891. On August 31, 1891 Queen Liliuokalani appointed him to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
. From 1898 to 1915 he was elected as representative to the house of representatives of 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...
, and from 1902 to 1905 the senate.
He married Bertha Koepke on August 9, 1916, and they had one child, Dorothea "Dora" Jane Isenberg (1917–1988), who married Joseph Cole.
Cole was first manager of the Kauai Museum in 1960.
In 1887 his younger brother Johannes Friedrich Wilhelm "Hans" Isenberg (1855–1918) was brought in to be pastor of the first Lutheran church on the island for the immigrants who starting arriving in 1881.
Hans had married his own niece, Paul's first child, Mary Dorothea Rice Isenberg, known as Dora, in 1883.