POST OFFICE IN PARADISE - Island of Hawaii Postmarks, Part 2: Holualoa to Kawaihae

This page last updated: 26 September 2008

::: Island of Hawaii Postmarks, Part 2 - Holualoa to Kawaihae :::

Holualoa, North Kona District
"long sled run"
1897 – 1900
Postmaster: L. S. Aungst (1897-1900) who owned the telephone company in the region and located the post office at the telephone office. Stamp sales in 1899 amounted to about $475.

253.01 253.9a1 (target cancel duplex)
27mm double lined circle; later strikes appear to have a single circle
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 3
Usage: June __, 1897 – June __, 1900
Burns downgraded this mark to a 2 and I downgraded it further to a 3. Five strikes, one on cover, are in my collection.

November 15, 1897

double lined circle

December 11, 1899

Honoipu, North Kohala District
"gourd bay"
Principal landing for western North Kohala until the Hawaiian Railroad established its terminus at Mahukona. Mentioned as a landing for North Kohala mail.
No postmark known.

Honokaa, Hamakua District
"rolling harbor"
1880 – 1900
Postmasters: Wm. Dart (1880-1881), Capt. W. Willfong (1881), D. F. Sanford (1881-1884), G. W. Willfong (1884-1886), W. P. Lumaheihei (1887-1888), J. R. Mills (1888-1890), G. D. Ross (1890), E. W. Estep (acting 1891), F. S. Clinton (1891-1892), L. P. Lincoln (1892-1894), F. S. Clinton (1894-1898) and A. B. Lindsay (1898-1900). Theo. H. Davies & Co. owned the local general store. The later postmasters were managers of the store and the post office was kept there. Letter volume in 1888 was about 7,200 letters annually. In the period 1890-1892, letter volume climbed to about 10,000 and by 1895, the rate was about 15,000 letters annually. Stamp sales in 1899 were about $1,200.

801
manuscript
Honokaa
noted on 1875 issue (Scott No. 35)

(Courtesy of Henry Lyman)

801a
manuscript
Honokaa/H " H
Rarity: 1RRRR
Noted on Scott No. 35 and Scott No. 43a

282.016
32mm double lined outer and single lined inner circle; the year is missing in some second period strikes
Color: Blue, Black, Purple
Estimated: 7
Usage: April 6, 1883 – June __, 1889;
January 25, 1894 – July __, 1896
Davey/Bash listed two devices, one with supposedly thicker and taller letters and from different time periods. Burns noted all strikes are from the same device and combined them. I agree with the decision Burns made. Black strikes are seen from April to May, 1883 and in June, 1888; blue is noted from February, 1885 to July, 1886; purple is noted in September, 1886 and again in the second period.

February 13, 1885

March 5, 1894

281.013
30mm double lined outer and single lined inner circle; fat date slugs
Color: Purple, Black, Blue
Estimated: 7
Usage: January __, 1887 to __, 1894
Steel blue is seen in July, 1887; purple strikes are noted from September, 1887 to June, 1888; black is noted from February to July, 1889; and purple is noted from April, 1890 to September, 1893.

July 21, 1887

July 26, 1889

March 9, 1891

253.02
27mm double lined circle; late strikes have a single lined outer circle
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 5
Usage: September 24, 1896 to December 9, 1899
Davey/Bash listed this mark as 235.02 but it was changed by Burns to 253.02 as the early strikes show the circle is double lined.
Eight strikes, three on cover, are in my collection.

September 24, 1896

with evidence of a double lined circle

253.01
27mm double lined circle; late strikes have a single lined circle
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 3
Usage: November __, 1896 to February __, 1900
Davey/Bash listed this mark as type 235.01, but early strikes show a double lined circle.
Five strikes are in my collection.

October 11, 1897

showing a double lined circle

September 3, 1898

255.01
255.9a1 (target cancel duplex)
29mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Estimated: 5
Usage: November 8, 1897 to June, 1900
Strikes are seen without the duplex, but they are poorly inked.
Twenty strikes, one on cover, are in my collection. Downgraded from Scarcity 4.

