Stewarding the Land and Community Since 1882

Kaimakuawela and Oheleluiaikamoku are sent from the island of Maui to the Manukā area on the island of Hawaiʻi to address political unrest. Their family remains in the Kona area for several generations.

Mary Elizabeth Kahiwaʻaialiʻi Johnson, the great-granddaughter of Kaimakuawela and Oheleluiaikamoku and granddaughter of John Davis and Kauweakanoaakakawalenohaleakalakauwekekiniokoolau, is born in Waimea, on the island of Hawaiʻi. During her childhood, she spends time not only with her only family but also with visiting aliʻi including Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani.

William Cornelius Shipman and his wife, Jane Stobie Shipman, arrive in Lahaina onboard the ship Chasca. Originally bound to serve as missionaries in Micronesia, William and Jane decide to stay in Lahaina until Jane safely delivers the child she is carrying.

William Herbert Shipman is born in Lahaina. His birth is followed by that of his brother, Oliver Taylor Shipman, in 1857, and his sister, Margaret Clarissa Shipman, in 1859.

Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Shipman are offered a post as missionaries in Kaʻū on the island of Hawaiʻi and decide not to travel to Micronesia as originally planned. The settle with their baby son in Waiʻōhinu. As the only European children in the area, young Willie and his siblings grow up speaking both English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

After traveling with his family to Punaluʻu and contracting typhoid fever, William Cornelius Shipman passes away at the age of 37. As a widow, Jane plans to take her children to her family in Illinois, but travel to the area is unsafe due to the American Civil War.

Jane Shipman opens a boarding school in Hilo. Among her students are her three children and a young part-Hawaiian woman from Kona, by the name of Mary Elizabeth Kahiwaʻaialiʻi Johnson.

Willie Shipman leaves Hilo to pursue further education at Punahou on the island of Oʻahu.

Jane Shipman marries William Reed, a Hilo businessman and rancher. Although he and Jane had no children of their own, William Reed was a very generous and loving stepfather to Willie Shipman and his siblings.

Willie Shipman and his brother Ollie enroll at Knox Academy, a preparatory school in Galesburg, Illinois. Letters from the time show that Willie missed his home in Hawaiʻi very much, and did not enjoy the cold winters in Illinois.

After completing his studies at Knox Academy as well as a course of business studies in Quincy, Illinois, Willie Shipman returns home to Hilo and begins working with his stepfather in his ranching operations.

William Charles Lunalilo, the sixth King of Hawaiʻi, dies. In his will, Lunalilo specifies that all of his personal lands be sold, with the proceeds going to fund and establish the Lunalilo Home.

William Herbert Shipman marries Mary Elizabeth Kahiwaʻaialiʻi “Melekahiwa” Johnson at Bethel Union Church in Honolulu. Together they form the foundation of the Shipman Family in East Hawaiʻi, going on to have 10 children, 6 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, 30 great-great grandchildren, and numerous 3x and 4x great-grandchildren.

Willie and Melekahiwa Shipman, along with two partners, purchase the ahupuaʻa of Keaʻau from the estate of William Charles Lunalilo. Within two years, the Shipmans are able to buy out their partners. Their interest in, and eventual ownership of, Keaʻau is driven at least in part by Melekahiwa’s desire to protect and care for Hāʻena, an area of great beauty and cultural importance on the Keaʻau coastline.

Willie Shipman leases a fish market on what is now Shipman Street in Hilo, and opens the Shipman Meat Market, providing local beef to Hilo households.

Willie Shipman purchases leases for Puʻu ʻŌʻō Ranch and Puakala Ranch, both on Mauna Kea, making his cattle ranch one of the largest on the island.

The monarchy of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi is overthrown by a group of businessmen with the support of the United States military. Although Willie’s brother-in-law, Lorrin Thurston, is involved in the overthrow, Willie and Melekahiwa are strong royalists and remain close friends with Queen Liliʻuokalani for many years.

Willie and Melekahiwa Shipman sell 16,000 acres of land to ʻŌlaʻa Sugar (later Puna Sugar) and lease the plantation an additional 7,000 acres. Among notable features of the lease are clauses which specify that the sugar mill may not be placed along the coastline, and that the plantation may not remove fruit-bearing trees such as ʻulu, coconut, and mango.

Willie Shipman surprises Melekahiwa with a new home at Hāʻena. The Shipman Beach House, as it is now known, is constructed while Melekahiwa is traveling. It quickly becomes and remains a favorite gathering spot for the Shipman Family.

Willie Shipman, in partnership with Kūkaʻiau Ranch, Parker Ranch, and other smaller ranches, forms a consortium known as Hilo Meat Company, and builds a new headquarters located at the site of the Shipman Meat Market. Hilo Meat Company goes on to sell products under the brand Miko Meats.

