Name/Title
Naalehu Plantation, Hawaii IslandDescription
Postal card sent from Naalehu Plantation, Hawaii dated Aug 22, 1884
Inscribed "Best regards from Martin von Hagen and E. A. Bielenberg."
Also inscribed "A return postal would be duly appreciated! Adr. E. A. Bielenberg, Kau Hawaii"
Further research is needed on these individuals.
HUTCHINGSON SUGAR PLANTATION COMPANY HISTORY
Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Co. was located in the Kau district 65 miles southwest of Hilo, HI. Situated in Naalehu at the foot of Mauna Loa, Hutchinson Plantation had the distinction of being the "farthest south" sugar mill on Hawaii. It was also the most isolated sugar company on the island, which often made it difficult to get and keep permanent workers. The land was rolling and somewhat hilly with the lower lands being poor and the higher lands more fertile. The valleys were shallow, sterile, and rocky while the ridges were composed of rich soils of considerable depth. These conditions were exactly opposite of those found in plantations on the Hamakua Coast and required different agricultural methods.
Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Co. was one of the oldest sugar companies dating from the American Civil War period. The company was formed in 1868 by Alexander Hutchinson, although there were cane farms in the area before that. Hutchinson brought in a small mill and called his company Naalehu Plantation. When Mr. Hutchinson died in 1879 while pursuing two runaway Chinese laborers, Wm. G. Irwin and Claus Spreckles bought Naalehu Plantation and changed its name to Hutchinson Plantation. The company was chartered on September 11, 1884. The plantation headquarters remained at Naalehu, the point from which it made its early growth.
Credit Hawaii Sugar Planters Assn ArchivesCreated By
hawaiiancovers@gmail.comCreate Date
April 27, 2025Update Date
April 27, 2025
