Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Strauch, Paul Ernst Richard 
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J. Orr jessicanorr@gmail.com January 5, 2012, 4:11 pm

Source: The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders, Honolulu Star Bulletin, Ltd. Territory of Hawaii, 1925
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist

PAUL ERNST RICHARD STRAUCH, Real Estate and Financial Agent. Becoming 
interested in the manufacture of beet sugar in his native Hanover, Germany, 
P.E.R. Strauch decided to come to Hawaii and study the sugar cane situation. 
He arrived here in 1886 and, in order to thoroughly familiarize himself with 
the industry, went to the island of Hawaii and became a sugar boiler upon one 
of the large plantations. While there he introduced the brush water-coolers, 
which solved the problem of the cooling of condensed water at that time.
  Seeing the possibilities of real estate in Honolulu, Mr. Strauch located 
here in 1898 and, together with his wife, opened a small real estate office on 
Bethel St., where the sub-station, U.S. postoffice, is now located. Beginning 
in a modest way, he bought and sold small pieces of property, being frequently 
financed by a friend in his early deals. His business was so successful that 
within two years he moved his offices to 74 S. King St., where he remained for 
24 years.
  During that time Mr. and Mrs. Strauch bought and sold hundreds of thousands 
of dollars worth of property and opened several large residence tracts in 
Honolulu, their main object always being to afford families of moderate income 
an opportunity to own their own homes. On small down payments and monthly 
installments, hundreds of homes were financed.
  Mr. Strauch was responsible in part for the development of the Kaimuki 
district, himself opening up the large Strauch tract and subdividing it. He 
also handled the Thomas tract at Kalihi-Kai, bought and sold the McKinley Park 
tract on King St., opposite the Moiliili baseball grounds, and a large holding 
in upper Manoa, beginning at Woodlawn, which sold in record time.
  The Strauch firm is now negotiating for other large land holdings in 
outlying districts, and since incorporating and becoming the P.E.R. Strauch 
Co., Ltd., in May, 1925, with assets of $1,200,000 and capitalization of 
$800,000, of which $600,000 in cash is already paid, the firm plans for great 
development in the future. Mr. Strauch is president of the newly incorporated 
organization, W. A. Aldrich, vice-president, and J. D. Marques, secretary and 
treasurer.
  The company moved into the fine new Strauch building on King St., in June, 
1924, and is now engaged not only in real estate, but does a general insurance 
business, engages in the financing of automobile contracts, and has but 
recently added a travel department, and is now organizing tours from Honolulu 
to the mainland, the Orient and Europe.
  Born in Buxtehude, Hanover, Germany, Mr. Strauch is the son of Ernst August 
and Wilhelmina (Biedenweg) Strauch. His education was obtained at the Lyceum 
in Hanover, and prior to becoming associated with the beet sugar industry in 
his native land, he was employed by August Bucking & Co., wholesale woolen 
merchants in Hanover. He became a voter in Hawaii in 1887 under the old 
monarchy, and an American citizen in 1899. For some years he was a member of 
the executive committee of the Civic Federation, and a student along 
philosophical lines. In 1891 he married Fanny Markham of Honolulu, and they 
had three children, Mrs. Sigmund Kahn of San Francisco, Mrs. C. W. Carpenter 
of Honolulu, and Paul Strauch, Jr., a student in Punahou. Mrs. Strauch died on 
April 12, 1923.

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