100 Years Ago – Mail to and from Hawai‘i

We take regular and convenient mail service to and from Hawai‘i for granted. One hundred years ago, things were a little bit more complicated then they are today.

Mail to and from the Hawaiian Islands was transported via ship, so delivery times were subject to the sailing schedules of companies such as Matson and Oceanic Steamship. If you wanted a letter or parcel to ship off island as soon as possible, you had to keep an eye on the shipping news section in the local newspapers for notices such as the following:

Next mail for San Francisco will leave Thursday afternoon on the Matson steamer Manoa, the Railway Mail Service department of the postoffice announced today. The definite hour of departure has not yet been set by Castle & Cooke, the local agency, but it will probably be 4 o’clock. In that event, mails will close at 2:30 p. m. at the postoffice. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 18 June 1917.)

Likewise, if you were expecting mail:

Next mail from San Francisco, 533 bags, will arrive tomorrow morning in the Matson liner Matsonia. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 18 June 1917.)

Shipping company ads from 1917. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)