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April 4, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Arrival and Final Anchoring at Kailua-Kona – April 4, 1820

April 4, 1820 – At 10 o’clock this morning, 163 days from Boston, we came to anchor in Kirooah Bay, about 1 mile from the palace. Crymokoo, who still seems friendly to our cause, was soon sent for by Reehoreeho and was soon followed by Brothers Bingham and Thurston, Capt. Blanchard and Thomas Hopoo, to lay before his majesty the plan of our enterprise. Found him bathing in the sea with his mother and his first wife, landed, visited John Adams, a native chief who has acquired something of the English language and manners, also John Young who has long resided here and is now acting secretary to the King. Then waited on the King with the most important message that could be sent to any earthly potentate. Read the letter of Dr. Worcester to Tamh. and the letter of Capt. Reynolds to Tamh. and Reehoreeho, and had them interpreted by Mr. Young and Thos. H. and through them made known to his majesty the views of the American Board and the wishes of the Mission family. He seemed pleased with the object laid before him, but far from being in haste to give an answer. All indeed, both king and chiefs, honorable women and common people, who spoke on the subject expressed their approbation the general term “Miti”, i.e., “it is good”. (Thaddeus Journal)

at 10 a.m. Tuesday came to anchorage there (Kailua). The Captain and some of the passengers then went on shore and visited the King, ‘a great number of natives, men and women,” meanwhile visiting the brig. During the next day she continued to lie there’ waiting the result of the grand council, which was sitting, consisting of the King and chiefs, respecting the mission.’ ‘They are undecided, but appear favorably disposed towards them.’ The chief, if not only, objection is said to have originated with an Englishman, who, formerly detained against his will at the Islands, had married a woman of rank, acted as governor of Hawaii, and finally became attached to his new life. The native chiefs and other subjects were evidently peaceable and fairly disposed, although not unnaturally inclined to be politic. The population, after passing through war and religious change, was in a quieted, receptive condition. (James Hunnewell)

April 4th. This morning, ten o’clock, having been 163 days on the bosom of the great deep, we anchored in the bay of Korooah, near the residence of Keehoreeho the king. Bless the Lord, O, our souls, for all his tender mercies towards us. My dear husband, with brother Thurston and Thomas, has gone on shore as heralds of the Prince of Peace and King of Kings, to have an interview, and transact business for their Master, with this heathen Ruler. How important the moment! The great Head of the Church give his servants wisdom, a sound understanding, and guide them in every step. The heart of this heathen king is in his holy hand and He can turn it as He will. O, I think, I do rest on this firm ground, that He will accomplish his blessed purposes and do all his pleasure. (Sybil Bingham)

4th. Arrived this morning in Kiarooah (Kailua) bay, in full view of the kings seat. Brother B. & T. have gone on shore with the embassy of peace and mercy to a people without law and without religion. It is an important moment with us. The grand council are to convene this evening to consider whether to permit us to land, or send us away. May the Spirit of God dispose their hearts to receive us and the word of life at our hands. (Samuel & Nancy Ruggles)

