Matson Navigation Company
Encyclopedia
The Matson Navigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin
, is a private shipping company with roots extending into the late 19th century. It is credited with introducing mass tourism to Hawaii
with the opening of the Moana Hotel
(now known as the Moana Surfrider Hotel) and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
in Waikiki
on the island of Oahu
.
in Västra Götaland County
, Sweden
, and orphaned during childhood. He arrived in San Francisco after a trip around Cape Horn
in 1867. Working aboard the Spreckels family yacht, he struck up a friendship with tycoon Claus Spreckels
, who financed many of Matson's new ships. In 1882 the three masted schooner Emma Claudina ran to the Hawaiian Islands
. The enterprise began in the carrying of merchandise, especially of plantation stores, to the islands and returning with cargoes of sugar. This led to gradually expanding interests at both ends of the line. Increased commerce brought a corresponding interest in Hawaii as a tourist attraction. The 146-passenger ship S.S. Wilhelmina
followed in 1910. More steamships continued to join the fleet. When Captain Matson died in 1917, the Matson fleet comprised 14 of the largest, fastest and most modern ships in the Pacific passenger-freight service.
From the early 20th century through the 1970s, Matson liners sailed from the west coast ports of San Francisco and Los Angeles
to Honolulu and points beyond, including a handful of South Pacific ports of call as well as Australia
(Sydney
) and New Zealand
(Auckland
). Two of their earlier cargo liner
s, the SS Maui and the , were the first passenger ships to place their engines aft. Among the famed "white ships of Matson" were the Malolo
(rechristened Matsonia), Lurline
, Mariposa
and Monterey
. With the advent and expansion of routine air travel between the mainland and the islands, Matson's famed passenger service was greatly diminished and the liners were eventually retired from transpacific service and virtually gone by the end of the 1970s.
Matson is still the dominant cargo transportation company in Hawaii. Matson's main competitor in the U.S. domestic market is Horizon Lines.
Alexander & Baldwin
Following World War II, the company entered a new business: land development and real estate. The company formed a new subsidiary, the Kahului Development Co., to develop housing in the Kahului area. In the following years, the company became more involved in the development of its land and the...
, is a private shipping company with roots extending into the late 19th century. It is credited with introducing mass tourism to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
with the opening of the Moana Hotel
Moana Hotel
The Moana Hotel, also known as the First Lady of Waikīkī, is a famous historic hotel on the island of Oahu, located at 2365 Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii. Built in the late 19th century as the first hotel in Waikiki, the Moana opened its doors to guests in 1901, becoming the first large hotel...
(now known as the Moana Surfrider Hotel) and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Royal Hawaiian Hotel, also known as the Pink Palace of the Pacific, is a hotel located at 2259 Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. One of the first hotels established in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is considered one of the flagship hotels in Hawaii tourism...
in Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
.
History
William Matson (1849–1917) was the founder of the Matson Navigation Company. He was born in LysekilLysekil Municipality
Lysekil Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Lysekil....
in Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and orphaned during childhood. He arrived in San Francisco after a trip around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
in 1867. Working aboard the Spreckels family yacht, he struck up a friendship with tycoon Claus Spreckels
Claus Spreckels
Claus Spreckels, formally Adolph Claus J. Spreckels , , was a major industrialist in Hawai'i during the kingdom, republican and territorial periods of the islands' history...
, who financed many of Matson's new ships. In 1882 the three masted schooner Emma Claudina ran to the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. The enterprise began in the carrying of merchandise, especially of plantation stores, to the islands and returning with cargoes of sugar. This led to gradually expanding interests at both ends of the line. Increased commerce brought a corresponding interest in Hawaii as a tourist attraction. The 146-passenger ship S.S. Wilhelmina
USS Wilhelmina (ID-2168)
USS Wilhelmina was a transport for the United States Navy during World War I. Built in 1909 for Matson Navigation Company as SS Wilhelmina, she sailed from the West Coast of the United States to Hawaii until 1917. After her war service, she was returned to Matson and resumed Pacific Ocean service...
followed in 1910. More steamships continued to join the fleet. When Captain Matson died in 1917, the Matson fleet comprised 14 of the largest, fastest and most modern ships in the Pacific passenger-freight service.
Operations
Primarily a purveyor of cargo, Matson also introduced into service a number of passenger liners to capitalize on the burgeoning tourist trade. In 1926 Matson took over the Oceanic Steamship Company, operating three trans-Pacific liners, including the SS Sonoma.From the early 20th century through the 1970s, Matson liners sailed from the west coast ports of San Francisco and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Honolulu and points beyond, including a handful of South Pacific ports of call as well as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
). Two of their earlier cargo liner
Cargo liner
A Cargo liner is a type of merchant ship which carried general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the nineteenth century, and eventually gave way to container ships and other more specialized carriers in the latter half of the twentieth...
s, the SS Maui and the , were the first passenger ships to place their engines aft. Among the famed "white ships of Matson" were the Malolo
SS Malolo
SS Malolo was an American Cruise liner built by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia in 1926 for the Matson Line. She was the first of a number of ships designed by William Francis Gibbs for the Matson Line. The Matson Line did much to develop tourism in the Hawaiian Islands...
(rechristened Matsonia), Lurline
SS Lurline (1932)
SS Lurline was the third Matson Lines vessel to hold that name and the last of four fast and luxurious ocean liners that Matson built for the Hawaii and Australasia runs from the West Coast of the United States. Lurlines sister ships were , and...
, Mariposa
SS Mariposa
SS Mariposa was a luxury ocean liner launched in 1931; one of four ships in the Matson Lines "White Fleet" which included , and . It was later renamed the SS Homeric.-Career with Matson Lines:...
and Monterey
SS Monterey
SS Monterey was a luxury ocean liner launched on 10 October 1931; one of four ships in the Matson Lines "White Fleet" which included , and . Monterey, the third of four Matson ships designed by William Francis Gibbs was identical to Mariposa and very similar to her sister ship Lurline...
. With the advent and expansion of routine air travel between the mainland and the islands, Matson's famed passenger service was greatly diminished and the liners were eventually retired from transpacific service and virtually gone by the end of the 1970s.
Matson is still the dominant cargo transportation company in Hawaii. Matson's main competitor in the U.S. domestic market is Horizon Lines.
Further reading
- Captain William Matson: From Handy Boy to Ship Owner (by John E. Cushing. Newcomen Society in North America. New York : 1951)