Walter Francis Dillingham Papers and Addenda, 1871-1938, bulk 1880-1918

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Summary

Creators:
Dillingham, Walter Francis, 1875-1963.
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of Hawaiian businessmen Walter F. Dillingham (1875-1963) and his father, Benjamin Dillingham (1844-1918), and includes correspondence largely dealing with family events, travels, schooling, and business affairs. The letters often refer to the social, economic, and political conditions in Hawaii. The papers often deal with the family's companies including the Oahu Railway and Land Company, the Ewa Plantation Company, the Hawaiian Dredging Company, and the B. F. Dillingham Company.
Extent:
1,051 items in 13 boxes
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains 1,001 catalogued items, including approximately 966 pieces of correspondence. The collection spans the period 1871-1938, with the bulk of the material from 1880-1918.

The collection, arranged alphabetically by author, consists primarily of correspondence; however, there are three business records, nine pieces of ephemera, and nineteen newspaper clippings. The collection contains material written by the principal Dillingham family members, as well as Walter Francis Frear, John P. Erdman, Isaac L. Requa, Walter Hyde Dillingham, Harold Randolph Erdman, several friends of the Dillingham family and business associates.

The letters largely deal with family events and business affairs. The correspondence provides an account of each family member’s travels and experiences abroad, whether it is going east for school, traveling to visit relatives, or raising money for the family’s companies. Several letters deal with B. F.’s illness and hospitalization in the summer of 1904. The Dillinghams often discuss in detail the Oahu Railway and Land Company, the Ewa Plantation Company, and the B. F. Dillingham Company. The letters often refer to the social, economic, and political conditions in Hawaii.

The business records deal with the B. F. Dillingham Company, the Hawaiian Dredging Company, and the Oahu Railway and Land Company. The ephemera consists of an envelope, an invitation, letter fragments and receipts. The majority of the newspaper clippings deal with the Dillingham family and their affairs in Hawaii.

An addenda was added to the collection (Box 13). It consist of 50 items, chiefly correspondence between Walter Dillingham and his parents dealing with family issues and some business. Also included is a financial document entitled “B. F. Dillingham Assets & Liabilities” (1912). There are a few items of ephemera, including a typescript of an article entitled “Troubles come for Dillingham,” and newspaper clippings. It is organized alphabetically by author.

Biographical / historical:

Walter Francis Dillingham (1875-1963) was the oldest son of Benjamin “B. F.” Dillingham and Emma Smith Dillingham of Honolulu, Hawaii. B. F. Dillingham was an influential and successful businessman in Hawaii and owner of several companies including the Olaa Sugar Company, the Ewa Plantation, and the B. F. Dillingham Company. In 1888, B. F. created the Oahu Railway and Land Company, ultimately building the first railroad on the island of Oahu. Walter, born in Honolulu, April 5, 1875, moved to the United States, in 1889, to attend Newton High School in Auburndale, Massachusetts, and later Harvard University. After returning home from Harvard, Walter began clerking for his father, and in 1900, at the age of 25, became manager of the Dowsett Company, Limited. He also created and was the first manager and treasurer of the Hawaiian Dredging Company. In 1904, with his father hospitalized in San Francisco, Walter became responsible for the finances and direction of the Oahu Railway and Land Company. In 1910 Walter married Louise Olga Gaylord; they had four children, Lowell Smith, Benjamin Franklin II, Henry Gaylord and Elizabeth Louise Dillingham Wick. In 1918, after B. F.’s death, Walter, along with his brother Harold Garfield Dillingham, took over the management of the Dillinghams’ businesses. Walter was stationed in Washington, D. C., and served in the U. S. Army, Motor Transport Corps during World War I. Walter F. Dillingham died in Hawaii in October 1963.

Acquisition information:

Purchased from Robert Van Dyke, February 1985.

Addenda purchased from Randall House, on consignment from Robert Van Dyke, August 2002.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by author.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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