April 4. This morning anchored. The Chief, the two Queens, Captain B and several of the Brethren, have gone on shore to visit the King. This is with us, an important & eventful period. Two white men residing with the King have been on board; it is expected they came as spies. We have reason to fear they will endeavor to influence the King against us. But we have one consolation, Zion’s King reigneth. The hearts of all men are in his hands & he can turn them as he pleases.
I will now attempt to give you some particulars, respecting the dress, manner of eating etc. of the natives. The men, go almost naked. The usual dress of the women, is a tapper. It is a cloth wrapped round their body, and reaching halfway to their feet. Some wear ten thicknesses wrapped twice around them, others not so many. They have clothes; but seldom wear them, for they consider them a burden. They wear a string of beads round their necks and a wreath of feathers in the head. They usually wear their hair long on the back part of the head, cutting the rest short.
Their manner of eating is something singular. They spread a mat on the floor, then, seat themselves on it in a circle & eat with their fingers. They have three kinds of poe, which is made of tarrow. One is about as thick as starch which we use on muslin, and something resembles it. This is eaten with one finger. They get their finger in and turn it round to make it stick to it, then put it in their mouth and suck it off. When one has dipped in his fingers, the dish is passed to the next & so goes round. The second kind which is thinner, is eaten in the same manner except with two fingers. The third which is still thinner with three. With this they eat fish, hogs and dogs.
As to their manners, I believe it would be almost impossible to give you a just idea of them. As to any sense of shame or modesty, they appear to have but little more than the brutes. They are a very indolent people. They lie most of the time on their mats and sleet, or lounge around in idleness. They have Waiters to attend upon them, brush off the flies, a scratch their backs, etc. There fly bushes are very elegant, being made of feathers stripped from the quill, with a mahogany or whale bone handle.
4 o’clock. The brethren have returned with favourable intelligence, but no decisive answer respecting are having an establishment here. (Mercy Partridge Whitney Journal)

4. – We have now anchored for the first time since we embarked. Brother B & T went on shore & conversed with the king on the subject of our introducing the Gospel. He appeared pleased but his power is so limited that he could give us no decisive answer about landing. (Samuel Whitney Journal)

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April 4, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Surf versus Palms

A couple pioneers in neighbor island hospitality stand out in Hawaiʻi’s early fledgling visitor industry. At the time, emphasis and facilities were focused in Waikīkī. However, two locally-grown chains saw the opportunities and put their attention on the neighbor Islands.

Attention to the neighbor islands was not their only similarity. Each started as locally-owned and family-run. They grew to provide more than just a place to sleep and eat – their operations included tours and travel. Sadly, they are both gone.

The first, Inter-Island Resorts under the Child family, grew into a number of “Surf Resorts” on the neighbor islands; the other, Island Holidays, under the Guslanders, had several neighbor island “Palms Resorts.”

Here’s some background on each, as well as the connection that existed between them.

Walter Dudley Child, Sr. came to Hawaiʻi in the early-1920s; he first worked in the agriculture industry with the Hawaiʻi Sugar Planters Association (HSPA.) After a decade, he left HSPA and entered the hotel industry, purchasing the Blaisdell Hotel in downtown Honolulu; he later bought the Naniloa Hotel in Hilo.

In the early-1950s, Child became a director of Inter-Island Resorts, Ltd and later acquired the controlling interest in the company.

The fortunes of the company rose along with the growth in the visitor industry, and Inter-Island Resorts began to grow into a chain, starting with the Naniloa, the Kona Inn and the Kauaʻi Inn (at Kalapakī Beach.) In those early days of Hawaiʻi tourism, Inter-Island Resorts became a pioneer in selling accommodations on the neighbor islands. (hawaii-edu)

When Walter Sr. suffered a debilitating stroke in 1955, Dudley Child succeeded his father as president. Dudley’s first big move came on July 1, 1960 with the opening of the Kauaʻi Surf on beachfront property on Kalapakī Beach. Child at the time called the Surf a “whole new philosophy in Neighbor Island hotels.”

This led to the Islands-wide “Surf Resorts” joining the Kona Inn under the Inter-Island banner. (The company later opened the Kona Surf (Keauhou) in 1960 and the Maui Surf (Kāʻanapali Beach in 1971.) In 1971, the company formed the “Islander Inns,” in a 3-way partnership of Inter-Island Resorts, Continental Airlines and Finance Factors.)

Dudley Child and Inter-Island Resorts understood and responded to the changing nature of the growing visitor industry. The company acquired/formed Trade-Wind Tours, Gray Line Tours and Island U-Drive, and developed close alliances with other major travel companies, providing a full range of travel services for Hawai‘i visitors. (hawaii-edu)

One of the significant contributions of Dudley Child and Inter-Island Resorts was the development of full service beach properties on the Neighbor Islands in the 1960s and 70s, which stimulated statewide tourism.

