::: Kauai Postmarks, Part 1 - Anahola to Koloa :::

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Anahola, Kawaihau District
"fish poison cave"
Post office: 1856-1869

Postmasters: Chas. Griffiths (1857-1864), Christian Bertelmann (1864-1869) and Ernest Krull (1869).

A small village and landing at the northern end of Kawaihau District. The area was a sheep and cattle ranch owned by Bertelmann.

No postmarks known.

Eleele, Koloa District
"black"
Post office: 1899-1900

Postmaster: E. E. Conant (1899-1900)

Former name for the landing known as Port Allen since 1909, serving the Eleele Plantation and mill, started in 1884, and the neighboring town of Hanapepe. In 1899, this place became the site of the McBryde Sugar Company formed out of Eleele Plantation and other lands.

Conant is listed in the directories as a manager and bookkeeper at Waimea Sugar Mill in 1898 but apparently moved to McBryde by 1899. The post office was at the McBryde plantation office.

Hanalei, Hanalei District
"crescent bay" [Pukui]; "make a wreath" [Davey]
Customs office 1846-1856; post office 1856-1900

Postmasters: Capt. John Kellett (1846-1856), Rev. Abner Wilcox (1856-1863), Capt. A. White (1865-1866), Judge H. J. Wana (acting PM from September, 1867 to 1870), Wm. Kellett (1870-?, with Rev. Wilcox), Capt. John Ross (1870?-1876), A Conradt (1876-1878), C. Koelling (1878-1883), Jas. M. Gibson (1883-1885), J. C. Long (1885-1889), C. Koelling (1889-1892), J. M. Radway (1892-1893), A. B. Scrimgeour (1893) and C. H. Willis (1894-1900).

A mission station was established at nearby Waioli in 1834. Hanalei was the first port of entry named for the island in 1846. For the mostly Hawaiian population of northern Kauai, Hanalei was the social center. Hanalei Plantation was organized before 1850. Princeville Plantation was started nearby along the Hanalei River around 1855 by Robert Crichton Wyllie, Hawaii's foreign minister. The name Princeville was given to the plantation in 1860. Coffee was a major crop in the early days of Hanalei Plantation and Princeville but the trees became infected and were uprooted in 1862, when the land was planted in sugar. By 1863, Princeville was a sugar estate. In 1875, it boasted extensive cane lands and a sugar mill owned by Capt. Ross. The region of Hanalei was important for rice and taro production. The population of the Hanalei District was 1,998 in 1853, grew to 2,186 by 1866, fell off to 1,558 in 1872 and gradually grew back to 2,630 by 1900.

Capt. Kellett was the customs collector and port pilot. Rev. Wilcox took over postal duties about 1856 and probably operated the post office at his nearby Waioli residence. From at least 1885, when Long became postmaster (and probably from at least 1878 when Koelling first became postmaster), the Hanalei post office was operated at Princeville Plantation. Koelling and Willis were managers of Princeville Plantation. Long, Radway and Scrimgeour were bookkeepers there. Radway was Koelling's deputy to perform postal duties from 1889 until Radway was appointed postmaster. Gibson is listed in Bowser’s 1881 directory as an agent for taking acknowledgments to labor contracts but he may have worked at Princeville while he was postmaster.

Mail service was by overland mail from Lihue and by schooner direct from Honolulu during the 1870s. Steamer service, until then too irregular, supplemented the overland service from about 1880 with a weekly mail from Honolulu. The Hanalei office engaged carriers for Lumahai, Wainiha, Haena and Kalalau. The carrier from Kalalau wrapped mail in banana leaves to keep it from getting soaked.

Stamps were supplied to Hanalei regularly starting with the 2’ Numerals in July, 1859. Stamp sales in 1898 were $156.50.

Hanapepe, Waimea District
"crushed bay, as by landslides" [Pukui]; "to crush" [Davey]
Post office: 1858-1866; 1893-1900

Postmasters: Rev. J. B. Kahaleole (1893-1894), C. D. Pringle (1894-1896) and H. H. Brodie (1897-1900).

