HONOLULU (KHON2) — From the ahupuaʻa of Honolulu to Kalihi, which all lie in the moku of Kona here on Oʻahu, stands a heavily used roadway named after an industrialist.
We are speaking of Dillingham Blvd.
Benjamin Franklin Dillingham was born in 1884 in Massachusetts and settled in Hawaiʻi in 1865.
He became a clerk for a hardware store which he would go on to purchase and rename as Dillingham & Co.
When whaling began to dwindle and the sugar industry grew, Dillingham created the Oʻahu Railway and Land Company.
From Honolulu to ʻEwa, ʻAiea, Waipahu, Waialua and eventually Kahuku, Oʻahu Railway cut across the island.
To diversify his rail business, Dillingham built the Haleʻiwa Hotel, then became responsible for developing Hawaiʻi’s first suburb, Pearl City.
Benjamin Franklin Dillingham passed away in 1918 at the age of 73, but his sons continued the family name.
One filled his father’s shoes as a developer, leaving a lasting impression for Hawaiʻi’s future generations.
Walter Francis Dillingham was born in Honolulu in 1875 and educated at Punahou School and Harvard University.
Dillingham would succeed his father following his death at the presidency of the Oʻahu Railway & Land Company.
In 1902, Dillingham founded the Hawaiian Dredging Company, responsible for much of Hawaiʻi’s development.
From the Ala Wai Canal to Honolulu Harbor to Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Dredging Company dug a lot.
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Much of the material was relocated and used as landfill for developments, such as Ala Moana Park and the Mōʻiliʻili neighborhood of McCully.
Did you know? Now you do!