Inter-Island Resorts eventually sold its properties to other operators, but the vision of its founding family was instrumental in the development of Hawai‘i tourism. (hawaii-edu)

Lyle Lowell “Gus” Guslander, started in the hotel business as a bellhop and cook. After studying hotel operations at Cornell University, Guslander was in management at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, eventually working his way up to become assistant manager.

In 1947, Guslander came to Hawaiʻi and worked at the Niumalu Hotel for Walter Child, Sr. Both were characterized with short fuses and it didn’t take long for a disagreement to come between the two and Child “canned” him. Guslander moved to the Moana Hotel as assistant manager.

Then Guslander set out on his own; he initially leased, then purchased the 24-room Coco Palms Lodge on Kauaʻi – and later expanded it to nearly 400-rooms, naming it, simply, Coco Palms. He hired Grace Buscher to run it; he later married her.

Grace Guslander and Coco Palms are synonymous. She was an innovator – Hawaiians traditionally used torches as a light source when walking or fishing at night. But it wasn’t until the 1950s and Guslander that it became common to stick torches in the ground and pioneered the torch-lighting ceremony, which hotels throughout the islands eventually copied. (AP, Seattle Times, September 12, 2012)

Grace Guslander was later recognized for her accomplishments (she won a worldwide title of Hotel Manager of the Year in 1965 and in 1979 was the first woman to win the Man of the Year award at the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant show in New York.)

Movies and television shows were filmed at the Coco Palms – Elvis Presley filmed the finale of his film “Blue Hawaiʻi” there in 1961, immortalizing its lush coconut groves and picturesque lagoons.

They also had closer ties with that industry – “Film stars John Wayne, Fed McMurray and Red Skelton have bought into a hotel company which operates three hotels in the outer Hawaiian Islands …”

“… the three own 18 percent of the Lyle Guslander Island Holiday Hotels Co. Hotels owned by the company are the Kona Palms, Maui Palms and Coco Palms.” (Independent Press-Telegram, July 24, 1955)

As the Coco Palms became successful, Gus expanded his operations eventually acquiring hotels on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaiʻi under the Island Holidays chain, with several of the hotels under the “Palms” brand.

Guslander also recognized, with his growing hotel operations, the need to expand in service and formed Island Holidays Tours. He had help from Myrtle Chun Lee.

In 1969, Guslander sold his operations to Amfac Inc and stayed on as an Amfac vice president until his retirement in 1978. In 1992, Hurricane Iniki severely damaged Coco Palms Hotel, several attempts have been made to repair and revive it. Gus died in 1984 at the age of 69, and Grace died in 2000 at 76.

In the 1950s and 60s, these two chains pioneered neighbor island hotel development – and for a while, competed head-to-head. Later, the mega-multi-national chains – Sheraton, Hilton, etc – entered the Hawaiʻi market.

A few other island hotel chains were/are also part of the Hawaiʻi hotel experience, i.e. Outrigger, Aston and others – (many were more Waikīkī focused) but I’ll save those for other stories.

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Coco Palms-Outrigger Bed with its Fishnet Bedspread, and Paddle Lights in the Wailua Kai Wing

Coco-Palms Lodge-became_Coco_Palms_Lobby-(kamaaina56)-c1952

Coco-Palms Queen's Bath Pool-(kamaaina56)-c1955

Coco-Palms_Lodge-became_Coco_Palms_Lagoon-(kamaaina56)-c1952

Coco-Palms_Lodge-Blue Hawaii Room-(kamaaina56)-c1960s

Coco-Palms_Lodge-Lagoon_Lanai_Room-(kamaaina56)-c1960s

Kauai Surf Hotel

Kauai Surf

Kauai Surf Hotel Kalapaki Beach, HI

Surf Lanai Guest Room, Kauai Surf Hotel Kalapaki Beach

Kona Surf Hotel

Kona Surf

Aerial View Of The Kona Surf Hotel

Kona Surf Hotel On The Big Island Of Hawaii Honolulu

Lobby of Kona Surf Hotel

The Maui Surf Hotel

Maui Surf Hotel

Maui Surf Kaanapali Beach

Naniloa Hotel Hilo

The Naniloa Hotel Hilo

Naniloa Resort Complex Hilo

Naniloa Hotel Hilo

Entrance Naniloa Hotel – Hilo, Hawaii

April 3, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 164 – April 3, 1820

