Polynesians of an unknown origin inhabited Fanning Island centuries ago. In 1934 anthropologist Kenneth P. Emory described stone ruins, adzes, fishhook and more. Pearl shellfish hooks discovered at this site were of a Tuamotuan type and an adze found was similar to those made in Tonga. He postulated that the island was populated by people from Tonga in the15th century but Ancient remains of a Polynesian marae have been carbon-dated at over one thousand years old.
It would appear from several ancient grave sites that there was a Polynesian settlement at Napari beside a former lagoon passage, but there were no inhabitants on the atoll when it was first discovered by Captain Edmund Fanning, who commanded the 100 ton American whaling vessel, Betsey. In 1798, he passed through the Central Pacific on his way to China with a cargo of seal skins obtained from the Juan Fernandez Islands. He called first at the Marquesas islands and left there on 30`" May.
At 3 a.m. on June 11th breakers were seen ahead. These breakers were at the
north east point of a low coral atoll, which was named Fanning's island after
the captain. (Note, the people of Manahiki (Humphries Is.) in the Cook Islands
called it Tapuaerangi - Heavenly foot print. The Kiribati now call it Tabuaeran).
The Betsey sailed along the north coast to the western side of the island and
anchored off the passage into the lagoon. Captain Fanning thought the island
was a most pleasant stopping place and described it in these terms:
"Sufficient depth of water through the passage for any merchant ship to pass
in, and on the inner or bay side is smooth and convenient anchoring, which,
together with the abundance of wood and water, the tropical fruits, best of
fresh and excellent turtle, here to be obtained, make this a very desirable
spot, for the refitting of a ship, and refreshing a crew." (Note: the atoll
surrounds a 42.6 sq. mi. lagoon with a deepest place of 50 ft. and 3 narrow
breaks in land - 2 for canoe, one, the pass on the western side which is the
entrance to English Harbor and is 25-30 ft. deep and 300 yds. wide. The Betsey
took on firewood and a boatload of coconuts and set sail in a northerly direction.
At noon next day Fanning discovered another very attractive island which he
called Washington Island after the American president. {The people of Manahiki
Island in the Cook Islands called Washington, Arapata, and Tuomotu islanders
called it Teraina which is the name the Kiribati use today. Note: in 1906 James
Greig found a canoe in a peat bog, made of Calophyllum wood, a tree not found
on Washington, which may be ancient and of Tongan origin. It is now Preserved
in Bishop Musuem (Emory.)
Fanning described Washington Island as "covered with plants or grass, presenting to our eyes a beautiful, green and flourishing appearance.' As they had restocked the ship the day before, Fanning decided not to stop. On the night of 14th June, Fanning narrowly escape being wrecked on Kingman Reef, but continued his journey and eventually reached China safely. The neighboring island, now called Palmyra, was discovered four years later by Captain Sawle of the American ship "Palmyra". Both Kingman Reef and Palmyra are now American territory although they are part of the Line Island chain.
In the 19th century, Fanning island was exploited for guano, which was shipped to Honolulu. In 1855, Captain Henry English came with 150 natives of Manahiki Island in the Cook Islands settled and planted coconuts and exported at first coconut oil and later copra. In 1859 two vessels carried 15,000 gal. of oil to Honolulu, and in 1862 four vessels transported 44,000 gal. In 1857, (my other source says 1846,) a whaling ship brought Scotsman William Greig to the island and he settled and married Teanau Ato (1842-1917,) the sister of the King of Manahiki Island. They had four sons and four daughters. American, George Bicknell also settled on Fanning and married local. In 1879, the British bark, Crosby was wrecked on Fanning. By 1885 some guano was still being shipped out from Fanning and Washington, but by 1887 only copra. (Note: Fanning Island was annexed to Great Britain by Capt. William Wiseman, of the HMS Caroline on March 15th, 1888.)
When George Bicknell died, he left his interest in Fanning and Washington Islands to his sons, George, David, Hugh, and ? who moved away and sold their share of the islands to a man in Suva, who later sold to Father Emmanuel Rougier. Grieg died in1892 leaving his interest in the islands to his 3 sons.
The British communications company, Cable and Wireless, chose Fanning Island as a site for its central Pacific telephone cable relay station, to break the stretch from Bamfield, Vancouver Is. to Suva, Fiji 3,300 mi. away. It commenced operations in 1902 at Napari.
In 1914, the German cruiser, Nurnberg, slipped up to Fanning flying a French flag. The Germans landed and wrecked the cable station, cut the cable and destroyed a cache of spare instruments. With the assistance of Hugh Greig, who dived for the severed ends of the cable, communication was reestablished in 2 weeks. (Note by 1939 island was fortified against repetition of this and the cannon still stands on the NW shore) .
The Suva man who had bought the Bicknell's share in Washington and Fanning later sold his interest to Father Emmanuel Rougier. Fanning Island, Ltd. was formed, operating both islands till 1935 when it was sold to Burns, Phlip and Co., Ltd. and operated under the name of Fanning Is. Plantations, Ltd. Due to mounting debts, the sons of William Greig also sold their interest in Fanning Islands Plantations to Father Rougier, who in turn, in 1936, sold both Fanning Island and Washington Islands to Burns Phlip & Co., the large Australian company with trading and plantation interests throughout the Pacific.
At that time, at English Harbor, there were 3 or 4 i-Matang and between 100 to 150 Gilbert Island workmen. In 1939 it was reported that 300 additional Gilbertese recruits were being taken to Fanning Island which was then administered from Ocean Island, 1880 mi away, although a resident agent was in charge. By 1940 there were many comforts, radio, refrigeration, electric lights (from Diesel generators), a doctor, tennis court, library, even a branch of New Zealand Savings Bank, to make pleasant the two year tour of duty of the cable station personnel and their wives, numbering about 20 i-Matang. Storage tanks held about 8,000 gallons of rain water which was reported to be good and plentiful. New Zealand stamps were used for postage. Because of the relatively good communication links - direct contact with Australia via Samoa and with the UK via Canada -- plus regular shipping to keep the station supplied - the District Officer for the Line Islands was based on Fanning until the occupation of Palmyra and Christmas island by US troops during the Second World War.
In 1956, Cable and Wireless rebuilt their facilities, but eventually left Fanning in 1964. The company had operated the repeater station continuously for 62 years, except for the short period when the German raiding vessel cut the cable. New cable routes and satellite communication rendered the station obsolete.
From 1966 to 1981, the former cable station facilities were leased to the University of Hawaii for its Pacific Equatorial Research Project. Extensive oceanographic research was carried out; equatorial surface and sub currents were monitored and recorded. Tide monitoring and recording stations were also set up on Washington Island, Christmas Island, Canton island and Tarawa Island. An airfield was constructed which allowed for regular contact with Christmas island. Due to inadequate support grants from the US Government, however, the University of Hawaii had to close the station in 1981. In 1979 the Kiribati were granted their Independence and they purchased Christmas, Fanning and Washington Islands. Washington and Fanning have been settled since by natives of other over-populated Kiribati Islands.