Herbert C. Shipman, the youngest son of Willie and Melekahiwa, recognizes the decline of the native Hawaiian goose, or nēnē, and begins the first captive breeding program to support their recovery. His program is started with a pair of nēnē from the Puʻuanahulu area and is eventually able to contribute pairs to breeding programs run by the United States Government, the Territory of Hawaiʻi, and the Wildfowl Trust in Slimbridge, England.

Willie and Melekahiwa Shipman form a corporation, W.H. Shipman, Limited, and place all of their assets in the corporation. Business operations that become part of the corporation include Keaʻau Ranch and Dairy, Keauhou Ranch, Puʻu ʻŌʻō Ranch, Puakala Ranch, and Ohialani Dairy. Shares in the corporation become the main mechanism for transferring business and asset ownership to future generations.

The majority of the lands held by W.H. Shipman, Limited are surveyed and registered with the Land Court of the Territory of Hawaiʻi.

Mary Elizabeth Kahiwaʻaialiʻi Johnson Shipman, Melekahiwa, dies after a long illness followed by a paralytic stroke. On the day of her funeral, many Hilo businesses lower their flags to half-mast or close for the afternoon.

W.H. Shipman, Limited purchases Keauhou Ranch in the Volcano area of Hawaiʻi Island.

Keaʻau Dairy is sold to Excelsior Dairy.

William Herbert Shipman dies at the age of 89, making it clear in his will that he wishes the businesses and assets he built over his lifetime “be kept intact and managed properly in the form of a corporation” to benefit his children. Willie and Melekahiwa’s only surviving son, Herbert C. Shipman, takes over management of W.H. Shipman, Limited.

W.H. Shipman, Limited sells approximately 40,000 acres to Ruddy Tongg, the first of many large land sales to help reduce expenses and increase available cash for the business and family.

A deadly tsunami strikes the town of Hilo and also severely impacts Hāʻena. Several buildings are damaged or destroyed and only 11 of the 43 nēnē in residence survive. The remaining nēnē are moved by Herbert Shipman to ʻĀinahou Ranch, which was under lease to W.H. Shipman, Limited at the time.

W.H. Shipman, Limited sells 9,500 acres to Watumull; the land eventually becomes Hawaiian Paradise Park.

W.H. Shipman, Limited forms an “Employee Subdivision” and gives one acre of land to each of their employees with greater than 18 years of service.

W.H. Shipman, Limited donates 3 acres of land next to the Keaʻau Transfer Station to the Hawaiʻi Island Humane Society.

W.H. Shipman, Limited invests in a new orchid venture which eventually becomes a subsidiary of the corporation, known as Hawaiʻi Mountain Orchids.

W.H. Shipman, Limited constructs and moves into new offices in Keaʻau, closer to the heart of their operations. The buildings are still in existence today, on the corner of Highway 11 and Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road. The Company sells their lease of ʻĀinahou Ranch to the National Park Service, and the nēnē flock at ʻĀinahou becomes part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s breeding program.

W.H. Shipman, Limited and Watumull Properties enter into a Lease Agreement for land on the corner of Highway 11 and Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road, to be developed by Watumull into what is now the Keaʻau Shopping Center.

W.H. Shipman, Limited donates two acres of land to the Girl Scouts for the building of a service center. In the same year, the Company sells their remaining interest in Miko Meats and gives up their lease of Puʻu ʻŌʻō Ranch. Although the Company continues ranching other properties, this marks the beginning of the decline of ranching operations.

Herbert C. Shipman passes away, leaving no children. The majority of his assets are willed to the Herbert C. Shipman Foundation, which, as of 2024, still provides scholarships for local students through the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. His nephew, Roy S. Blackshear, a grandson of Willie and Melekahiwa, steps into the role of President of W.H. Shipman, Limited.

In recognition of Puna Hongwanji’s 75th anniversary and the vital role they play in the community, W.H. Shipman, Limited donates the land under the temple to the Hongwanji.

W.H. Shipman, Limited enters into a lease with the County of Hawaiʻi, providing the land for what is now Herbert C. Shipman Park for the sum of $1.

W.H. Shipman, Limited declines to lease additional land to Puna Sugar. Instead, the Company begins leasing land for other agricultural use including orchids, macadamia nuts, and papayas.

The Board of Directors of W.H. Shipman, Limited votes to lease their last 290 acres of pasture land in Keaʻau to Puna Sugar, marking the end of Shipman’s direct involvement in the ranching business. Although most of the Keaʻau Ranch cattle are sold by 1979, a small semi-wild herd remains on Shipman land until the mid 1980s when they are trapped and removed.

W.H. Shipman, Limited donates 10 acres of land to Hawaiʻi Christian Schools, Inc. The land becomes the campus of the private Henry Opukahaia School, and later becomes a portion of the campus of Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Iki Lab Public Charter School.

