For much of the 1800s, sailing ships calling at Honolulu Harbor were
serviced using double-hulled canoes or rowboats.
In 1900, three brothers, Jack, Edgar and William, formed Young Brothers
and started doing small jobs around the Harbor.
Early in the century, there was only a narrow opening in the reef, so
sailing ships anchored outside where they had room to maneuver. They then came
ashore in their own boats or used launch services from the harbor.
Jack Young once reminisced about arriving in Honolulu in 1900 with a
few cans of fruit, a large trunk and only twenty-five cents in cash - too
little to pay to have his trunk brought ashore. So he rustled up a spare
rowboat and rowed in his own gear.
In those days, there might be from five to twenty sailing ships off
Sand Island. When a ship came in, the anchor line had to be run out to secure
the ship; if the ship was coming to the dock, a line had to be carried to the
pier.
In the early years of the company, Young Brothers used its first boat,
Billy, to service the ships by carrying supplies and sailors to ships at anchor
outside the harbor, as well as run lines for anchoring or docking vessels.
They also pulled boats off the reefs, conducted salvage operations and
various other harbor-related activities (including harbor tours.)
The company grew over the years into an active interisland freight
company.
When original brother Jack’s two sons became old enough, they joined
the operation.
Jack Young Jr., joined the company as a regular employee in 1933. He
soon captained various boats; in 1936 he became the permanent master of the
Mamo (which in 1930 was the first all-steel tugboat in maritime history.)
Jack’s younger brother, Kenny Young, joined Young Brothers in 1946,
after a stint in the Navy and graduation from Stanford.
He immediately became superintendent of Young Brothers’ freight
department, a position he held until 1952. That same year, Young Brothers
merged with Oahu Railway and Land Company (OR&L.)
Jack Jr. resigned from Young Brothers in 1952 (having disagreed with
the merger and its resulting changes in management policies.)
However, Jack Jr. continued to broaden his maritime skills, earning a
Master Maritime license and becoming a Harbor Pilot for the Territory of
Hawai‘i, then Harbor Master for the State. (Jack Jr. passed away in 1994.)
Kenny remained with the company after the merger and served as manager
of the land department of OR&L (1952-1961.)
When OR&L merged with Dillingham Corporation, he was manager and
vice president at Dillingham until 1968.
He then moved to Kona and started his own real estate company. (Kenny
passed away in 2004.)
Jack Young of the original Young Brothers is my grandfather; Jack Young
Jr, my uncle; and Kenny Young, my father.
Today, the Young family legacy at Young Brothers continues; my older
brother, David Young, serves as a Hawai‘i County Community Advisory Board
Member for the Young Brothers Community Gift Giving program.
The image shows the Young Brothers Boathouse in 1902, in Honolulu
Harbor.
I have also included some other photos and maps showing typically older
images of Honolulu Harbor and Young Brothers stuff (around 1900, the early era
of Young Brothers) in a folder of like name in the Photos section.
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