Peter Cushman Jones
Encyclopedia
Peter Cushman Jones was a businessman and politician during the Kingdom of Hawaii
, Provisional Government of Hawaii
, Republic of Hawaii
and Territory of Hawaii
.
He founded the second bank in the Hawaiian Islands
.
. His father was also named Peter Cushman Jones (1808–1885), and his mother was Jane MacIntosh Baldwin, whose grandfather Isaac Baldwin (1738–1775) died in the Battle of Bunker Hill
.
He traces his ancestry to several notable early Bostonians, including Thomas Dudley
(1576–1653) and daughter Anne Dudley
who married Simon Bradstreet
.
He was fourth of nine children.
He was educated at the Boston Latin School
in 1849. However, as he describes himself:
Although his parents expected him to attend Harvard, he transferred to a less disciplined school briefly and then took a job instead in April 1852 (at the age of only 14). He would never go back to school. In 1857 he decided to leave, and planned to go west to Saint Paul, Minnesota
.
His father objected, so instead he left in June 1857 to Honolulu, since William Austin Whiting, the son of his employer, had been there. He arrived on October 2, 1857 with total assets of 16 cents.
He found various jobs as clerk with former New England
ers in the islands. On May 12, 1862 he married Cornelia Hall (1842–1876), daughter of merchant Edwin O. Hall, and on February 27, 1864 he officially became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii
.
in C. Brewer & Co.
which acted as agent for the growing number of sugar plantations in Hawaii
. In December 1879, while Carter was away on a diplomatic mission, the other partner John D. Brewer died, making him effectively head of the business.
In 1883 the company was formally incorporated with himself as president, including Charles Reed Bishop
as an investor.
Bishop had founded the first bank in the Hawaiian Islands, called, appropriately, First Hawaiian Bank
.
Jones managed C. Brewer until July 1891.
He returned with his family to Boston to visit relatives, and then came back to Honolulu in October 1892.
On November 8, 1892 Queen Liliuokalani appointed Jones minister of finance with George Norton Wilcox
as interior minister.
This cabinet served until January 13, 1893. A few days later the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii ended the monarchy.
He was appointed to the Executive Council of the Provisional Government of Hawaii
, as its minister of finance on January 17, 1893, but served only until March 15.
He founded the Hawaiian Safe Deposit and Investment company in 1892 with his son.
By 1894 he became president of C. Brewer again until 1899. George R. Carter
became manager of the business and it was later renamed the Hawaiian Trust Company.
In December 1897 he officially chartered the Bank of Hawaii
with Charles Montague Cooke
, Joseph Ballard Atherton.
on June 2, 1896.
After the January 1900 Chinatown
fire, the chapel provided health care for some of the people left homeless, but resources ran low by 1904.
Doremus Scudder
invited James Arthur Rath and Ragna Helsher Rath who arrived in 1905 and added social services to the center and called it Palama Settlement by September 1906.
In 1902 Jones leased some land to English merchant Joseph W. Podmore, who built the Joseph W. Podmore Building
and then sold the lease back to Jones. Jones donated both the land and building to the Hawaiian Evangelical Board on February 7, 1907, for their use until a permanent home was built for them in 1916.
.
Son Edwin Austin Jones, was born May 11, 1863, married Belle Fuller on November 8, 1888, had four children, served as cashier of Bank of Hawaii, but died on July 10, 1898.
He also had two daughters. Ada Jones was born October 28, 1869, married Alonzo Gartley on June 12, 1894, and had four children.
Alice Hall Jones was born January 2, 1880 and married Abraham Lewis, Jr. on April 26, 1906.
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...
, Provisional Government of Hawaii
Provisional Government of Hawaii
The Provisional Government of Hawaii abbreviated "P.G." was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole...
, 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...
.
He founded the second bank in 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...
.
Early life
Peter Cushman Jones was born December 10, 1837 in BostonBoston
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...
. His father was also named Peter Cushman Jones (1808–1885), and his mother was Jane MacIntosh Baldwin, whose grandfather Isaac Baldwin (1738–1775) died in the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
.
He traces his ancestry to several notable early Bostonians, including Thomas Dudley
Thomas Dudley
Thomas Dudley was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dudley was the chief founder of Newtowne, later Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built the town's first home...
(1576–1653) and daughter Anne Dudley
Anne Bradstreet
Anne Dudley Bradstreet was New England's first published poet. Her work met with a positive reception in both the Old World and the New World.-Biography:...
who married Simon Bradstreet
Simon Bradstreet
Simon Bradstreet was a colonial magistrate, businessman, diplomat, and the last governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Arriving in Massachusetts on the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, Bradstreet was almost constantly involved in the politics of the colony but became its governor only in 1679...
.
He was fourth of nine children.
He was educated at the Boston Latin School
Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
in 1849. However, as he describes himself:
As a scholar I was extremely dull, I never remember having been at the head of my class at school but have many times been at the other end of the class, the "foot."
Although his parents expected him to attend Harvard, he transferred to a less disciplined school briefly and then took a job instead in April 1852 (at the age of only 14). He would never go back to school. In 1857 he decided to leave, and planned to go west to Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
.