Kalanimōku and Kalakua ride on the Thaddeus from Kawaihae to Kailua-Kona. Kalakua asks the missionary wife to make her a dress like theirs. It is the sabbath, so they decline, but said they would make it the next day. The Thaddeus is offshore of Kailua-Kona at 8 pm.

April 3, 1820 – First Monday in April. Approaching Kirooah Bay, in sight of the King’s residence. Expecting an interview with him tomorrow, so lift up our petitions in concert with thousands of the friends of Zion, rejoicing in the hope that he who has begun a good work here will carry it on to perfection. (Thaddeus Journal)

At 8 p. m. on Monday the brig was off Kailua (James Hunnewell)

April 3rd. I intended giving particulars, from hour to hour, while each carries so much interest with it. But ray feeble frame seeks the couch so as to interrupt the pen. GOD will give me strength in his own good time. I have given some particulars, within the three last days, in letters to friends. You must gather from them. Now can I feel better than when I looked forward to it, what it is to have the jargon of savage tongues fall on the ear. But bless the Lord with me that tho the flesh is weakened the spirit if sustained. The accounts mentioned on Thursday, have been abundantly confirmed. The feet of some of our brethren have stood upon the ground v/here so lately the priests of idolatry offered up their bloody victims upon their cruel altars —their eyes have seen the wide ruins of their gloomy reign. But, 0, the wretched state of this poor people still! Could your eyes behold them your hearts would melt. The Lord strengthen us, and prepare our way before us, speedily and successfully to preach to them Jesus and him crucified. (Sybil Bingham)

Monday, April 3, 1820. Our ears are constantly stunned with the noise and jabbering of the natives about our vessel. I have counted 20 or 30 canoes about the Brig at a time; some, bringing fruits and vegetables, and others out of curiosity. Our deck is covered through the day with natives, and I have got so tired with the noise and sight of these naked creatures, that I could almost wish myself as far from them as you are. Since I have been sitting here by the cabin window, not less than a dozen canoes have come up to tempt me with their fruits. They want in exchange, scissors, beads, and knives. (Lucia Ruggles Holman)

April 3. Yesterday was a confused Sabbath. The chief & nobility came on board to accompany us to Kairooah, the residence of the King. He had previously sent presents of hogs, potatoes, cocoanuts, banannahs &c. They appeared much pleased with the women and children. One of the Queens admired our dress, & brought a piece of white cambrick for us to make her a gown. Thomas H told her it was the sabbath, the Lords day, and that we would make it the next day. She appeared satisfied with the answer. Today we have been employed in making it. We esteem it a privilege to do anything for these poor degraded heathen. We hope God will soon open their hearts to receive instruction. They seem pleased with the idea of learning to read and write. I hope we may spend our lives among them, & do them much good; but it is yet uncertain, whether we shall be permitted to land or not. (Mercy Partridge Whitney Journal)

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April 3, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kīkīaola

Kīkīaola (“sprouting springs of Ola) is a ditch that was built prehistorically to irrigate the taro patches in lower Waimea Valley.

Legends and chants tell of Ola, King of Waimea, who, through Pi, his kahuna (priest), ordered Menehune to build a watercourse here; each brought a stone, and the ditch was finished in a single night.

The ditch runs for a length of 7,000-feet. It is estimated that 75-acres of farmland below the tunnel and 35-40-acres above the tunnel can be irrigated by the ditch. In places, the ditch is over 20-feet high.

There is only a 100-foot length of intact ditch wall visible which is located just above (north) the tunnel. The road construction built up a roadbed of dirt on the riverside of the ditch wall that left only the upper 2-feet of the ditch wall exposed.

This remnant is marked by a bronze plaque that was set into the pali face in 1928 by the Territory of Hawaiʻi to mark the historical significance of the site. The dirt bermed ditch contiguous with the walled portion appears to be an intact portion of the original ditch but lacks the exposed stonework.

The earliest written account of the ditch is by Captain George Vancouver in 1792 when he visited Waimea Valley. Vancouver recorded the site at this time as follows:

“As we proceeded our attention was arrested by an object that greatly excited our admiration, and at once put an end to all conjecture on the means to which the natives resorted for the watering of their plantations.”

“A lofty perpendicular cliff now presented itself, which, by rising immediately from the river, would effectually have stopped our further progress into the country, had it not been for an exceedingly well constructed wall of stones and clay about twenty-four feet high …”

“… raised from the bottom by the side of the cliff, which not only served as a pass into the country, but also as an aqueduct, to convey the water brought thither by great labour from a considerable distance; the place where the river descends from the mountains affording the planters an abundant stream, for the purpose to which it is so advantageously applied.”

“This wall, did not less credit to the mind of the projector than to the skill of the builder, terminated the extent of our walk.” (Vancouver)

Kīkīaola represents a prehistoric irrigation feature (aqueduct) used to transport water to the taro fields on the western side of Waimea River in lower Waimea Valley. The water was being used to irrigate cultivated lands located considerably above the level of the river.

An added engineering challenge “was that of carrying the water, at a high level, around the corner of a jutting cliff. An added difficulty was the necessity of placing the base of the causeway in the river itself where it was constantly in danger of being washed away by a freshet.” (Archaeologist Wendell C. Bennett)

Kīkīaola is said to be the only example of jointed stonework and offers a unique example of this type of causeway construction. Additionally, there are three types of joints represented, including double joint, square joint and notched joint.

Bennett made the following description of the courses of stacked cut stone just above the tunnel, “The stones of this ditch are squared off on all sides but the inside. Some of the blocks are squared all around.”

“The object was to have the stones fit closely together and present a smooth, flat surface on the river side. On the inside, where the fill was of dirt or stone or both, the roughness was perhaps beneficial.”

The presence of the dressed stone in the Menehune ditch is unique for Hawaii and for Polynesia. There is, to be sure, other dressed stonework, but none used for aqueducts, and none with the joints in the blocks.

The extent of this one undertaking is unusual for the Hawaiian Islands where dressed stonework is rare. In most other structures slabs are used instead of blocks.

“The Menehune Ditch is the finest example of such rare stone dressing in the Hawaiian Islands. Today the site consists of about 120 carefully cut-and-dressed stones, closely fitted along a distance of some 200 feet, and forming the outer face of the irrigation canal.”

“This canal, which still carries water to taro fields at the mouth of Waimea Valley, Runs immediately adjacent to the narrow road winding between the cliff and Waimea River.” (Archaeologist Patrick V. Kirch)

Historical modifications to the original structure took place around 1920 when the road was built (as well as when a horse path ran parallel to the ditch, before the road was constructed.)

Likewise, top stones of the wall in sections were removed by valley residents for personal use, by the construction crew to build up the retaining wall for the road and other stones were used to construct the realignment of the ditch.

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Kauai-Waimea-Menehune-ditch-interlocking_rock

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Menehune Ditch Marker

April 2, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 163 – April 2, 1820

Still in Kawaihae, Captain Blanchard and Hiram Bingham visit Pu’ukohola Heiau with Kalanimōku.