The village at Hanapepe was unremarkable in early accounts of 1867, 1875 and 1880, but mention is made of the lands cultivated along the river. An 1888 traveler mentions rice and taro planted along the river and a small population. Between 1888 and 1892, the Hawaiian Sugar Co. office was located here and the post office was operated from the plantation office. Once the plantation office moved to Makaweli, only four families of Hawaiians and three of Chinese were reported living at Hanapepe town but the population of the valley was put at about 600. In 1895 it was reported about 1000 Japanese farmers lived in the area.

It is uncertain whether a post office as such was located at Hanapepe in the years 1858-1866. There was no significant foreign population which generally was necessary to support sufficient business for a post office. From 1890 to 1892, the Makaweli post office was located at Hanapepe but the Hawaiian Sugar Co. moved its headquarters three miles north west to Makaweli and took the post office with it. Agitation for a Hanapepe post office began in 1892 after the Makaweli post office moved to Makaweli. Rev. Kahaleole was appointed postal agent for Hanapepe in July, 1893 and Pringle was appointed postmaster in November, 1894. Rev. Kahaleole was the pastor of the native church at Hanapepe. Pringle was principal of the Government School at Hanapepe. Brodie was the principal at the English School in Eleele. Hanapepe post office was located at the Kwong Hing store about a quarter mile from Eleele Wharf and served the Hanapepe Valley.

Establishment of the Eleele post office in 1899 rendered Hanapepe marginal. Stamp sales in 1898 were $32.75.

Kaiwa, Hanalei/Lihue Districts
Overland mail route across the mountains between Hanalei and Lihue. Kaiwa Stream is on the eastern watershed of the Hanalei River and crosses the trail near the summit of the pass between Hanalei and Lihue. The manuscript mark apparently was applied by the mail carrier.

Kapaa, Kawaihau District
"the solid, or the closing" [Pukui]; "fast, firm" [Davey]
Post office: 1880-1893

Postmasters: G. H. Dole (1880-1882), Jas. H. K. Kaiwi (1882-1883), G. B. Grant (1883-1884), George C. Potter (1884-1885), G. H. Dole (1885-1886), John T. Herapath (1886) and R. C. Spaulding (1886-1893).

Site of Makee Plantation, started in 1877 on former grazing land. By 1880 the small town had a general store, a boarding and lodging house and a few coffee saloons "besides the post office." Population of the Kawaihau District was first separated for the 1884 census. At that time, the district had 1,882 people. Immigration impacted this district heavily so by 1900, it had a diverse population of 3,220 consisting of Hawaiians, Americans, Japanese, Chinese, South Pacific Islanders, Portuguese, Norwegians and others.

Dole was manager at Makee Plantation. Kaiwi was the district judge. Except for Judge Kaiwi’s tenure as postmaster, the office was operated at Makee Plantation. The office here was closed and replaced by the office at Kealia in 1893 when Makee Sugar Co. consolidated its offices at Kealia. Thereafter, mail service for the community was by plantation train from Kealia.

Kealia, Kawaihau District
"the salt encrustation" [Pukui]; "salt pan" [Davey]
Post office: 1893-1900

Postmaster: R. C. Spaulding (1893-1900).

The area was ranch land owned by E. Krull. His dairy was described by travelers in the 1860s and 1870s. Rice plantations were noted in the lower elevation. Kealia was the site of the Kealia Plantation in the 1880s and 1890s. Makee Sugar Co. was organized at Kealia in 1877 and later acquired by Col. Z. S. Spaulding. The main mill was located at Kealia.

The office here replaced the office at Kapaa and it was operated at Makee Sugar Co. In fact, the change from Kapaa to Kealia happened in 1892, before the post office name changed. A plantation railroad ferried mail from here to the residents of Kapaa after the post office moved from Kapaa to Kealia.

Stamp sales in 1898 were $722, second largest on Kauai after Lihue.

Kekaha, Waimea District
"the place" [Pukui]; "lands unsuited for taro growth" [Davey]
Post office: 1882-1900

Postmasters: W. Meier (1882-1888), C. Borchgrevink (1888-1893) and Adam Lindsay (1893-1895), C. W. Lindsay (1893-1895), F. W. Glade (1895-1899) and H. P. Faye (1899-1900).

Site of the Kekaha Sugar Plantation, planted in sugar and other crops in 1856. Kekaha village had two stores in 1888. The sugar estates in the vicinity were the Meyer & Kruse lands around Kekaha proper, the Mana lands managed by H. P. Faye and Kekaha Mill Co. They were consolidated as Kekaha Sugar Company in 1898.

