James Bicknell Castle

James Bicknell Castle (November 27, 1855 – April 5, 1918) was a Honolulu businessman in the times of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii. Life James Bicknell Castle was born November 27, 1855, in Honolulu. His father was Samuel Northrup Castle (1808–1894), and mother was Mary Tenney Castle (1819–1907). He attended Punahou School 1867–1873, and then Oberlin College. He greatly expanded Castle & Cooke in the sugar and railroad industries. He is credited with winning control of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company from Claus Spreckels in 1898, which he sold to Alexander & Baldwin for a large share of their stock. This episode resulting in a lawsuit by the former manager of the plantation, William J. Lowrie. He bought large amounts of land, such as Kaneohe Ranch. He served as an officer in the Kingdom of Hawaii army in 1890, and was appointed to the Bureau of Immigration. In 1891 he was acting Auditor General, and Collector General of Customs from April 15, 1893, to August 31, 1897. Later in 1897 he served as secretary of the delegation from the Republic of Hawaii sent to Washington, D.C., to lobby for annexation at the request of Lorrin Andrews Thurston. During the decade up to 1906, he tried to lure white labor colonists to the Islands. The last failed effort was organized by Peter Demens who offered to bring all Spiritual Christians from Russia to Hawaii, and cost Castle $30,000.