American Factors announces the closure of Puna Sugar, signaling the end of their leasing of Shipman lands, which at the time accounts for 70% of W.H. Shipman, Limited’s income. After years of planning, Keaʻau Shopping Center opens for business.

W.H. Shipman, Limited applies to the State Land Use Commission for reclassification of the land that will eventually become the Shipman Business Park.

After nearly 40 years, nēnē return to Hāʻena when the state places two breeding pairs in the area. W.H. Shipman, Limited provides support through feeding of captive birds, habitat restoration, and predator control. Over time the flock grows and management practices change. Today, Hāʻena is home to an entirely wild flock of nēnē, with Shipman staff continuing to provide predator control and habitat management.

Robert Cooper becomes the fourth President of W.H. Shipman, Limited, and the first President who is not also a member of the Shipman family. Roy C. Blackshear continues as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

W.H. Shipman, Limited sells their last remaining land on Mauna Kea, 500 acres at Puakala Ranch, to the Nature Conservancy. The ranchland eventually becomes part of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.

As part of ongoing efforts to redevelop and revitalize Keaʻau Village following the closure of Puna Sugar, W.H. Shipman, Limited signs a lease with McDonald’s. The restaurant on the corner of Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road and Old Volcano Road represents the first national chain to have a location in Keaʻau.

Robert Saunders becomes the second non-Shipman family member to serve as President of W.H. Shipman, Limited.

W.H. Shipman, Limited sells 300 acres in Keaʻau to Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, to be developed as the Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi campus. Proceeds from the sale were used towards the purchase of Durham Hall Business Park in Tigard, Oregon, marking the company’s first expansion outside of Hawaiʻi.

W.H. Shipman, Limited enters into a license with 'Aha Pūnana Leo, Inc. for 10 acres of land surrounding the former Henry Opukahaia School campus, for the sum of $1 per year. The school campus and leased Shipman land become the campus for Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Iki Lab Public Charter School.

As the Hawaiian Renaissance continues and Hawaiian immersion schools grow, cultural interest in Hāʻena is renewed. W.H. Shipman, Limited begins welcoming hula hālau and school groups to Hāʻena for cultural and educational purposes.

Following disagreements with the Board of Directors, Robert Saunders’ tenure as President ends. Robert Cooper returns to his role as President.

William R. Walter, the great-grandson of Willie and Melekahiwa Shipman, returns to Hawaiʻi and becomes the sixth President of W.H. Shipman, Limited. Under his leadership, the Company focuses on stabilizing their assets and becoming profitable without selling land.

W.H. Shipman, Limited enters into a Memorandum of Understanding with Na Ala Hele to open the Old Puna Trail to provide public access to the coastline at Hāʻena. Shipman constructs a parking lot at the trailhead near Kaloli Drive to provide free parking for trail users.

In continued efforts to provide spaces for businesses and families in Keaʻau, W.H. Shipman, Limited begins efforts to renovate and/or rebuild former plantation homes along Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road. Three of the houses become the headquarters for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Area Complex, while two others continue as residential rental units.

W.H. Shipman, Limited sells two acres in the heart of Keaʻau Village to Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) for construction of a call center and administrative offices. Proceeds from the sale are used towards the purchase of Cipole Business Center in Tualatin, Oregon.

W.H. Shipman, Limited, signs a ground lease with Longs/CVS. The lease allows Longs/CVS to establish a larger store, thus expanding the products and services they provide to the Keaʻau and Puna communities.

Margaret “Peggy” Farias, the great great-granddaughter of Willie and Melekahiwa Shipman, becomes the seventh President of W.H. Shipman, Limited.

The staff of W.H. Shipman, Limited move to temporary office space in the Shipman Business Park and begin simultaneous renovation projects in Keaʻau Village. The buildings on the corner of Highway 11 and Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road, Company headquarters for nearly 50 years, become the East Hawaiʻi Health Clinic at Keaʻau.

W.H. Shipman, Limited moves into their current headquarters on Lapaʻau Road in Keaʻau Village. The building they now occupy is the former Puna Sugar bookkeeper’s house, extensively renovated and expanded.

W.H. Shipman, Limited purchases its third property outside of Hawaiʻi, a single tenant commercial building on SE 11th Avenue in Portland, Oregon.

Work begins on Phase 1-E of the Shipman Business Park. The additional subdivision will result in an additional eight lots, each approximately ½ acre in size and will create opportunities for businesses to establish themselves in Keaʻau. Additional lots will be created as the community grows.

Recognizing recent and ongoing transitions in leadership and ownership as a pivotal moment for the Company, W.H. Shipman, Limited begins a process to define a Shared Family Vision as well as Shared Family Values. The Vision and Values are slated for ratification in 2025 and will form the basis for future strategic planning and operational goals.