Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Watt, John January 26, 1862 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
J. Orr jessicanorr@gmail.com January 19, 2012, 7:21 pm

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

JOHN WATT, Retired Plantation Manager. Engaged in the sugar industry of Hawaii 
for twenty-six years, a period of tremendous growth, John Watt established two 
remarkable records as a developer of plantations, at Honokaa and Olaa, island 
of Hawaii.
  Although retiring from plantation management in 1913, Mr. Watt has continued 
in active business life and is now secretary and treasurer of W. A. Ramsay, 
Ltd., Hawaiian distributors and agents for a large number of machinery 
manufacturers.
  Attracted by the reports of Hawaii’s agricultural development, and the 
opportunities offered by it, Mr. Watt left his father’s home in Scotland and 
came to the islands, arriving in Honolulu, July 5, 1887, when the city was in 
a turmoil because of revolutionary activities against King Kalakaua. His first 
position was as field overseer for the Waiakea Mill Co. at Hilo, where he 
remained for four and a half months before going to Paauhau plantation as head 
overseer, where he was employed until 1892.
  In the latter year, five years after his arrival in Hawaii, Mr. Watt was 
made manager of Honokaa Plantation, a position he retained for twelve years. 
Mr. Watt took charge of this plantation in 1892, and 1700 tons of sugar was 
produced in 1893. Some five or six years later production reached 10,000 tons 
and from then on averaged about 8,000 tons. During this period the plantation 
paid substantial dividends.
  Appointed manager of Olaa plantation on July 1, 1904, Mr. Watt had charge of 
that big estate until he resigned and retired in July, 1913. During that 
period Olaa’s crops were increased from 17,000 tons to more than 32,000 tons 
of sugar from the crop planted and rationed in 1913 and harvested in 1915, the 
largest crop ever produced at Olaa up to the present time, and with 
practically no increase in the acreage under cultivation. The year following 
his retirement from Olaa, Mr. Watt was associated with the Waiahole tunnel 
project on Oahu, one of the greatest engineering works in the Territory, as a 
bondsman for contractors.
  Born at Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Jan. 26, 1862, Mr. Watt is the son of 
George and Elizabeth (Cruickshank) Watt. He attended the schools of 
Banffshire. Mr. Watt and Margaret Henderson Wink of Aberdeen, Scotland, were 
married in Honolulu, Oct. 25, 1902. They are the parents of three children, 
John Murker, Ronald George and Margaret Kathleen Watt. Mr. Watt is a member of 
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association and the Oahu Country and Pacific 
Clubs.


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