Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company was headquartered in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

and ran steamship passenger and cargo service between the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...

from 1883 until 1947. Inter-Island constructed the Kona Inn in 1928, the first hotel in

Kona Kona or KONA may refer to: People *Kona (surname) * Dilshad Nahar Kona, Bangladeshi singer also known as Kona Television * ''Kona'' (TV series), a Kenyan telenovela that premiered in 2013 Locations * Kona, Kentucky * Kona, North Carolina * Kon ...

on the

Big Island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...

. In 1929, Inter-Island created an airline subsidiary, Inter-Island Airways, that is still operating as

Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines ( haw, Hui Mokulele o Hawaiʻi ) is the largest operator of commercial flights to and from the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is the tenth-largest commercial airline in the United States, and is based at Honolulu, Hawaii. The ai ...

History

Shipbuilder

Thomas R. Foster Thomas R. Foster (1835 – August 20, 1889) was the founder of the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company. Inter-Island became the largest passenger and cargo steamship operator in the Hawaiian Islands and the parent company of Inter-Island Airways ...

moved to Hawaii in 1857 and founded Inter-Island Steam Navigation in 1883 with partners W.B. Godfrey, G.N. Wilcox, A.S. Wilcox, and J.M. Sass. Inter-Island's early ships included the ''SS James Makee'', ''SS Planter'', ''SS CR Bishop'', ''SS Iwalani'', and the ''SS Helene''. Inter-Island's headquarters were at 902 Nuuanu Avenue in downtown Honolulu in the T.R. Foster building. James A. Kennedy was recruited from the Honolulu Iron Works to become President of Inter-Island in 1902. In 1905, Kennedy absorbed the Wilder Steamship Co. into Inter-Island, creating the largest fleet of steamers serving the Hawaiian Islands. In 1925, Inter-Island had four steamers: ''SS Humuula'', ''SS Hawaii'', ''SS Waialeale'', and ''SS Haulalai''

Kona Inn

To promote travel to the Big Island, Inter-Island's Board of Directors approved the construction of the Kona Inn, the first hotel in

. They hired architect Charles William Dickey, who was known for his distinctive Hawaiian style design. The oceanfront Kona Inn opened in 1928, with 20 rooms, a salt water swimming pool, tennis courts, spacious lawns, cocktail lounge, and luaus. The Kona Inn eventually expanded to 220 rooms, and helped turn Kona into a premier tourist destination The Kona Inn was converted into the Kona Inn Shopping Village in 1980.

Inter-Island Airways

James Kennedy's son,

Stanley Kennedy Sr. Stanley Carmichael Kennedy Sr. (July 7, 1890 – April 19, 1968) was a US Naval Aviator during World War I, world record holder and Silver Star recipient, pioneer of commercial aviation in the Hawaiian Islands, and founder of Hawaiian Airlines, ...

, returned from

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

after flying Curtiss H-16 flyingboats for the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and joined his father in management at Inter-Island. Stan Kennedy convinced the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Board of Directors to expand their business into the fledgling aviation industry. On January 30, 1929, the company founded a subsidiary, Inter-Island Airways, that would later become

Strike of 1938

On August 1, 1938, protests against the company by several unions resulted in the Hilo massacre. Inter-Island's ''SS Waialeale'' arrived in

Hilo Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

crewed by strike-breakers, to be met by 200 protesting

longshoremen A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number ...

. A riot ensued between the police and longshoremen with at least 16 rounds fired (7 birdshot and 9 buckshot), at least one bayonet stabbing, clubs, and fire hoses. There were no fatalities, but many injuries.

Downfall

During

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Inter-Island Steam Navigation's ships were commandeered into military service by the

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...

. The lack of civilian cargo ships led to the proliferation of airborne cargo and passenger transportation between the Hawaiian Islands. The 14 hour voyage from

on a steamer, could now be done in 100 minutes on a

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

aircraft. Inter-Island Steam Navigation's passenger and cargo service was essentially a victim of Inter-Island Airways success, as well as the creation of

Aloha Airlines Aloha Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Honolulu International Airport (now Daniel K. Inouye International Airport). Operations began on July 26, 1946, and ceased operations on March 3 ...

in 1946, and discontinued operations in 1947.

References

{{Reflist Defunct companies based in Hawaii Ferry companies of Hawaii Transport companies established in 1883 1883 establishments in Hawaii Transport companies disestablished in 1947 1947 disestablishments in Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines