Joseph J. Fern

{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Joseph J. Fern | honorific_suffix = | image = Joseph J. Fern (vol. 1, 1917) (cropped).jpg | order = 1st | office = Mayor of Honolulu | term_start = January 4, 1909 | term_end = January 4, 1915 | predecessor = ''Office established'' | successor = John C. Lane | term_start2 = January 4, 1917 | term_end2 = February 20, 1920 | predecessor2 = John C. Lane | successor2 = John H. Wilson | birth_date = {{birth date|1872|4|25}} | birth_place = Kohala, Kingdom of Hawaii | death_date = {{death date and age|1920|2|20|1872|8|25}} | death_place = Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii (now State of Hawaii) | resting_place = King Street Catholic Cemetery, Honolulu | resting_place_coordinates = | birth_name = | party = Democratic | spouse = Julia Natua<br />Sheba Kaiheku'i Alapai<br />Emma Smith | partner =  | relations = | children = 14 | alma_mater = | occupation = ship's master, jailer | profession = Transportation | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Joseph James Fern''' (August 25, 1872 – February 20, 1920) was the first Mayor of Honolulu from 1909 to 1915 and again from 1917 to 1920. During and after his tenure, Fern became one of the most beloved political figures in the Territory of Hawaii. He was one of the first members of the Hawai'i Democratic Party.

==Early years== Fern was born on the Big Island of Hawai{{okina}}i to James Fern and Kaipua Kaipo Luahoomae on August 25, 1872. In 1885, Fern worked in the town of Kohala at the Union Mill Plantation. In 1892, he moved to the island of O{{okina}}ahu to work at the Hawaiian Tramways Company, driving trolleys and streetcars through downtown Honolulu. In 1894, Fern traded jobs to work as a ship's master at the Wilder Steamship Company.<ref name="Johnson 1975">{{Cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Donald D.|date=1975|title=Joseph James Fern, Honolulu's First Mayor|url=http://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10524/309|journal=Hawaiian Journal of History|language=en-US|volume=9}}</ref>

==Political career== At the time the Democratic Party had been deadlocked with infighting although Fern could not be free from the feuds he preferred to avoid them. In 1907, Fern was influenced to run for a seat on the Honolulu Board of Supervisors. He won the election and served for two years before the creation of the office of Mayor of Honolulu. The office of mayor was created upon the insistence of Washington, D.C., despite the opposition of the Big Five oligarchy that dominated the economy of Hawaii. Fern was multilingual, speaking Hawaiian, English, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese and used it to his advantage throughout his political career.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/moments/fern.html|title=James Joseph Fern, Honolulu's First Mayor|last=Chapin|first=Helen G.|date=2010-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715142836/http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/moments/fern.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-07-15|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref> Another advantage he had was with his avoidance of the Democratic infighting he made few enemies which resulted in relatively united support by Democrats for Fern. On January 4, 1909, Fern won the special election for the newly created mayor's office by a margin of 7 votes and re-elected in the regular elections in 1910 with a margin of less than 100 votes. In 1915, he lost a reelection bid against Hawaii Republican Party member John Lane.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aEZlsHy70hUC&q=joseph+j+fern+hawaii&pg=PA133|title=Presstime in Paradise: The Life and Times of The Honolulu Advertiser, 1856-1995|last=Chaplin|first=George|date=1998|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=9780824820329|language=en}}</ref> After leaving office Fern was appointed City Jailer by Sheriff Charles Rose. When Lane tried to run for reelection, Fern challenged his successor again and won by 300 votes.

==Family life== He married Julia Natua in 1889 and had two children: Julia, James. In 1894, he married Sheba Kaiheku'i Alapai (died 1910) with whom he had twelve children: Joseph James, Mary K., Nancy K., George, Kaipo, Elizabeth, Marion, Mary, Keo, Santa Clara, Henry C., Esta. In 1910, he married Emma Keliikekukahilikaleleokalahikiolaokalani Smith. They had one child, Victoria Kukahilihiapoaliilani.<ref name="Johnson 1975" />

==Death and legacy== Fern died from complications with diabetes, while still in office. At the beginning of 1920 Fern came down with a high fever and he took several sick leaves. On February 9 he was admitted to Queen's Medical Center, Fern died there February 20, 1920. Evidence of his popularity among the people he served, Fern was granted a state funeral and was laid in the throne room of ʻIolani Palace. During the burial rites at the King Street Catholic Cemetery, the United States Army Air Corps presented a fly-over ceremony in a v-formation.

Fern Elementary school in the Kalihi neighborhood in Honolulu was named after him.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/placenamesofhawa0000puku|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/placenamesofhawa0000puku/page/29 29]|quote=joseph j fern hawaii.|title=Place Names of Hawaii|last1=Pukui|first1=Mary Kawena|last2=Elbert|first2=Samuel H.|last3=Mookini|first3=Esther T.|date=1974|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=9780824805241|language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=fern&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=13&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=5144444& Joseph J. Fern] at Find a Grave

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fern, Joseph J.}} Category:Mayors of Honolulu Category:Hawaiian Kingdom people Category:20th-century mayors of places in Hawaii Category:1872 births Category:1920 deaths Category:Hawaii Democrats Category:Burials at Honolulu Catholic Cemetery Category:People from Hawaii (island)