A L O H A From Honolulu!
A.I. created image
My heart leaps up
when I behold
A rainbow in the sky
William Wordsworth
1770 – 1850
Common Merganser, California
Our wings are small but the
ripples of the heart are infinite.
Amit Ray
Honolulu 7:25 am
I have been in Sorrow's kitchen
and licked out all the pots.
Then I have stood on the
peaky mountain wrapped in rainbows
with a harp and sword in my hands.
Zora Neale Hurston
But all will be well,
and all will be well, and
every kind of thing
will be well.
Julian of Norwich
Links
beloved homegrown department store,
a cornerstone of the city's retail landscape for over a century. Founded in 1849 as Hackfeld Dry Goods, it evolved into a major retailer, serving generations of locals and tourists alike. Liberty House was more than just a store; it was a gathering place and beloved employer of generations of locals. Unfortunately, due to changing market dynamics, Liberty House closed its doors in 2018. The memories and the impact it had on Honolulu's community continue to be cherished.
Heinrich Hackfeld, founder of Hackfeld Dry Goods, which eventually became Liberty House, was a German merchant who arrived in Hawaii in the mid-19th century. The company remained under family ownership or control even after Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898. To distance itself from its German origins and avoid public backlash during WWI, the store was renamed Liberty House in 1918.
During World War I, the United States passed the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918. One of the significant consequences of these acts was the confiscation of German-owned property. After the war, the confiscated assets of Hackfeld & Co. were likely sold to American interests.
