A Visual History of W.H. Shipman, Limited
Step back in time and explore rare historical photographs that capture the rich legacy of W.H. Shipman, Limited—from its early roots in ranching and agriculture to its role in shaping East Hawaiʻi’s communities and industries.
Ka-uwe-a-Kanoa-akaka-wale-no-Haleakala-ka-uwe-ke-kini-o-Koolau, grandmother of Mary Elizabeth Kahiwaʻaialiʻi Johnson.
Pencil sketch of the rectory at Waiohinu, Kaʻū, where Willie Shipman spent the first seven years of his life.
The Shipman family in Hawaiʻi circa 1861: (L-R) Oliver, Jane, Margaret Clarissa, William C., and Willie. This glass-plate photo would have been taken shortly before the death of William C. Shipman.
A proclamation by King Kamehameha IV, declaring the neutrality of the Hawaiian Kingdom in relation to the American Civil War. The ongoing war and resulting unsafe conditions in Illinois were major factors in Jane Stobie Shipman's decision to stay in Hawaiʻi with her three young children after the death of her husband.
William Reed, the second husband of Jane Stobie Shipman and stepfather to Willie and his siblings.
Margaret Clarissa "Clara" Shipman, at about age 10. Clara was the youngest child of William C. and Jane Shipman.
Willie Shipman at age 18 or 19. This photo was taken while Willie was a student in Illinois.
William Herbert Shipman and Mary Elizabeth Kahiwaʻaialiʻi Johnson's marriage certificate, dated April 29, 1879.
A map showing the boundaries of the ahupuaʻa of Keaʻau. The ahupuaʻa was part of the personal estate of King William Charles Lunalilo and under the terms of his will was put up for auction in 1882. The winning bidder was a hui consisting of Willie Shipman and two other businessmen.
Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. A longtime friend of Melekahiwa, she visited the Shipman House on Reed's Island multiple times and is said to have enjoyed playing the grand piano that is still in the house today.
The corner of Shipman Street in Hilo, Hawaiʻi circa 1900.
Oliver B. Shipman, the eldest son of WIllie and Melekahiwa Shipman. His death from throat cancer in 1920 left his parents with five daughters and one surviving son, Herbert C. Shipman.
Willie (standing, center) and Melekahiwa (seated, center), surrounded by their children and grandchildren, on their 50th wedding anniversary in 1929.
Willie and Melekahiwa on their 50th anniversary in 1929.
Herbert Shipman with his flock of nēnē at Hāʻena. The flock was later moved to ʻAinahou Ranch. Herbert is widely recognized for his early efforts to bring these native geese back from the brink of extinction.
Cattle from Keaʻau Dairy drinking water in the bay at Hāʻena. The stone seawall visible behind the cattle was destroyed in the 1946 tsunami.
The tsunami that hit Hawaiʻi Island in 1946 had significant impacts at Hāʻena. This picture, taken from the beach, shows the damage to the seawall and the channel leading from the loko iʻa to the ocean.
The 1946 tsunami damaged or destroyed several of the homes at Hāʻena that housed ranch employees.
Herbert Shipman (far right), Mary Mikahala Shipman English, and guests at ʻAinahou Ranch.
Hāʻena as seen from an airplane in the 1950s. Keaʻau Ranch headquarters and other buildings can be seen in the lower left corner.
The Miko Meat counter, circa 1960. Willie Shipman was one of the founding partners of Hilo Meat Company, which sold products under the brand Miko Meats.
A cowboy at work at one of the Shipman ranches on the slopes of Mauna Kea, either Puakala or Puʻu ʻOʻo.
A Shipman ranch employee with his horse at ʻAinahou Ranch in Volcano, Hawaiʻi.
A member of the herd of Santa Gertrudis cattle at ʻAinahou Ranch in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Herbert C. Shipman, the youngest son of Willie and Melekahiwa, and the second President of W.H. Shipman, Limited.
The first Keaʻau offices of W.H. Shipman, Limited, constructed in 1972. The buildings sit on the corner of Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road and Highway 11, and now house the East Hawaiʻi Health Center at Keaʻau.
Roy S. Blackshear (far right), the third President of W.H. Shipman, Limited, with two other gentlemen at the groundbreaking for the first phase of the Shipman Industrial Park, which later became the Shipman Business Park.
The groundbreaking for the HPM facility in Shipman Business Park.
Shipman family and friends at Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. The campus of the Hawaiian immersion school is on current and former Shipman land in Keaʻau.
Robert Cooper, the fourth President of W.H. Shipman, Limited and the first non-family member to serve in that capacity.