1865 - AMERICAN COLONY IN BORNEO

Ellena, the short-lived settlement established in the mid-1860s that briefly turned a corner of Borneo into a "New America."

While the British eventually dominated the region, Ellena remains a surreal "what if" moment in colonial history.

The Rise and Fall of Ellena

The story is essentially a mix of high-stakes gambling and jungle survival:

• The Deal: In 1865, the American Consul to Brunei, Charles Lee Moses, managed to get a 10-year lease for North Borneo from the Sultan of Brunei.
• The Transfer: Moses didn't actually want to build a colony; he wanted a payout. He sold the rights to the American Trading Company of Borneo, led by businessmen Joseph William Torrey and Thomas Bradley Harris.
• The Settlement: Torrey arrived in Kimanis with about 60 settlers (mostly Chinese laborers and a few Americans). He was even given the title "Rajah of Ambong and Maroodu" by the Sultan.
• The Failure: It didn't last long. By 1866, the colony was decimated by disease, a lack of financial backing from the U.S. government, and the sheer difficulty of the terrain. Thomas Bradley Harris actually died there and was buried on a hill in Kimanis—his gravestone remains a rare physical reminder of the colony today.

Why it Matters

If Ellena had succeeded, the geopolitical map of Malaysia might look very different today. After the Americans abandoned the site, the leases were eventually sold to Baron von Overbeck and the Dent brothers (Alfred Dent and Edward Dent), which led to the formation of the British North Borneo Company.

Essentially, the failed American dream in Kimanis paved the way for British rule in Sabah.

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6/3/2026: 12.07 a.m