HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

James Campbell,
Esq. Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman a ...
(February 4, 1826 – April 21, 1900) was a Scots-Irish industrialist in sugar cane processing, who became one of the largest landowners in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
, and a real estate developer. He was an immigrant to Hawaii from Ireland. At the age of 51, he married for a second time, to a young woman who was a daughter of Hawaiian aristocracy. They had eight children, four of whom survived to adulthood. One of their daughters married into the ruling family, and their grandchildren were heirs to the throne of the kingdom of Hawaii. He established the Estate of James Campbell for his heirs, which continued for more than 100 years as one of the largest landowners in the islands. In 2007 more than 170 heirs agreed to rework it as the James Campbell Company; only three cashed out.


Early years

James Campbell was born on February 4, 1826 to Scots-Irish William
Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
(1788–1879) and Martha Adams (1794–1871) in Derry,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Campbell was the eighth of twelve children. At the age of thirteen, Campbell boarded a ship leaving
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. He joined his brother John in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and worked for him. For two years in the United States, Campbell followed in his father's footsteps as a carpenter. In 1841 he joined a
whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...
crew bound for the South Pacific; the vessel was shipwrecked in the Tuamotu Islands. Campbell and two shipmates were the only ones to survive by clinging onto debris and floating to a nearby island. They were captured by natives and held prisoner. Campbell persuaded the chief he could be useful by using his skill to make repairs, and their lives were spared. After a few months he escaped on a ship bound for
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...
, where he settled and lived for several years.


Lahaina, Maui

In 1850, the young Ulsterman boarded another whaling ship which reached the port of
Lahaina Lahaina ( haw, Lāhainā) is the largest census-designated place (CDP) in West Maui, Maui County, Hawaii, United States and includes the Kaanapali and Kapalua beach resorts. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a resident population of 12,702. Lah ...
on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Campbell took up carpentry again to make a living. In Lahaina he married Hannah Barla, who died in 1858, when he was about 32. In 1860, Campbell formed a partnership with
entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...
s Henry Turton and James Dunbar. They established a sugar-processing plant, Pioneer Mill Company. Dunbar sold out of the business early on. The partners also bought the Lahaina Sugar Company when it went bankrupt in 1863. With the boom in the sugar industry in the Kingdom of Hawaii and high international demand, Campbell became one of the wealthiest people in Lahaina. He used his profits to purchase land on the islands of
Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O ...
, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1877, Campbell sold his interest in the Pioneer Mill for half a million dollars to Turton. The Pioneer Mill produced sugar until 1999.


