Captain William Matson begun a shipping service between California and Hawaii in 1882 with a schooner EMMA CLAUDINA. Matson Navigation Company was incorporated in 1901. The companys first passenger ship sailing was made by the steamer LURLINE in 1908. Larger passenger and freight vessels were built for the service over the next seven years with distinctive red-brown hulls and engines aft.

In World War I WILHELMINA, MAUI and MATSONIA were taken over by the Navy and not returned until 1920. Meanwhile two "535" type transports were assigned to Maston but returned a year later to the USSB.

In 1926 Matson took over three ships that had been sailing for Oceanic Steamship Co, SIERRA, SONOMA and VENTURA in the Australian trade and reorganized as Matson-Oceanic Line. In 1927 a new liner MALOLO, the most lavish yet seen on the west coast joined the fleet and shortly there after three larger ships were ordered. Matson took over itŐs rival the Los Angeles Steamship Company, which had carried more passengers Hawaii in 1927 than Matson. Briefly called Matson-Lassco Line the San Francisco company set about building three larger faster more luxurious ships, MARIPOSA, MONTEREY and LURLINE all delivered in the early 1930s. Two ships sailed in Australian trade and two in Hawaiian replacing the older vessels.

Matson print ad

All four liners were used as war transports and served all over the world. Amazingly all four survived. After the war only MATSONIA re-entered the service to Hawaii but was sold in 1948 and replaced by the refitted LURLINE. The two remaining vessels were sold but MONTEREY was repurchased in the mid 1950s and renamed MATSONIA to revive the weekly service to Hawaii. Two new fast cargo liners rebuilt in 1956 as passenger ships took over the South Pacific service they were named MARIPOSA and MONTEREY. In 1963 the LURLINE was sold after engine problems and MATSONIA took her name and continued in the Hawaiian trade. By 1976 Matson had ended its passenger service and sold all remaining passenger ships. Continuing to the present as a freight only Line with a large fleet of container ships.

Matson Line Ships:

LURLINE (1908), WILHELMINA, MANOA, MATSONIA (1913), MAUI, SIERRA, SONOMA, VENTURA, MALOLO, MARIPOSA (1931), MONTEREY (1932), LURLINE (1932), MATSONIA (1932), MARIPOSA (1953), MONTEREY (1952)

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