POST OFFICE IN PARADISE - Kauai Postmarks, Part 2: Lihue to Waioli

This page last updated: 4 September 2006

::: Kauai Postmarks, Part 2 - Lihue to Waioli :::

Lihue postmark type 238.02 dated July 21, 1882, on a 3¢ postal card, Scott UX3, to France and postmarked at Honolulu on July 22 and at Calais, France on August 18.

Lihue, Lihue District
"cold chill" [Pukui]; "goose flesh" [Davey]
1866-1900
Postmasters: Richard Peters (1858), Paul Isenberg (?), S. T. Alexander (?), A. S. Wilcox (1868), Paul Isenberg (1869-1879), O. Sholz (1879-1891) and C. H. Bishop (1891-1900). Exactly when Lihue was recognized as a post office is unclear. Some records put it at 1868, but Brickwood mentioned Lihue as the hub for mail delivery in 1866 and other references suggest a date perhaps as early as 1858 when Isenberg moved there from Waimea, where he was postmaster. In any event from about 1866, Lihue was the main post office for the island and hub for distributing mail to the rest of Kauai. Isenberg was manager of Lihue Plantation and at some point he kept the post office in his plantation office. Wilcox, Sholz and Bishop were successive managers of the Lihue Plantation Store, where the post office was kept most of the time. The Lihue Store was built in the 1860's on the grounds of the plantation manager's residence and moved in 1876 to a hill across the mill valley. Letter boxes were installed in 1889. A new store was erected on the same location in 1895. Stamps of the 1864 2¢ Bank Notes were sent to Isenberg in 1869. Stamp sales in 1898 were $1,297, second only to Hilo among the post offices outside Honolulu.
The name "Lihue" probably was first given to the region around 1838 for the site of a new sugar plantation and mill. Lihue became the civic center for Kauai around 1851 because it was the island governor's residence. About 1866, the post office at Nawiliwili Harbor was re-located to Lihue. The town is two miles inland from Nawiliwili Harbor. Lihue Plantation, an extensive pioneer plantation was established at Lihue and Grove Farm Plantation and Hanamaula Sugar Plantation were nearby. In 1880, Lihue was described as the most important town on the island. In 1888, it had several stores, two schools and a livery stable. Lihue District population was at 1,615 in 1853 and fell to 1,301 in 1872 but increased rapidly to 1,832 in 1878, 1,984 in 1884, 2,792 in 1890, 3,425 in 1896 and 4,434 in 1900.

238.02
30mm single lined circle; brass stamp
Color: Black
Scarcity: 2
Usage: May __, 1880 – December 24, 1886
One strike, on cover, is in my collection.

July 21, 1882

253.41
27mm double lined circle
Color: Blue, Black
Estimated: 5
Usage: July __, 1885 – April __, 1891
In December, 1888, the postmaster requested new date types for the post office stamp.
Black strikes early to January 22, 1887 and blue noted from June 11, 1887 to 1891.

November 12, 1887

282.011
32mm double lined outer and single lined inner circle; known with blank date
Color: Purple, Blue
Estimated: 8
Usage: January __, 1891 – December __, 1895
Dates were not printing well in early 1891.
Blue strikes in 1891 to May 4, 1892; purple noted from September 14, 1892 forward.

January 17, 1893

April 21, 1893

255.12
29mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Estimated: 7
Usage: January __, 1896 – February 15, 1898

June 20, 1896

253.01
27mm double lined circle; town letters are spaced farther apart than in type 253.9a1; "L" to "E" distance bottom corner to bottom corner is 17mm.
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 7
Usage: January 21, 1897 - August __, 1897
Black strikes noted from May, 1897.
This mark was listed as type 235.01 but strikes exist with clear separation between the outer lines confirming the single lined mark resulted simply from ink clogging or wear. The January 21, 1897 date is on a post office letterhead and shows clear definition between the two lines.

April 21, 1897

253.9a1
27mm double lined circle; town letters are spaced more closely than in type 253.01; duplex cancel; "L" to "E" distance bottom corner to bottom corner is 13.5mm.
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 2
Usage: October __, 1897 - February 19, 1898
Two strikes, both on cover, are in my collection. Perhaps strikes of this mark have been confused with type 253.01 so the scarcity rating is uncertain.

January 12, 1898

272.614
27mm single lined outer and inner circles
Color: Blue, Purple, Greenish-Blue
Estimated: 9
Usage: May __, 1895 – March 28, 1901
Greenish blue strikes noted to October, 1898, blue in 1899 to April, purple from July 22, 1899.