April 2, 1820 – Lords Day. This morning Capt. B. and Brother B. visited Crymokoo and with him the most celebrated moreah of the Islands. It was built by Tamaahmoah who himself laid the cornerstone. It stands on the brow of a hill, fronting the seashore. It consists now principally of a huge wall about 10 feet thick at the bottom and 5 at top, 20 feet in a height, on three sides of the parallellogram which is about 120 feet in breadth and 240 in length; but on the front side the wall, instead of being elevated much above the area enclosed, consists of 4 or 5 large offsets down the declivity of the hill, which made convenient places for hundreds of worshipers to stand while the priests was within offering prayers and sacrifices of abomination. In this inclosure are ruins of several houses burnt to the ground, the ashed of various wooden Gods, remains of …. and other like buildings. the ashes and burnt bones of many human visitors, sacrificed to demons. At the foot of the hill is a similar enclosure 280 feet in length and 50 in breadth, which had been used for the sacrifice of various beasts and plants, &c. The walls and areas of these open buildings, once tabooed and sacred, are now free to every foot, useless and tumbling into ruins, and as upon the fallen walls of Jerico, every man goes up straight before him, to set up the banner of Jehovah, Israel’s God. In the afternoon, Crymokooand his suit and visitors came on board with an intention to accompany us to the residence of the King. In the midst of these interesting Isles, surrounded with a listening and admiring group of natives, we attended public worhip on deck and offered prayers and praises to the God of Zion. Brother Bingham preached from Isa. 42.4. “The Isles shall wait for his law”. and considered the character of the Law-giver; of the law waited for; of those who shall wait for it; the manner of waiting; the evidence that these Isles do now or soon will wait for it, and the consequences of receiving it. Tho’ these Islanders could not now understand the precepts of the law of Christ, yet they harkened to the sound with almost perfect stillness and were pleased with our singing and our worship. One of the former queens had before requested that our Wihenes would make her a gown like their own, was told that it was the Lord’s day, and that they would make it tomorrow. This evening they have spread their portable mats and tapas on deck and laid themselves down peacefully to sleep. May the watchman of Israel keep them, and bring them to heavenly rest. (Thaddeus Journal)

On the 2d, the first missionary, ‘Mr. Bingham, went on shore to wait on Kalanimoku to come off. Through the day many canoes with men and women came off to trade, others to see the white women.’ Mr. Bingham visited the abandoned temple near by, and described it as ‘built on arough hill, a little way from the shore of the bay,’ occupying ‘an area about 240 feet in length, and 120 in breadth,’ and appearing like a fort.’ … At noon the captain returned to the brig, ‘accompanied by Kalanimōku, his two wives, and two of the late queens with their servants and several other chief women and natives. They brought some taro, potatoes, sugar-cane, and one hog. We then made sail, with light sea breezes the remainder of the day and night, and slow progress. At 4 p.m. all hands, with the natives, attended public worship’ (it was Sunday). (James Hunnewell)

2nd. This has been a new Sabbath to us all. The Chief and his family came on board for the purpose ‘of accompanying us to Kiarooah, (Kailua) the place of the king’s residence. One of the Queens brought a piece of cloth and requested us to make a gown like ours. Thomas told her it was the Lord’s day and we would make it to-morrow. She answered, miti (that is good). How unlike to those peaceful Sabbaths I have enjoyed in America, have been the scenes of this day. Instead of a little retired spot in my chamber, I am thronged with these degraded natives, whose continual chattering has become wearisome to me, yet I think this has been the most interesting Sabbath of my life. In the afternoon brother B. preached from Isa. 42.4. “and the Isles shall wait for his law”. The heathens paid a listening attention to the sound of the voice and the appearance of the audience. Oh may the time be hastened in its season^ when these Chiefs & Queens who have now heard the words of life shall become nursing fathers and mothers to this little church. (Nancy Ruggles)

2. Sabbath This morning capt B went on shore and again brought off the chief who will accompany us to the king at Kairooah, to-morrow. Brother B preached from the words ‘the Isles shall wait for his law’ Though only the sound of the Gospel reached their ears we hope the time is not far distant when its power will reach their hearts. (Samuel Whitney Journal)

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