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(HAWAII.) Archive of William H. Dimond papers.
LETTERS FROM THE LAST KING OF HAWAII (HAWAII.) Archive of William H. Dimond papers. 9 items signed by Kings Kamehameha V and Kalakaua (see list) and 4 other items relating to Dimond's Hawaiian affairs. Condition generally sound except as noted. Vp, 1866-1898
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Notes: William H. Dimond (1838-1896) was born and raised in Honolulu to missionary parents. In 1864, he became a citizen of the United States and served as an assistant adjutant in the Department of the South. Returning to Hawaii from 1866 to 1868, he then settled in San Francisco, where he was a commander of the National Guard of California and superintendent of the San Francisco mint, but maintained his business interests in Hawaii.
At the core of the collection are 6 Autograph Letters Signed from David Kalakaua (1836-1891), the last King of Hawaii, all undated: 2 signed "Kalakaua," the others signed simply as "K." 4 are on his imperial letterhead, with the imperial seal clipped from one with loss of text on verso. Another letter is trimmed, slightly affecting text, and another has a small tear slightly affecting the text. These letters discuss water rights, railroads, and land deals. 3 of them discuss the Haiku Ditch canal and its engineer, Claus Spreckels, dating them ca. 1878. One letter appears to pledge national assets to pay Kalakaua's $52,000 personal debt: "This I calculate to pay out of the Crown land receipts which will be pleged for the purpose of paying the amount, which will take 4 years . . . This amount is a little more than I expected it to be."
Also includes: One Document Signed by King Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands, commissioning Dimond as an officer in the Hawaiian cavalry, both in English with text printed in Hawaiian on verso, 1866 * 2 Documents Signed by David Kalakaua, appointing Dimond as Knight Companion and Knight Commander of the Royal Order, 1880-1883--only 239 of these commissions were issued by the king * Cabinet photograph of Kalakaua's Iolani Palace * Autograph invitation from Claus Spreckels to a dinner with Prince Kalakaua, undated * Dimond's dues receipt for the Honolulu chapter of the Odd Fellows, 1868 * "Boys in Blue" edition of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser of Honolulu, commemorating the arrival of Spanish-American War troops, 7 June 1898
with--papers relating to Dimond's San Francisco career, including 8 letters received from various business and political associates including Nelson A. Miles, 1878-1891; Dimond's Shriners membership certificate, 1889; an announcement of his death from the California militia, 1896; and various clippings and invitations and--Dimond's 1866 Massachusetts marriage certificate, giving his place of birth as "Sandwich Islands." -
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