June 1, 1900

Makaweli, Waimea District
"fearful features" [Pukui]; "fearful eye" [Davey]
1890-1900
Postmasters: E. M. Walsh (1890-1891), H. Morrison (1891-1894), Jno. A. Palmer (1894-1895) and H. Morrison (1895-1900). Palmer was performing postal duties for Morrison as early as 1891 and may have been commissioned post master briefly that year between Walsh and Morrison. The Makaweli post office was located near Eleele and Hanapepe until 1892 and then moved three miles north west to Makaweli, about mid-way between Waimea and Hanapepe, and was located at the headquarters for the Hawaiian Sugar Co. Stamp sales in 1898 were $672.
Site of the Hawaiian Sugar Co., established around 1887, on former cattle grazing land. The Hawaiian Sugar Co. was one of the largest plantations in Hawaii in the mid-1890's, but it also had a reputation as "the dirtiest, dustiest, red dirt plantation in Hawaii." A plantation railroad connected the landing at Eleele and the plantation office.

282.013
32mm double lined outer and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Red
Estimated: 5
Usage: April 5, 1890 – April __, 1899
Red noted on Republic Issue stamps around November, 1896 to March, 1897.

April 9, 1892

255.9a1
29mm double lined circle; duplex cancel
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 3
Usage: March __, 1898 – June __, 1900
Bluish purple and reddish purple strikes are noted, the latter in April, 1899.
Fourteen strikes, two on cover, are in my collection.

August 13, 1898

Mana, Waimea District
"arid" [Pukui]; "power" [Davey]
1893-1900
Postmasters: Gregers Borchgrevink (1893-1898) and E. Powell, Jr. (1898-1900). The post office here opened in September, 1893 and was conducted at Borchgrevink's store, a branch of Hofgaard's store in Waimea. Powell was the head luna for the plantation. Mail service was by train from Waimea to Kekaha and then by horseback to Mana. Stamp sales in 1898 were $141.
Sugar cane plantation town from about 1880, plantation headquarters and stock ranch. Prior agricultural efforts at Mana included tobacco as early as 1853. In 1893, when the post office was opened, the population of about 250 people was largely Japanese and Hawaiian. Hans Peter Faye, the owner of the plantation, agitated for a post office and it was opened in October, 1893. In 1898, Mana Plantation merged with Kekaha Plantation and the post office was nearly discontinued.

803
Mana
date
manuscript in Borchgrevink's handwriting
Rarity: 1RRRR; one strike recorded
October 6, 1893
One strike is in my collection.

October 6, 1893

282.012
33mm double lined outer and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple
Estimated: 5
In December, 1898, the device was reported to be "in bad condition."
Usage: September 28, 1894 – September __, 1899

October 18, 1895

255.9a1
29mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Scarcity: 2
Usage: May __, 1897 – May __, 1900
Is this mark rarer than a 2? One strike, on post office letterhead, is in my collection. Is the May, 1897 date correct or should it be later?

February 7, 1900

Moloaa, Hanalei District
"matted roots" [Pukui]; "parched" [Davey]
1864-1870
Postmasters: E. Witscher (1864-1869) and F. Bertlemann (1869).
A landing and village to the east of Hanalei near Anahola. This land was grazing land for stock ranches in the 1860's. At Moloaa was a Catholic church and the immediate area was planted in taro and rice.
No postmarks known.

Nawiliwili, Lihue District
"the wiliwili trees, erythrina"
1854-1870
Postmasters: H. A. Widemann (1854-1857), D. H. Hitchcock (1858), H. A. Widemann (1859-1865), W. N. Wilcox (1865) and Paul Isenberg (1865-1869). Widemann was appointed postmaster in August, 1854. Judge E. P. Bond was performing postal duties earlier but his authority is unclear and he moved to Maui about 1855. Stamps of both values of the Boston Engraved Issue were sent to Widemann in September, 1854. Widemann was made sheriff of Kauai in 1854, succeeding J. F. B. Marshall. Twenty sheets (@25 stamps per sheet) of the 2¢ Numerals were sent to Widemann in July, 1859 and the post office was regularly supplied with stamps thereafter.
Principal harbor for Kauai and site of the earliest post office on the island. The post office was moved to nearby Lihue about 1866 because Lihue was the administrative center for the island. In 1877, Nawiliwili had a few houses, storehouses and Chinese stores. A general merchandising store was still located at the landing in 1888.
No postmarks known.

