Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Silva’s Stores

Reportedly, the first Portuguese in Hawai’i were sailors that came on the Eleanora in 1790. It is believed the first Portuguese nationals to live in the Hawaiian kingdom sailed through on whalers, as early as 1794, and jumped ship. John Ignacio Silva was born at Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal on October 15, 1868, son of Jose Ignacio and Angelica de Jesus (Gomes) Silva.

He reportedly came to the Islands in the early-1880s and was clerk in Kohala, Wailuku, and Honolulu. He moved to Kauai and bought out Jose De Frias in 1896 and had stores in ʻEleʻele, Hanapepe, Kōloa and Kalihiwai. For a short while he was in politics. His operation was a success … until, in 1922, he assigned all of his property to the benefit of his creditors.

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Hanapēpē Massacre

In Hawaiʻi, shortage of laborers to work in the growing (in size and number) sugar plantations became a challenge.  Starting in the 1850s, when the Hawaiian Legislature passed “An Act for the Governance of Masters and Servants,” a section of which provided the legal basis for contract-labor system, labor shortages were eased by bringing in […]

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Hanapepe Salt Ponds

The Hanapepe Salt Pond area has been used since ancient times for the production of salt for food seasoning and preservation. Every summer, the families of this region gather to build their “pans” to prepare salt for the next year.  The earthen pans impart a distinct red hue and flavor to the salt. Pa‘akai (sea […]