Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Wilson, John Henry December 15, 1871 - 
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J. Orr jessicanorr@gmail.com January 19, 2012, 8:17 pm

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

JOHN HENRY WILSON, Mayor of Honolulu. Famous throughout the world, the Pali 
road which winds it tortuous way over the mountain pass known as the Nuuanu 
pali, back of Honolulu, is a monument to the engineering ability of John H. 
Wilson, mayor of the city and county of Honolulu since 1920.
  Starting his career as a member of the engineering staff of the Oahu Railway 
and Land Co., Ltd., in 1896, Mayor Wilson became affiliated with the 
department of public works, Republic of Hawaii, in 1897, and at the same time 
engaged in private contracting in partnership with L. M. Whitehouse, and as a 
member of that firm built the Nuuanu Pali road, now part of the Kamehameha 
Highway. He also constructed the Oahu Railway grade around Kaena Point, Oahu, 
and did considerable highway work on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui and 
Kauai.
  The partnership formed by Mr. Whitehouse and Mayor Wilson was dissolved in 
1900, the latter continuing in the contracting field until 1919. During this 
period he built the Honolulu outfall sewer, Lahaina, Maui, water works system, 
and the first macadam roads on Maui and Kauai, which are still in use.
  From 1908 until 1911 Mayor Wilson was superintendent of highways on the 
Island of Maui and superintendent of streets in Honolulu. He was made city 
engineer of Honolulu in 1919, was appointed mayor in 1920 to succeed the late 
Joseph J. Fern and was elected to the office in 1923. He has been Democratic 
National committeeman since 1912, and attended Democratic National conventions 
at Baltimore, 1912; St. Louis, 1916, and San Francisco in 1920.
  Descended on both paternal and maternal sides from early Anglo-Saxon 
settlers in Hawaii and the South Seas, Mayor Wilson was born in Honolulu Dec. 
15, 1871, the son of Charles B. and Eveline M. (Townsend) Wilson. His mother 
was a granddaughter of Captain Blanchard, who commanded the “Thaddeus” on her 
memorable voyage from Boston to Hawaii with the first company of American 
missionaries in 1820. Mayor Wilson’s father, who is still living, is the 
grandson of the Rev. Charles Wilson, born in Scotland in 1770, and who was 
among the first English missionaries to go to Tahiti, establishing a family 
there. The mayor’s great grandfather is mentioned by Herman Melville 
in “Omoo,” in which he tells of his visit in Papeete. His grandfather, Charles 
Burnett Wilson, was born and lived in Papeete. He was for many years English 
consul there and was also a sea captain. Mayor Wilson’s father was born at 
sea. Mayor Wilson received his education in private and public schools of 
Hawaii and later attended Stanford University as a member of its first class, 
that of ’95. He married Jennie Kapahu in Honolulu in 1908.
  Mayor Wilson is a member of Honolulu chapter, American Association of 
Engineers, serving as its first president, 1920 and 1921, and is a Forester, 
Owl and a member of Phoenix lodge, Order of Kamehameha, Sons and Daughters of 
Hawaiian Warriors, Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu Automobile, Ad and Honolulu 
Civic clubs.


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