Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Receipt from Wilder & Co. to the Ahahui Hooulu a Hoola Society for purchase of Australian coal for its bazaar. |
Creator |
Wilder & Co. |
Dates of Creation |
December 22, 1888. |
Object ID |
2001.1.2 |
Object Name |
Receipt |
Other number |
SP 2808 |
Scope & Content |
On December 22, 1888, the Ahahui Hooulu a Hoola Society held a fair in the Armory of the Honolulu Rifles in Honolulu, Hawaii. Women dressed in national costume tended booths featuring articles from their respective countries. In addition, there were Hawaiian craft demonstrations, and an exhibit of Hawaiian curios lent by the king and queen. Flowers, food, and icecream were available for purchase. Profits from this event, which was under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Kapiolani, supported the Society's philanthropic efforts. Reference: "The Grand Fair," Daily Pacific Commercial Advertiser (December 24, 1888). https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85047084/1888-12-24/ed-1/?sp=3&q=the+pacific+commercial+advertiser.&r=-0.073,0.746,1.119,0.629,0 * * * The Ahahui Hooulu a Hoola Society was organized on February 19, 1874. Its purpose was to fulfill King Kalakaua's vision to improve the health and welfare of the Hawaiian nation, by assisting those who were sick or destitute. Regional chapters of the Society were established throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Each chapter had its own annually-elected president, secretary, and treasurer. Membership in the Society required the consent of a majority of members. The admission fee was 50 cents, and monthly dues were 10 cents. Children could join for an admission fee of 10 cents, but were not required to pay any monthly dues. Membership dues, donations, and charity event revenue, provided the Society with the necessary funds for its outreach programs. Each regional chapter formed a working committee of three to four people. Committee members called upon the sick to assess the extent of their illness, and visited the destitute to determine their needs. They offered advice regarding proper clothing and diet, and provided temporary relief when needed. If the person being evaluated had no family or friends to look after him or her, that person was encouraged to go to The Queen's Hospital or Lunalilo Home for care. For those who were destitute, the Society often supplied a shirt and pants for the men, a holoku and muumuu for the women, food for the hungry, and burial expenses for the dead. In later years, the Society consolidated its charitable efforts to establishing and operating a maternity home. Named in honor of the Queen, the Kapiolani Maternity Home opened on June 14, 1890. It was the first institution of its kind in Hawaii. The Home occupied Ululani, the former residence of the Queen's late sister, Princess Kekaulike, on the corner of Makiki and Beretania Streets. There were five patient rooms, a matron's room, and a kitchen. While two of the patient rooms were available to paying patients of any nationality, the remaining rooms were reserved for Hawaiian women at no charge. It was hoped that giving birth in a facility such as this would minimize the risks to mothers in childbirth, and assure the survival of newborn infants. References: Constitution & By-laws of the Ahahui Hooulu a Hoola Society. Honolulu: Daily Bulletin Steam Printing Office, 1888. "Maternity Home," The Hawaiian Gazette (June 17, 1890), 4. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83025121/1890-06-17/ed-1/?sp=5&q=Maternity+Home&r=0.587,0.955,0.548,0.34,0 |
Admin/Biographical History |
Wilder & Co. was established in 1872 by Samel Gardner Wilder and Christopher Hamilton Lewers. It was a purveyor of building materials and Australian coal, with its lumber yard located on the corner of Fort and Queen streets in Honolulu, Hawaii. It housed offices for its fleet of steamers as well as its railroad operations. |
Subjects |
Charitable organizations Coal Fundraising |
Search Terms |
Ahahui Hooulu a Hoola Society Wilder & Co. |
Legal Status |
All rights of reproduction and photography reside with Congregation of the Sacred Hearts United States Province. |