March 5, 1898

259.01
33mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 2
Usage: February, 1898 to June, 1900
Burns noted this mark is much scarcer than the 3 rating given in Davey/Bash. Please send me information on strikes you may have recorded. Two strikes are in my collection. I am inclined to rate it a 1R.

May 1, 1899
(Courtesy of Jeremy Uota)

May 29, 1900

June __, 1900

Honomu, South Hilo District
"silent bay"
1896-1900
Postmaster: W. D. Schmidt (1896-1900) who operated the post office from the Honomu Plantation store. As of a few years ago, the post office was still there. Stamp sales were about $225 in 1899.

253.01
27mm double lined circle; late strikes have a single lined circle
Color: Purple
Estimated: 5
Usage: July 7, 1896 to April 2_, 1900

March 9, 1897

double lined circle

April 13, 1899

259.01
33mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Rarity: 1RRR, six strikes recorded
Usage: April 12, 1900 to May 28, 1900
Some strikes read "H_N_MU"
First listed by Burns in 1972.
Two "strikes" are in my collection, but "one" strike is a piece with four strikes on it – I count it as one for purposes of a census.

May 1, 1900

Honuapo, Ka'u District
"caught turtle" a favorite nesting beach for turtles
1879-1900
Postmasters: C. N. Spencer (1882-1887), G. S. Patten (1888-1890), A. J. Ivers (1891), N. C. Haley (1892) and Geo. Dawson (1894-1900). The office probably was only a route agency until 1882. Honuapo shared its postmaster with Hilea until 1891. The mail volume was included with Hilea and was about 3,400 letters in 1888 and about 2,800 letters in 1890. In 1892 (without Hilea), the volume was about 2,500 and about 2,400 in 1894. The post office was located in a warehouse near the landing.

282.012
32mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 6
Usage: February 1, 1891 to May __, 1900
I have a black strike of February 1, 1891 and all others are purple

February 1, 1891

February 14, 1891

Hookena, South Kona District
"to satisfy thirst"
1879-1900
Postmasters: Judge D. K. Nahinu (1880-1887) and T. K. R. Amalu (1888-1900) the local schoolteacher. More than 3,000 letters were dispatched in 1888, more than 4,300 by 1890 and about 6,000 annually in 1892-1894. Postmaster Amalu often sent letters unstamped and the postmaster at Pahala taxed them as unpaid.

282.01
32mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Black
Rarity: 1RR, thirteen strikes recorded
Usage: February 22, 1886 to June 7, 1888
First listed by Burns in 1972
Three strikes are in my collection.

March 4, 1886
(Courtesy of Gary Peters)

August 2, 1887

282.011
33mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 5
Usage: May __, 1890 to November __, 1896

November 11, 1893

281.01
31mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Blue
Estimated: 5
Usage: March 2, 1894 to May 2, 1900
I note blue in 1900 and all earlier strikes in purple. This mark is seen with a four ring target cancel, but the cancel was not attached as a duplex.

November 15, 1899

May 2, 1900

Hoopuloa, South Kona District
"to be put in together for a long time" [Pukui]; "fill the belly" [Davey]
1880-1900
Postmasters: D. S. Keliikuli (1880-1887), J. W. Maele (1888-1894) and Jos. Holi (1894-1900). The post office was located in the village of Mokolii, near the landing. Letter volume from 1887 to 1894 was about 1,300 annually, but in 1899, stamp sales only amounted to about $23. Hoopuloa was another source of stampless covers.

282.01
32mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle; later strikes appear oval
Color: Purple, Black
Scarcity: 3
Usage: March __, 1882 to September __, 1894
Shape distortion happened sometime in the late 1880's, by my estimate.
Eight strikes, two on cover, are in my collection.

February 14, 1887

– shape is still round

February 19, 1894

– oval shape

282.011
33mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black
Scarcity: 3
Usage: January __, 1896 to __, 1899
Strikes noted on Scott No. 81, first printed in 1899, but the dates are unclear. The dates are usually illegible on this mark.
Ten strikes, one on a stampless cover, are in my collection.