Family life

On October 30, 1877, the 51-year-old Campbell married 19-year-old Abigail Kuaihelani Maipinepine Bright (1859–1908), a Hawaiian woman of aristocratic family. (She had some Caucasian ancestry on her father's side.) In 1878 he bought a house in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
from
Archibald Scott Cleghorn Archibald Scott Cleghorn (November 15, 1835 – November 1, 1910) was a Scottish businessman who married into the royal family of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Biography He was born on November 15, 1835, in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Thomas Cleghorn an ...
. Cleghorn was brother-in-law to
King Kalākaua King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...
, and the heir to the throne.
Victoria Kaiulani Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
was born in that house. The Campbells had four surviving children of eight born:
Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later marri ...
,
Alice Kamokilaikawai Campbell Alice Kamokilaikawai Campbell, also known as Kamokila Campbell or simply Kamokila, (March 17, 1884October 23, 1971) was a territorial Senator of Hawaiʻi from 1942 to 1946. She was a leading opponent of Hawaiian statehood, arguing that Hawaiians ...
, Beatrice, and Muriel Campbell. Four other children, including a son James Campbell, Jr., died young. Abigail would marry Prince
David Kawānanakoa David Laʻamea Kahalepouli Kinoiki Kawānanakoa (February 19, 1868 – June 2, 1908) was a prince of the Hawaiian Kingdom and founder of the House of Kawānanakoa. He was in the line of succession to the Hawaiian throne. After Hawaii's annexatio ...
of the reigning
House of Kalākaua The House of Kalākaua, or Kalākaua Dynasty, also known as the Keawe-a-Heulu line, was the reigning family of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi between the assumption of King David Kalākaua to the throne in 1874 and the overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokala ...
and assume the title of Princess of Hawaii. They had three children: Princess
Abigail Kapiolani Kawānanakoa Abigail Helen Kapiʻolani Kawānanakoa (March 14, 1903 – April 8, 1961) was a member of the House of Kawānanakoa and the eldest daughter of Prince David Kawānanakoa and Princess Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa. Life She was born in Honolulu, ...
, Prince
David Kalākaua Kawānanakoa David Kalākaua Kawānanakoa (March 10, 1904 – May 20, 1953), also known as Prince Koke, was a member of the House of Kawānanakoa and the only son of Prince David Kawānanakoa and Princess Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa. Life He was born on M ...
, and Princess
Lydia Liliuokalani Kawānanakoa Helen Lydia Kamakaʻeha Liliʻuokalani Kawānanakoa (July 22, 1905 – May 19, 1969) was a member of the House of Kawānanakoa and the second daughter of David Kawānanakoa and Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa. Early life Born July 22, 1905, Lil ...
. These children would later become heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii as the
House of Kawānanakoa The House of Kawānanakoa, or the Kawānanakoa Dynasty, are descendants to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Origins A collateral branch of the reigning House of Kalākaua (from Kauaʻi island) and descendants of chiefs of areas such as ...
.


Land holdings

While raising his family, Campbell ventured into real estate with purchases of extensive parcels of land. One of his most controversial purchases was of flat, arid and barren 41,000 acres (166 km²) in the Ewa District of Oahu. Other businessmen criticized Campbell for making what appeared to be such a wasteful, unproductive investment and called him insane. In 1879 Campbell hired James Ashley of California to drill the first artesian well in Hawaii to use to irrigate his lands with fresh water. Campbell cultivated the land for sugarcane production and generated great profits from this property. Campbell continued to purchase underestimated plots of real estate and transformed them into productive agricultural districts. He was appointed to serve in the House of Nobles (upper house of the legislature) in 1887 and 1888. He and his wife were loyal supporters of Queen Liliuokalani at the time of her overthrow by the United States in 1893. In August 1896 while in San Francisco, Campbell was kidnapped by Oliver Winthrop, who pretended to be asking real estate advice. Winthrop and an unknown accomplice took $305 from him and threatened to shoot him if he did not write them a check for $20,000. After being held for two days without food or water and enduring several beatings, he refused any ransom. The 70-year-old Campbell was released. Winthrop never testified, but was found guilty at trial. Campbell died on April 21, 1900 with US$3 million to his name, left in trust to his children and their heirs, and extensive property owned by his estate.


Campbell Estate

Kapolei Kapolei () is a planned community in Honolulu County, Hawaiʻi, United States, on the island of Oʻahu. It is colloquially known as the "second city" of Oʻahu, in relation to Honolulu. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau ...
, a new suburb of
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, was developed from part of the land in his estate. In 2004 his 176 beneficiaries decided to form the "James Campbell Company" to manage the real estate of the Campbell Estate. The conversion happened in January 2007, with only three family members cashing out.


Legacy

What is now known as the
James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It was established in 1976, to permanently protect an ecologically-intact unit and to provide habitat for native and migratory fauna and native f ...
was leased from the estate in 1976. It was purchased and expanded in 2005.
James Campbell High School James Campbell High School, often simply Campbell High School or JCHS, is a public coeducational high school located at 91-980 North Road in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, United States.2000 map: - Compare the maps to the address of the school. It is away ...
was named for him. The James and Abigail Campbell Family Foundation was founded in 1980.


Family tree


References


External links


Second City of Kapolei
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, James 1826 births 1900 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Businesspeople from Derry (city) Businesspeople from Hawaii Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom House of Nobles 19th-century American businesspeople