Charles Reed Bishop

Bishop was one of the first trustees of and a major donor to the Kamehameha Schools, founded by his late wife's request to provide education to Hawaiian children. He founded Hawaii's first successful bank, now known as First Hawaiian Bank. Based on his business success, he also founded the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, named for his late wife.

Early life[edit]

On January 25, 1822, Charles Reed Bishop was born to Maria (Reed) and Samuel Bishop in Glen Falls, New York. His father was a toll collector for ship traffic on the Hudson River near the town. Charles' mother Maria died two weeks after giving birth to her next son, Henry. Their father Samuel Bishop died when Charles was four, and the boy was taken in by his grandfather on his 125-acre (0.51 km²) farm in Warrensburg and, by 15, was working for Nelson J. Warren in the town's largest store.^[1] Charles Bishop worked on his grandfather's farm, learning how to care for sheep, cattle, and horses. While living with his grandfather, Bishop was baptized in a Methodist church.


Bishop spent his early years of education at a village school, and finished his formal schooling at 8th grade, as was customary for many boys in that period. Bishop was hired as a clerk and soon started working for Nelson J. Warren, who headed the largest mercantile company in Warrensburg.


He befriended William Little Lee (1821–1857) from nearby Hudson Falls, then called Sandy Hill. Charles' paternal uncle Linus Bishop married Lee's sister Eliza. After attending Harvard Law School, Lee persuaded Bishop to go with him to the Oregon Territory for new opportunities.^[2]