Borchgrevink and the two Lindsays kept the Kekaha Store where the post office was located. Glade and Faye were managers at Kekaha Mill and Kekaha Sugar Plantation; the post office was operated at the mill and plantation during their tenures. A plantation railroad ran between Waimea and Kekaha starting about 1884 and hauled mail to Kekaha.

Stamp sales in 1898 were $349.50.

Kilauea, Hanalei District
"spewing, much spreading (lava)" [Pukui]; "rising smoke cloud" [Davey]
Post office: 1877-1900

Postmasters: J. Ross (1877-1878), E. P. Adams (1878-1880), R. A. Macfie, Jr. (1880-1883), W. F. Lowrie (1883-1884), W. Cuthbert (1884-1885), R. A. Macfie, Jr. (1885-1890), G. R. Ewart (1890-1894), Mrs. B. R. (Agnes) Foss (1894-1895) and John Bush (1895-1900).

Charles Titcomb started planting crops on Kauai at an early time and his extensive farm at Kilauea was noted by travelers in the 1860s and 1870s. He started planting sugar at Kilauea by 1863. At one point, he even attempted producing silk and planted mulberries for the silkworms. The Kilauea Sugar Co. was operating by 1877 and was incorporated as Kilauea Sugar Plantation in 1880. By 1880, Kilauea boasted the Kong Lung general store, a coffee saloon and a boarding house. A plantation railroad was built in 1881. In 1888, Kilauea had a "good country hotel" aptly named the "Polyglot" for the diverse population supporting the plantations and a "well stocked" general store. The famous lighthouse near the town was constructed in 1913.

At least from the time Adams was postmaster until Mrs. Foss became postmistress the post office probably was operated at the plantation office. Adams was president and manager of Kilauea Plantation. Macfie and Ewart were managers at the plantation. Lowrie and Cuthbert were plantation men. Mrs. Foss was the principal at the local English School and Bush was a teacher there.

Stamp sales in 1898 were $479.60.

Koloa, Koloa District
"wild duck" [Pukui and Davey]; "long sugar cane" [Judd]
Customs office 1855-1856; post office 1856-1900

Postmasters: Dr. J. W. Smith (1857-1859), R. S. Hollister (1859-1863), P. H. Pierson (1863), E. Hoffman (1863), Ch. F. Newman (1865-1868), Wm. O. Smith (1869), G. S. Pinkham (1869), Frank Bindt (1874-1879), J. D. Neal (1879) and E. Strehz (1879-1900).

A Protestant mission station was established at Koloa in 1834 and Koloa Plantation, the first commercial sugar plantation in the islands, was begun in 1835. Koloa Catholic Mission was established in 1841 (it generated its own distinctive handstamps in the 1890s, see Private Sender Marks - Charitable and Other Organizations). Anchorage at Koloa was unsafe and ships usually lay on and off while loading from boats. The town of Koloa is situated about two miles inland from the boat landing. A carriage road connected Koloa with Lihue and Nawiliwili Harbor. Koloa was the agricultural center of Kauai for decades. An 1863 account described Koloa as having numerous houses scattered at great distances from one another. Hollister's tapioca farm is mentioned in addition to the sugar estate. In 1880, Koloa was a "flourishing town" with two general stores and two Chinese stores, a boarding house, numerous coffee saloons, a blacksmith, a tin smith, two doctors, two churches, three schools and a telephone connection to Lihue. In 1888, Koloa was described as "thriving" with five stores and a lumber yard. Population in Koloa District stood at 1,296 in 1853 and hit a low of 833 people in 1872. It grew sharply to 1,500 in 1884 and gradually increased to 1,835 in 1896, but ballooned to 4,564 in 1900.

Dr. Smith, pastor of Koloa Church, was the only physician on Kauai for many years. Hollister was a local farmer. Newman was a cooper (maybe the tin-smith mentioned in the travelogue) and renowned as a musician. Smith was a young lawyer who later moved to Honolulu and eventually took part in the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy. Strehz was the customs collector and managed A. Dreier’s Koloa sugar lands (Dreier was manager at Eleele Plantation).

Stamp sales in 1898 were $624.50.

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