Lihu‘e Post Office The property which the Lihu‘e Post Office occupies was the site of the first buildings in Lihu‘e, which was founded for the purpose of growing sugarcane sometime between 1835 and 1838 by Governor Kaikioewa. Kaikioewa’s residence and
Lihu‘e Post Office
The property which the Lihu‘e Post Office occupies was the site of the first buildings in Lihu‘e, which was founded for the purpose of growing sugarcane sometime between 1835 and 1838 by Governor Kaikioewa.
Kaikioewa’s residence and a church were built there and on land now occupied by the Bank of Hawaii, Rice Street and a portion of the county parking lot. The village of Lihu‘e grew around Kaikioewa’s property.
Dedication ceremonies for the Lihu‘e Post Office were held before a large crowd on Saturday, May 6, 1939.
Charles Fern, editor of The Garden Island, was master of ceremonies, the Rev. Charles Keahi gave the invocation and the Rev. Douglas Magers led the closing prayer.
A flag-raising ceremony was presented by Boy Scout Troop 94 and Cub Pack 35, the Kaua‘i Community Orchestra under the direction of Mrs. Henry Wedemeyer played the “National Anthem” and the Mokihana Club furnished decorations.
Featured in the dedication was the placing of a copper container in the recess of the cornerstone of the building behind a plaque. The container held a copy of the week’s The Garden Island newspaper, photos of Congressional Delegate Sam Wilder King, the staff of the post office and Postmaster General Farley, and a copy of the dedication program.
Postmaster Martin Dreier welcomed all.
Dora Rice Isenberg, whose father, Paul Isenberg, was postmaster during the 1870s, spoke of how she would climb a tree to look out to sea for sailing vessels carrying the Kaua‘i mail, an event that the entire island eagerly awaited.
She said that Mr. Lovell Sr., William Hyde Rice and others would go to the Nawiliwili Landing to get the mail, about half a bag full in those days. She also said delivering the mail to Waimea and Hanalei took all day on horseback.
