Happy Birthday Captain William Matson

Happy Birthday Captain William Matson

Ahoy! In two weeks, Alfredo and I will board ship in Barcelona for two weeks of maritime history presentations onboard the lovely Holland America “Oosterdam.” One of the icons about which I’ll be speaking — a gentleman and a brand inextricably linked to San Francisco and Hawai’i— celebrates a birthday today.

William Matson was born on October 18, 1849 in Lysekil, Sweden. Orphaned at the age of 12 when his parents were killed in a mining explosion, young William was taken in by an aunt. Unhappy with this new arrangement, he soon ran away to the sea, working as a “handy boy” aboard local ships. After several years, one of those ships eventually brought the 18-year old Matson to the United States. The year was 1867.

Young Matson went to work in the busy port of San Francisco, piloting river boats for “Sugar King,” Claus Spreckels. Spreckels befriended the young seafarer and eventually helped Matson finance his first ship, Emma Claudina, in 1882, launching what was to become Matson Navigation Company. 

Matson died on October 11, 1917 in San Francisco. His tomb is just south of the City in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma.

Happy birthday, Captain!