Date unreadable but the cover also has a February 21, 1899 Honolulu backstamp

255.01
29mm double lined outer circle
Color: Purple
Rarity: 1R
Usage: September 28, 1899 to June __, 1900
Burns rated this a 3, dropping it from the 4 given by Davey/Bash. I have seen very few strikes and propose it as a 1R. I have three strikes.

April 21, 1900

Hudsonville, South Kona District
1857-1863
Postmaster: Thomas Hudson Paris
This office is mentioned in Honolulu Postmaster Jackson's correspondence. It was located at Paris's store on the road between Kailua and Kealakekua. The office later was known as Onouli and eventually was absorbed by the Kealakekua post office when the location of that office was moved uphill from Napoopoo.
No postmarks are known.

Iole, North Kohala District
"rat"
1858-1878
Postmaster: Rev. Elias Bond (1858-1877)
The office was located at the Kohala Girl's Boarding School and later took the name of Kohala.
No postmarks known, but the Kohala manuscript postmark was used while the Kohala office was located here.

Kaalualu, Ka'u District
"the wrinkle"
1873-1890
No postmaster was appointed but an informal postal agency existed at this landing for Waiohinu and terminus of a recognized mail route from Waiohinu. Formerly known as Alualu.
No postmarks known.

Kaawaloa, South Kona District
"the distant kava" [Pukui]; "long harbor" [Davey]
1865-1868
No postmaster officially appointed. Located in the region upland from Kealakekua Bay and later absorbed by the Kealakekua office.
No postmark known.

Kailua, North Kona District
"Two seas"
1856-1900
Postmasters: M. Travis (1859-1860), D. Montgomery (1869), H. N. Greenwell (1869-?), H. Cooper (1874-1878), W. H. Davis (1878-1883) and J. Kaelemakule (1883-1900).
Mail volume from Kailua used about 20 sheets of Numerals (50 to the sheet) per year during the 1860's). Approximate letter counts are compiled for the following years: 1888 (4,400 letters), 1890 (6,000 letters), 1894 (7,500 letters). Stamp sales in 1899 amounted to about $750.
Kailua in the pre-Missionary era was one of the most significant places in the entire island chain as it was the favorite residence of King Kamehameha I. By the 1860's it was a quieter place and was described by Mark Twain in Letters From the Sandwich Islands as "a little collection of native grass houses reposing under tall cocoa-nut trees – the sleepiest, quietest, Sundayest looking place you can imagine."

282.016
33mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle; 10 ray sunburst
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 8
Usage: March __, 1883 to May 1, 1900
A purple strike is noted January 17, 1884.
Purple strikes are noted from October 25, 1883 to October 16, 1888 (except see the following for a black usage in January, 1886) and again from November 20, 1899 to February 13, 1900. Black strikes are noted in January, 1886 and from June 16, 1894 to January 6, 1899; I have a gap from November, 1889 to June, 1894. Let me know if you have dates in between.

July 1, 1886

282.011
32mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 8
Usage: March 16, 1891 to June 2, 1900
I note a true black dated March 23, 1897 and blackish-purple from January 12, 1898 to May 25, 1899; purple from March 16, 1891 to November 25, 1895 and again from October 30, 1899 to June 2, 1900.

October 14, 1892

May 2, 1900

Kainaliu, South Kona District
"bail the bilge"
1881-1882
Postmaster: perhaps S. Metcalf
There is confusion between this office and either "Hudsonville" or Kealakekua.
No postmark known

Kalapana, Puna District
"announce noted place"
1895-1900
Postmaster: H. E. Wilson (1895-1900)
Stamp sales in 1899 were only about $9, the smallest figure for any post office on this island that year.

801
manuscript
Kalapana
Rarity: 1RRRR
Noted on Scott No. 35 cover

no image available

253.06
27mm double lined circle; the letters "awaii" of "Hawaii" are lower case; later strikes are single lined from ink clogging.
Color: Black, Purple
Scarcity: 2
Usage: August 1, 1895 to May 31, 1900
I have purple from September 12, 1896 to October 18, 1896; black from August 4, 1898 to May 12, 1899. Burns downgraded this mark to a 2 from 1R. Five strikes, one on cover, are in my collection.

