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Home >> Timelines >> Charles Reed Bishop >> Hawai‘i, 1874-83

>> 1874-1883 in the Kingdom of Hawai‘i

1874 February 12. King Lunalilo dies without an heir, or successor.

1874 February 12. Kalākaua is elected king. Bishop and Governor John Dominis, Lili‘uokalani's husband, join the new king in requesting protection by U.S. warships against rioters who are Queen Emma's supporters.

1874 March 10. Bishop begins his second appointment as a member of the Board of Immigration under King Kalākaua.

1874 June 2-December 31, 1895. Bishop becomes a member of the British Club (present Pacific Club).

1874. Bishop becomes the President of the Board of Education

1874. Bishop presides over the first legislature convened by King Kalākaua.

1874. As a member of the Privy Council and House of Nobles, Bishop and his wife hope to elicit high standards of thrift and integrity from legislators, ministers and advisors. When this did not happen, they refuse to attend the extravagant Coronation Banquet and Ball.

1875 The Reciprocity Treaty with the United States causes domestic tension. The Hawaiian government gives land at Pu‘uloa (Pearl Harbor) to the U. S. government in return for favorable tariffs on sugar and other domestic products. The treaty favors large-scale agricultural plantations that begin to import foreign laborers in great numbers. Sugar production doubles between 1877-1880 and increases thereafter. Pauahi opposes the terms of the treaty. Charles supports and works on terms of the treaty as Foreign Minister to King Lunalilo in 1873-74.

1875 May 1. Bishop has been sole owner of the bank since July 1873. He takes John H. Paty, a bank bookkeeper, as his partner. The looming failure of the Bank of California is averted in Hawai‘i by Samuel Damon who deposits his own money as a display of confidence in Bishop & Company and the Bank of California.

1875 May 29. The Bishops sail from Honolulu to San Francisco, then travel to Glens Falls, New York where they receive a very warm welcome. [Mrs. Bishop's travel journals are at the Bishop Museum.]

1875 July 16. The Bishops arrive at Cork, Ireland and travel to Edinburgh, Scotland.

1875 August 26. The Bank of California closes its doors upon the death of its President Ralston, Bishop's former partner.

1875 September 15. The Bishops and Emma Bernice return to New York City.

1875 September 19. When news of the Bank of California closing reaches the islands, Damon publishes a notice to BIshop & Company customers assuring that payments of drafts and remittances will be honored.

1875 October 1. Bishop travels from New York to San Francisco to attend to bank business.

1875 October 20. Bishop returns to New York after the bank crisis is averted.

1875 October 16. Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani is born. She will have a close relationship with Aunt Bernice and Uncle Charles.

1875 November 4. The Bishops arrive in Bremen, Germany. They will continue to Cologne, Coblenz, Frankfort, Heidelberg, Vienna, Trieste, Naples, and spend Christmas Eve in Rome.

1876 May 24. The Bishops are in London after visiting Mentone and Monte Carlo. They sail for New York City.

1876 July 4. The Bishops arrive in Troy, New York and spend the summer in Glens Falls, Fort Edward, Boston, Isle of Shoals and Philadelphia.

1876 September 21. The Bishops leave for Honolulu.

1876 November 17. Bishop & Company loans money to Benjamin Franklin Dillingham to cover his costs for excessive purchases by his store, Dillingham and Company.

1876 December 29. Bishop enters into an agreement with C Brewer and Company to create a sugar plantation on his land in Ka‘u, Island of Hawai‘i.

1877 Pauahi's auntie, ‘Akahi, dies and leaves her 9,557 acres mostly in Kona, Island of Hawai‘i.

1878 May 26. Bishop & Company moves to the makai-waikiki corner of Ka‘ahumanu and Merchant Street. Instead of spending money on lavish opening ceremonies, Bishop donates money to various charitable organizations.

1878 Lahainaluna School on Maui ceases instruction in Hawaiian teaching only in English and confirming the trend toward the use of English as the language of instruction in Hawai'i. Beginning in 1851, the government established its first English language school. By 1878, there were 53 English language schools enrolling 38% of the entire student population.

1879. Bishop is a supporter of and contributor to the Honolulu Library and Reading Room Association, predecessor of the Library of Hawai‘i.

1879 March -April. Bishop travels to San Francisco and returns.

1879 April 19. Pauahi is the center of ceremonies honoring the visiting Prince Henry, younger brother of Emperor William of Germany.

1897 May - July. Bishop visits San Francisco and returns.

1879 December 30. Bishop is on the Board of Directors of the new Hawaiian Bell Telephone Company, but removes himself when it proves costly. When the rival Mutual Telephone Company, organized in 1883, encounters financial difficulties, Bishop & Company offers a $35,000 mortgage. Bishop is elected a Vice-President. He purchases 3500 shares at $100 and cancels the mortgage. He serves on the Board of Directors from 1889-94.

1880 April 3. Bishop writes to his cousin Althea of New York that their cousin Bradley recovered from a fever and is working at Bishop & Co. Bert, Bradley's brother is employed at a sugar plantation on Kaua‘i.

1880 July - October. Bishop visits San Francisco and returns.

1881. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of O‘ahu College, Bishop makes his first donation of $5000.

1881 September 1. Samuel Mills Damon, an employee since 1872, becomes Bishop's third partner. Damon has powerful political connections. John H. Paty competently runs the bank in Bishop's many absences.

1882? E. Faxon Bishop, a nephew and son of Uncle Linus, arrives in Honolulu. He marries Annie Smith Walker of Honolulu in 1891.

1882. Bishop begins regular contributions to Hilo Boys' Boarding School, originally established for Hawaiian boys.

1882 January. Bishop & Company expands with the purchase of the Hoffman property on Merchant Street. The bank loans money to the government and to private businesses. When Bishop was asked whether the 25th anniversary of the founding of Bishop & Company will be celebrated at the British (Pacific) Club, he replies, "I don't believe in spending money on such foolishness." (incident reported posthumously in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 7, 1915)

1882 March - April. Bishop visits San Francisco and returns.

1883 Bishop is elected President of the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce (1883-1891) when it is rechartered. His Chamber interests in foreign relations, immigration and currency also influence Kingdom government policy.

1883. Bishop makes his second donation of $15,000 to O‘ahu College for their science department. Bishop Hall of Science was built for $18,000 in 1884.

1883. Bishop is given a life membership in the Honolulu Y.M.C.A.

1883 January. C. Brewer and Company incorporates. Bishop becomes its largest shareholder with 1400 shares purchased for $140,000. He becomes President of the Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu for eight years excluding one term until 1891.

1883 March 3. Bishop writes to his Aunt Mary of New York about the death in Honolulu of his cousin, Bradley Bishop. He also reports that his cousin, Bert, is engaged to marry a nice girl.

1883 May 24. Princess Ruth Ke‘elikolani dies. She leaves her magnificent home, Keōua Hale, to Pauahi. Pauahi is the sole heiress of 353,000 acres.

1883 October 31. Pauahi is not well. She completes the main body of her will.

1883 November - December. Bishop visits San Francisco and returns.

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