Henry Alexander Baldwin

Henry Alexander Baldwin or Harry Alexander Baldwin (January 12, 1871 – October 8, 1946) was an American businessman and politician who served as Congressional Delegate to the United States House of Representatives representing the Territory of Hawaii. He was one of the earliest leaders of the Hawaii Republican Party. He was president of the Maui Agricultural Company and director of Baldwin Bank, which later became part of First Hawaiian Bank.

Henry Alexander Baldwin
Known as "Harry Baldwin"
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii Territory's At-large district
In office March 25, 1922 – March 3, 1923
Preceded by	Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole
Succeeded by	William P. Jarrett
Personal details
Born	(1871-01-12)January 12, 1871 Maui, Kingdom of Hawaii
Died	October 8, 1946(1946-10-08) (aged 75) Pāʻia, Maui, Territory of Hawaii
Political party	Hawaii Republican Party
Spouse	Ethel Frances Smith
Children	Frances Hobron Baldwin

Life

Baldwin was born on January 12, 1871, in the Baldwin house at the Paliuli sugar mill, between the towns of Pāʻia and Makawao, on Maui, Kingdom of Hawaii. His father Henry Perrine Baldwin and uncle Samuel Thomas Alexander had established Alexander & Baldwin, one of the "Big Five" corporations that dominated Hawaii economics in the early twentieth century, in 1869.^[1] His father was son of early missionary Dwight Baldwin, and his mother Emily Whitney Alexander was daughter of early missionary William P. Alexander.^[2] Baldwin was educated in Honolulu at Punahou School. His parents sent him to Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1889. In 1894, Baldwin obtained a degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity.

He returned to work for his father and uncle on the Haiku sugarcane plantation. From 1897 to 1904 he became manager. Sugarcane production became very profitable with increasing trade with the United States and annexation of Hawaii in 1898. Haiku merged with the Pāʻia plantation, and he became president of the combined operation called the Maui Agricultural Company.^[3] He served as president of Maui Telephone Company, and Maui Publishing Company. He was a director of Baldwin Bank, which later became part of First Hawaiian Bank.^[4] In 1916, during World War I, he served as colonel of the 3rd Regiment of the Hawaii National Guard. On July 19, 1897, he married Ethel Frances Smith (1879–1967), daughter of lawyer William Owen Smith in Honolulu — his younger brother Samuel would later marry sister Katherine Smith. They had one daughter, Frances Hobron (1904–1996) who married J. Walter Cameron (1895–1976), manager of the pineapple plantation in Honolua.^[3] Cameron's company Maui Pineapple Company merged with Baldwin's pineapple business to become the Maui Land & Pineapple Company.^[5] The Camerons' son Colin Cameron founded the Kapalua Bay Hotel & Villas resort.^[6] The pineapple business continued until 2009.^[7]

Politics

Baldwin became county chairman for the Hawaii Republican Party in 1912. He entered local politics in 1913 when he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial Senate.^[8] He was territorial senator until 1921 when he was called to higher office to fulfill the unexpired term of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole in Washington, D.C., who had died. Baldwin was elected to fill the vacancy for Congressional Delegate from March 25, 1922, to March 3, 1923. Despite pleas to continue service, he retired from politics and returned to his private business ventures. Baldwin emerged from retirement to serve in the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives in 1933. Following a single term, Baldwin returned to the upper chamber where he became territory senate president in 1937.^[9] He died at Pāʻia, Maui on October 8, 1946, and was buried in Makawao Cemetery.^[10]

Legacy

A beach park near Pāʻia, originally a company recreation facility, is named for him at 20°54′46″N 156°23′27″W.^[11] The 1917 mansion designed by his cousin architect Charles William Dickey called Kaluanui is now the home of Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center. It is located at 2841 Baldwin Avenue, Makawao, 20°52′14″N 156°19′17″W.^[12]

Family tree

v t e Alexander & Baldwin family tree

William P. Alexander (1805–1884)[i] Mary Ann McKinney (1810–1888) Amos Starr Cooke (1810–1871) Juliette Montague (1812–1896) Dwight Baldwin (1798–1886) Charlotte Fowler (1805–1873) J. W. Smith (1810–1887 David Dwight Baldwin (1831–1912) W. O. Smith (1848–1929) William D. Alexander (1833–1913) Abigail Baldwin (1847–1912) Samuel T. Alexander (1836–1904) Martha Eliza Cooke[ii] Ann Elizabeth Alexander (1843–1940) Henry P. Baldwin (1842–1911)[iii] Emily Whitney Alexander (1846–1943) Agnes Alexander (1875–1971)[iv] Annie Montague Alexander (1867–1950) C.W. Dickey (1871–1942) Belle Dickey (1880–1972) James Dole (1877–1958) Henry Alexander Baldwin (1871–1946)[v] Ethel Frances Smith (1879–1967) J. Walter Cameron (1895–1976) Francis Baldwin (1904–1996) Colin C. Cameron (1927–1992) (Kapalua) Notes James McKinney Alexander (1888). Mission Life in Hawaii: Memoir of Rev. William P. Alexander. Harvard University. Pacific Press Publishing Company. Hawley, Emily Carrie (1922). The Introduction of Christianity Into the Hawaiian Islands: And the Development of These Islands Through the Agency of the Missionaries and Their Descendants, 1820-1920. Press of E.L. Hildreth. "Baldwin, David Dwight (1831-1912) on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 2019-12-30. "Life of Agnes Alexander". bahai-library.com. Retrieved 2019-12-30. "Hawaii Cattlemen's Council - Henry "Harry" Alexander Baldwin". Hawaii Cattlemen's Council. Retrieved 2019-12-30.

See also

• Sugar plantations in Hawaii

References

1. "company history". on Alexander & Baldwin corporate web site. Archived from the original on 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
2. "History: 7 Generations - a paniolo legacy". web site. Piʻiholo Ranch. Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
3. George F. Nellist, ed. (1925). "Harry A. Baldwin". The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders. Honolulu Star Bulletin.
4. John William Siddall, ed. (1917). Men of Hawaii: being a biographical reference library, complete and authentic, of the men of note and substantial achievement in the Hawaiian Islands. Vol. 1. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. 31.
5. "About Us - J. Walter Cameron". web site. J. Walter Cameron Center. Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
6. Gary Kubota (March 28, 1996). "Obituaries: Frances Cameron, 92, member of Maui Pine family". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
7. "Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. Announces New Corporate Direction" (PDF). Press Release. Maui Land & Pineapple Company. November 3, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
8. "Baldwin, Henry A. office record". state archives digital collections. state of Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
9. United States Congress. "Henry Alexander Baldwin (id: B000088)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
10. Biographical Directory of the American Congress
11. Lloyd J. Soehren (2004). "lookup of Baldwin". on Hawaiian place names. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
12. "Kaluanui: Harry and Ethel Baldwin Estate". web site. Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center. 2006. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole	Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii Territory's at-large congressional district March 25, 1922 – March 3, 1923	Succeeded by William Paul Jarrett