His father objected, so instead he left in June 1857 to Honolulu, since William Austin Whiting, the son of his employer, had been there. He arrived on October 2, 1857 with total assets of 16 cents.
He found various jobs as clerk with former 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...
ers in the islands. On May 12, 1862 he married Cornelia Hall (1842–1876), daughter of merchant Edwin O. Hall, and on February 27, 1864 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...
.
Business and politics
By 1866 he bought out a former employer and formed a partnership with C. L. Richards in a ship chandlery business. In January 1871 he became a partner with Henry A. P. CarterHenry A. P. Carter
Henry Alpheus Peirce Carter also known as Henry Augustus Peirce Carter was an American businessman, politician, and diplomat in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Family life:...
in C. Brewer & Co.
C. Brewer & Co.
C. Brewer & Co., Ltd. was a Honolulu-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company did most of its business in agriculture....
which acted as agent for the growing number of 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...
. In December 1879, while Carter was away on a diplomatic mission, the other partner John D. Brewer died, making him effectively head of the business.
In 1883 the company was formally incorporated with himself as president, including Charles Reed Bishop
Charles Reed Bishop
Charles Reed Bishop was a businessman and philanthropist in Hawaii.Born in Glens Falls, New York, he sailed to Hawaii in 1846 at the age of 24, and made his home there. Bishop was one of the first trustees of and a major donor to the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii...
as an investor.
Bishop had founded the first bank in the Hawaiian Islands, called, appropriately, 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...
.
Jones managed C. Brewer until July 1891.
He returned with his family to Boston to visit relatives, and then came back to Honolulu in October 1892.
On November 8, 1892 Queen Liliuokalani appointed Jones minister of finance with 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...
as interior minister.
This cabinet served until January 13, 1893. A few days later the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii ended the monarchy.
He was appointed to the Executive Council of the Provisional Government of Hawaii
Provisional Government of Hawaii
The Provisional Government of Hawaii abbreviated "P.G." was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole...
, as its minister of finance on January 17, 1893, but served only until March 15.
He founded the Hawaiian Safe Deposit and Investment company in 1892 with his son.
By 1894 he became president of C. Brewer again until 1899. George R. Carter
George R. Carter
George Robert Carter was the second Territorial Governor of Hawaii, serving from 1903 to 1907.He was born December 28, 1866 in Honolulu. His mother was Sybil Augusta Judd , daughter of Gerrit P...
became manager of the business and it was later renamed the Hawaiian Trust Company.
In December 1897 he officially chartered the Bank of Hawaii
Bank of Hawaii
The Bank of Hawaii Corporation is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is Hawaii's second oldest bank and its largest locally owned bank in that majority of the voting stockholders reside within the state...
with Charles Montague Cooke
Charles Montague Cooke
Charles Montague Cooke was a businessman during the Kingdom of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii.-Life:Charles Montague Cooke was born May 6, 1849 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father was Amos Starr Cooke co-founder of Castle & Cooke...
, Joseph Ballard Atherton.
Philanthropy
Jones funded the Palama Chapel in the working-class neighborhood of KapālamaKapālama
-History:The name comes from ka pā lama in the Hawaiian language which means "the enclosure of lama wood". "Lama" was the Hawaiian name for endemic ebony trees of genus Diospyros that were used in religious ceremonies....
on June 2, 1896.
After the January 1900 Chinatown
Chinatown, Honolulu
The Chinatown Historic District is a neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii known for its Chinese people and is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States.-History:The area was probably used by fishermen during ancient Hawaii but little evidence remains...
fire, the chapel provided health care for some of the people left homeless, but resources ran low by 1904.
Doremus Scudder
The Scudder family of missionaries in India
The Scudders in India devoted more than 1,100 combined years to Christian medical mission service in South India by 42 members of 4 generations of the family.-First generation:...
invited James Arthur Rath and Ragna Helsher Rath who arrived in 1905 and added social services to the center and called it Palama Settlement by September 1906.
In 1902 Jones leased some land to English merchant Joseph W. Podmore, who built the Joseph W. Podmore Building
Joseph W. Podmore Building
The Joseph W. Podmore Building on the corner of Merchant and Alakea streets in Honolulu, Hawaii was built in 1902 by Joseph W. Podmore, an English sailor who did business in Honolulu during the early 1900s. He built it to rent out for retail and office use, initially to a tailor and a decorator on...
and then sold the lease back to Jones. Jones donated both the land and building to the Hawaiian Evangelical Board on February 7, 1907, for their use until a permanent home was built for them in 1916.
Death and legacy
Jones died on April 23, 1922. He was buried in Oahu CemeteryOahu Cemetery
The Oahu Cemetery is the resting place of many notable early residents of the Honolulu area. They range from missionaries and politicians to sports pioneers and philosophers. Over time it was expanded to become an area known as the Nuuanu Cemetery....
.
Son Edwin Austin Jones, was born May 11, 1863, married Belle Fuller on November 8, 1888, had four children, served as cashier of Bank of Hawaii, but died on July 10, 1898.
He also had two daughters. Ada Jones was born October 28, 1869, married Alonzo Gartley on June 12, 1894, and had four children.
Alice Hall Jones was born January 2, 1880 and married Abraham Lewis, Jr. on April 26, 1906.