August 4, 1898

detail of "Hawaii"

Kalukalu, South Kona District
the name of a local grass
1880-1881
Unofficial postal collection point serviced from Kealakekua.
No postmarks known.

Kapapala, Ka'u District
a shrub (charpentiera)
1880-1881
Unofficial letter collection point.
No postmarks known.

Kapoho, Puna District
"the depression" [Pukui]; "chalk" [Davey]
1862-1865
Unofficial letter collection point.

801
manuscript
Rarity: 1RRRR
Noted on Scott No. 31

Ka'u, Ka'u District
"the breast"
1856-1864
Postmasters: W. C. Shipman (1856-1861) and C. N. Spencer (1862-1865)
The post office was located at Waiohinu and the name of the office was changed to Waiohinu in 1865.

801
802
manuscript "Ka'u"
Rarity: 1RR
Noted on early Numerals and type 802 on Scott No. 31, docketed April, 1867.

Kaupakuea, South Hilo District
"raised ridge"
1858-1869
Postmasters: C. Wetmore (1858), J. Metcalf (1859-1868), G. E. Tucker (1868). Tucker was described as a "route agent" rather than postmaster in 1868. The May 26, 1860 Polynesian referred to this office as Kalepaikuea.
Twenty sheets of 2¢ Scott No. 31a were issued to this office between March, 1865 and July, 1867. The encircled KP cancel emanated from this office in the 1860's.

801
802
manuscript "Kaupakuea"; a "Kaup P. O." may also emanate from this town
Rarity: 1RR
Noted on Numerals and on Scott No. 31

see Advertiser lot 215

Kawaihae, South Kohala District
"water of wrath"
1851-1900
Postmasters: George S. Kenway (customs collector, September, 1850 to November, 1851), William Humphreys (customs collector and postmaster, November, 1851 to September, 1853), Capt. James A. Law (1853-1857), G. W. Macy (1857-1860), W. F. Allen (July 1, 1860 to 1863), W. F. Conway (1864-1868), S. W. Chillingsworth (1868-1876), C. E. Stackpole (1877-1882), John Stupplebeen (1882-1888), J. Kanehaku (1888) and W. Hookuanui (1888-1900).
This office was the principal mail distribution point for the island until 1882. As of 1867, the office was using about 300 2¢ stamps each month. By 1870, that figure jumped to about 700 2¢ stamps each month. After the Hawaiian Railroad shifted the distribution of North Kohala mail to Mahukona, mail volume at Kawaihae dropped off to about 1500 to 2000 letters annually, but few letters actually originated in the small village.

804
manuscript
"P. O. Kawaihae/W. F. C.
Rarity: 1RRR
Noted on Scott No. 31 with the oval PAID service mark, type 760

244.02
36mm single lined circle; no island name
Color: Black
Scarcity: 2
Usage: July __, 1868 to October 28, 1878
Burns downgraded this mark to a 2 from 1R. A count for this mark should be developed. Ten strikes, eight on cover, are in my collection, ranging in dates from October, 1868 to September, 1878.
The postmark device was made by Thomas Tannatt of Honolulu in June, 1868.

November 5, 1875

238.02
30mm single lined circle
Color: Black
Scarcity: 2
Usage: July 9, 1879 to December __, 1888
Five strikes, two on cover, are in my collection.

April 16, 1881

282.011
32mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black, Bluish Green
Estimated: 6
Usage: July __, 1889 to January __, 1896
Black is noted in mid-1892 and green in mid-1895; otherwise purple.

April 9, 1891

July 6, 1895

281.01
30mm double lined outer circle and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 6
Usage: March __, 1895 to March 21, 1899
The date sometimes is missing or failed to print.

Date missing; Honolulu postmark is dated July 14, 1896

259.01
33mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 3
Usage: October 17, 1899 to June __, 1900
Nine strikes, one on cover, are in my collection.

April 13, 1900

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