Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Huliheʻe, Its Owners and Visitors

In 1838, John Adams Kuakini built Huliheʻe as his primary residence. When Kuakini died Huliheʻe passed to his hānai son, William Pitt Leleiōhoku. Leleiōhoku died a few months later, leaving Huliheʻe to his wife, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani. Kamehameha IV (Ruth’s half-brother) signed a lease with Princess Ruth for Huliheʻe; the King and Queen Emma moved to Kona for a 4-month stay in 1858. In May, 1861, Lady Jane Franklin, widow of a famed explorer, visited the palace. When King Lunalilo became ill, Princess Ruth and Queen Emma urged him to recover at Huliheʻe; he later returned to Honolulu and died shortly thereafter.

Princess Ruth died in her hale pili at Huliheʻe. Shortly after King Kalākaua finished building ʻIolani Palace (1882,) he purchased Huliheʻe from Pauahi’s estate in 1885 and turned Huliheʻe into his summer residence. Kalākaua died in 1891 and his wife, Queen Kapiʻolani, inherited the palace. Upon her death in 1899, the property went to her nephews, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and Prince David Kawānanakoa. In 1925, the Territory of Hawaiʻi purchased the property then turned it over to the Daughters of Hawaiʻi to run it as a museum (which they continue to do today.)

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kaluaikonahale

He was born about 1789, the son of Keʻeaumoku and his wife Nāmāhana. He was the youngest of four famous siblings. His sisters were Queen Kaʻahumanu (Kamehameha’s favorite wife,) Kalākua Kaheiheimālie and Namahana-o-Piʻia (also queens of Kamehameha) and brother George Cox Kahekili Keʻeaumoku.

Kaluaikonahale was born on Maui, but as an infant he was taken to Keauhou to grow up. With the introduction of Christianity and adoption of western names, he changed his name and chose the name John Adams after John Quincy Adams (the US President at the time.) From then, he was called John Adams Kuakini.

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Charles Lambert

Kalākaua had a great interest in science and he saw it as a way to foster Hawai‘i’s prestige, internationally. The opportunity to demonstrate this interest and support for astronomy was made available with the astronomical phenomenon called the “Transit of Venus,” which was visible in Hawai‘i in 1874. “The coming transit of Venus will be […]

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Happy Mother’s Day!

The image shows my mother and grandmother in 1928 (my mother is the little girl sitting to the left, her mother is sitting nearby, wearing a hat.) The scene is at Kailua-Kona at a site known as Pa O ʻUmi; over the years, most of this outcrop of land has been covered over with Aliʻi […]

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Kona Inn

During the 1920s, the Waikīkī landscape was transformed when the construction of the Ala Wai Drainage Canal, begun in 1921 and completed in 1928, resulted in 625-acres of wetland being drained and filled.  With the San Souci, Moana and Royal Hawaiian in place, more hotel construction followed. Except for Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi was largely undeveloped for […]