The Spitzer family has an historical photo in its possession because Joseph S. Spitzer is in the photo, sitting to the immediate right of the bell. Joseph S. Spitzer was a friend of Prince Kuhio's as they played poker occasionally in the same group.
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| Prince Kuhio (Joseph S. Spitzer sitting to the immediate right of the bell) |
The photo centers around a man who would have been the next king of the Kingdom of Hawaii if the monarchy had not been overthrown in 1893.
Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (1871-1922), better known as Prince Kuhio, was elected as a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Territory of Hawaii, serving from 1903 to 1922. The Hawaiian delegate had no vote in Congress. He had the privilege of debate only. Among his accomplishments in Congress as of 1910 were securing appropriations for the construction of the naval station at Pearl Harbor, fortifications at Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, a federal building at Honolulu, lighthouses on all the Hawaiian islands, the Hilo breakwater, dredging of Honolulu harbor, and marine hospital services. In 1919, he also introduced in Congress the first Hawaii Statehood Act, although Hawaii did not become a state until 1959. Prince Kuhio was also chosen as Hawaii's delegate at large to attend the 1904 National Republican Convention in Chicago.
Family lore says the photo was taken while Prince Kuhio was visiting San Francisco. The year is unknown, but from other photographs of the prince, I would guess it was taken closer to 1910 (before Joseph Spitzer's death in 1913).
The Hawaiian archives displays historical photos online, and this photo is there with a caption: "On a firetruck with others at Republican national convention?" Family lore rules Chicago out as Joseph S. Spitzer left Chicago for Hawaii in 1898 and never went back. Joseph Spitzer often traveled to San Francisco on business buying trips.
Prince Kuhio's bio information was reported in the newspaper in 1904 when he was chosen as a delegate elect to the National Republican Convention.
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| Prince Kuhio (The Hawaiian Star, May 28, 1904) |
Here is a colorful article in the newspaper about "Prince Cupid" (a nickname given to him in school because he was always smiling with a twinkle in his eyes).
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| Prince Cupid (The Day Book, Jan. 4, 1912) |
References:
The Day Book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, January 04, 1912, Image 8, Image provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL, Persistent link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1912-01-04/ed-1/seq-8/
Hawaii State Archives Digital Collection, Call number: PP-97-2-019, http://archives1.dags.hawaii.gov/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2640.