Wahiawa, Koloa District
"milkfish place" [Pukui]; "place of awa" [Davey]
1855-1874
Postmasters: none listed and it is uncertain what, if any, postal facility was here.
A valley between Hanapepe and Koloa with a small population and the residence of Duncan McBryde.
No postmarks known.

Waimea, Waimea District
"reddish water" [Pukui]; "yellow water" [Davey]
Customs office 1850-1856; post office 1856-1900
Postmasters: R. S. Hollister (1850-1851), Rev. G. B. Rowell (1851-1852), J. R. Opitz (1852-1855), R. S. Hollister (1855-1856), Paul Isenberg (1856-1858), Rev. G. B. Rowell (1859-1867), Salem P. Handchett (1867-1883), Rev. G. B. Rowell (1883-1884), Mrs. G. B. Rowell (1884-1886) and Christopher B. Hofgaard (1886-1900). Hollister, Rowell and Opitz were customs collectors and performed postmaster duties to 1856. Hofgaard arrived at Waimea in 1885 and was a retail merchant, local magistrate, road supervisor and auditor in addition to being the postmaster. Mail for Niihau was dispatched by the Niihau boat hired by the Waimea postmaster from 1863-1874 and thereafter by the private boat arranged by Frances Sinclair on Niihau. Prior to post offices being established at Kekaha and Mana, Waimea was the distribution point for mail to those villages and carriers were hired by the Waimea postmaster. Twenty sheets (@25 stamps per sheet) of the 2¢ Numerals were sent to Rev. Rowell in July, 1859. Bank Note stamps of the 2¢ value were sent to Handchett in 1869. Stamp sales in 1898 were $594.50.
Site of the first mission station on the island, established in 1820 by Rev. and Mrs. Samuel Whitney. Henry Whitney, Hawaii's first postmaster, was born here in 1824. Capt. Cook made his first Hawaii landing at Waimea in 1778 and it was at that time the residence of the reigning king of Kauai. A fort was built here in 1817 by a Prussian adventurer under service to the czar of Russia. Until Lihue emerged as the administrative center of Kauai around 1851, Waimea was the capital of Kauai. An 1867 visitor described a small village. Whitney described Waimea in 1875 as a "wreck of a once populous capital" and in 1880, another traveler described it as evoking "melancholy" when compared to its prior greatness. Few Westerners lived in the region until sugar planting began about 1880, when Waimea Plantation was formed. Waimea Sugar Mill was built in 1884. In 1888, Waimea had three general stores, with Hofgaard running the largest one. There was also a coffee saloon, a Chinese store and a small sugar estate with a mill. Waimea District had a population of 2,082 in 1853 and decreased to 1,197 by 1878. Growth increased the population significantly: 1,762 in 1884, 2,739 in 1890, 4,431 in 1896 and 5,996 in 1900.

238.02
30mm single lined circle; brass stamp
Color: Purple, Black, Blue
Scarcity: 3
Usage: July __, 1880 – December __, 1889
Black is noted to August, 1884; purple on Scott No. 43; blue from March, 1885 to August, 1887; black again in November to December, 1889. In 1890, the postmaster reported he used the device without date stamps in 1889 and 1890.
Eighteen strikes, five on cover, are in my collection.

August 31, 1883

253.61
27mm double lined circle; the device broke down with wear; single lined arcs above and beneath date
Color: Purple, Black
Scarcity: 4
Usage: April __, 1884 – July 19, 1890
Wear was apparent by February, 1889. In May, 1890, the postmaster reported the dates were "too easily knocked out of order if used for stamping letters."
Eight strikes, one on cover, are in my collection.

July 10, 1885

July 12, 1890

282.011
33mm double lined outer and single lined inner circle
Color: Purple, Black
Estimated: 9
Usage: December __, 1888 – July __, 1898
I question the 1888 date based on the post office correspondence. It seems 1890 is more likely. In October, 1898, the postmaster reported this device "is very much worn out and some of the date types are entirely obliterated."
Black early; purple from May 13, 1892.

December 16, 1896

255.01
29mm double lined circle
Color: Purple
Estimated: 6
Usage: November 11, 1898 - May __, 1900

March 3, 1899

June 17, 1900

Waioli, Hanalei District
"singing water"
1884-1886
Postmaster: J. Kakina (1884); no post office is listed here in the official records so it is unclear what facility, if any, was at Waioli.
Mission station established in 1834, as a branch of the mission at Waimea, and hamlet near Hanalei.
No postmarks known.

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