Peter T Young

August 22, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Salt

Within ten years after Captain Cook’s 1778 contact with Hawai‘i, the islands became a favorite port of call in the trade with China. The fur traders and merchant ships crossing the Pacific needed to replenish food supplies and water.

The maritime fur trade focused on acquiring furs of sea otters, seals and other animals from the Pacific Northwest Coast and Alaska. The furs were mostly sold in China in exchange for tea, silks, porcelain and other Chinese goods, which were then sold in Europe and the United States.

Needing supplies in their journey, the traders soon realized they could economically barter for provisions in Hawai‘i; for instance any type of iron, a common nail, chisel or knife could fetch far more fresh fruit meat and water than a large sum of money would in other ports.

A triangular trade network emerged linking the Pacific Northwest coast, China and the Hawaiian Islands to Britain and the United States (especially New England).

Foreign vessels had long recognized the ability of the Hawaiian Islands to provision their ships with food (meat and vegetables,) water, salt and firewood.

Salt was Hawaiʻi’s first export, carried by some of the early ships in the fur trade back to the Pacific Northwest for curing furs. Another early market was provided by the Russian settlements in Alaska.

Salt Exports ran to around 2,000 to 3,000 barrels a year in the 1830s, reached 15,000-barrels in 1847 and thereafter declined gradually until exports ceased in the 1880s. (Hitch)

But salt in Hawaiʻi was not just for export.

Salt “has ever been an essential article with the Sandwich Islanders, who eat it very freely with their food, and use much in preserving their fish.” (Ellis, 1826)

During Cook’s visits to the Islands, King’s journal noted “the great quantity of salt they eat with their flesh and fish. … almost every native of these islands carried about with him, either in his calibash, or wrapped up in a piece of cloth, and tied about his waist, a small piece of raw pork, highly salted, which they considered as a great delicacy, and used now and then to taste of.”

“Their fish they salt, and preserve in gourd-shells; not, as we at first imagined, for the purpose of providing against any temporary scarcity, but from the preference they give to salted meats.” (King, 1779)

“(T)he Sandwich Islanders eat (salt) very freely with their food, and use much in preserving their fish. … The surplus … they dispose of to vessels touching at the islands, or export to the Russian settlements on the north-west coast of America, where it is in great demand for curing fish, &c.” (Ellis, 1826)

Early salt production was made by natural evaporation of seawater in tidal ponds. (Hitch) “Amongst their arts, we must not forget that of making salt, with which we were amply supplied, during our stay at these islands, and which was perfectly good of its kind.”

“Their salt pans are made of earth, lined with clay; being generally six or eight feet square, and about eight inches deep. They are raised upon a bank of stones near the high water mark, from whence the salt water is conducted to the foot of them, in small trenches, out of which they are filled, and the sun quickly performs the necessary process of evaporation.” (King, 1779)

The Hawaiians “manufacture large quantities of salt, by evaporating the sea water. We saw a number of their pans, in the disposition of which they display great ingenuity. They have generally one large pond near the sea, into which the water flows by a channel cut through the rocks, or is carried thither by the natives in large calabashes.”

“After remaining there some time, it is conducted into a number of smaller pans about six or eight inches in depth, which are made with great care, and frequently lined with large evergreen leaves, in order to prevent absorption.”

“Along the narrow banks or partitions between the different pans, we saw a number of large evergreen leaves placed. They were tied up at each end, so as to resemble a shallow dish, and filled with sea water, in which the crystals of salt were abundant.” (Ellis, 1826)

Early export users were the Russians, who first made contact in the Islands in 1804. A year or two later, Kamehameha made known to them that he would “gladly send a ship every year with swine, salt, batatas (sweet potatoes,) and other articles of food, if (the Russians) would in exchange let him have sea-otter skins at a fair price.” The following year, they came to the islands for more salt. (Kuykendall)

Later, in the early-1820s, the Russians could get most provisions cheaper from Boston or New York than from the Hawaiian Islands, but the salt trade between the North Pacific and Hawaiʻi continued.

On September 5, 1820, Petr Ivanovich Rikord, governor of Kamchatka, wrote to Liholiho (Kamehameha II) requesting salt be traded for furs. In 1821, Captain William Sumner sailed the Thaddeus (the same ship that carried the Protestant missionaries to Hawaiʻi in 1820) from Hawaiʻi to Kamchatka with a load of salt and other supplies. (Mills) (Check out the letter from Rikord to Liholiho in the album.)

Another trading concern was the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC,) a fur trading company that started in Canada in 1670; its first century of operation found HBC firmly focused in a few forts and posts around the shores of James and Hudson Bays, Central Canada.

The Company was attracted to Hawaiʻi not for furs but as a potential market for the products of the Company’s posts in the Pacific Northwest. That first trip (1829) was intended to test the market for HBC’s primary products, salmon and lumber. (By then, Honolulu had already become a significant Pacific port of call and major provisioning station for trans-Pacific travelers.)

Back then, salmon was a one of the most valuable commercial fisheries in the world (behind the oyster and herring fisheries.) (Cobb) Just as salt was used for curing furs, HBC used Hawaiian salt in preserving salmon.

Hawaiian salt used in preserving the salmon made its way back to Hawaiʻi for Hawaiian consumption. During the 1830s, HBC sold several hundred barrels of salmon a year in Honolulu. The 1840s saw a major increase in sales; in 1846, 1,530 barrels were shipped to Hawaiʻi and HBC tried to increase salmon exports to 2,000 barrels annually. (Thus, the creation of lomi lomi salmon.)

The salt also came in handy with the region’s supplying whalers with fresh and salt beef that called to the Islands, as well as the later Gold Rushers of America. Here is where Samuel Parker (of the later Parker Ranch fame) started out as a cattle hunter to fill those needs.

August 21, 2025 by Peter T Young 3 Comments

Admission Day

The Hawaiʻi Admission Act was signed into law on March 18, 1959; Hawaiʻi became the 50th State on August 21, 1959.

Statehood is celebrated annually on the third Friday in August to commemorate the anniversary of the 1959 admission of Hawaiʻi into the Union.

On June 27, 1959, Hawaiʻi registered voters voted on three propositions related to Statehood (there was a 93.6% voter turnout for the General election:)

Shall the following propositions, as set forth in Public Law 86-3 entitled “An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union” be adopted?

1. Shall Hawaii immediately be admitted into the Union as a State?
Yes – 132,773 (94.3%)
No – 7,971 (5.7%)

2. The boundaries of the State of Hawaii shall be as prescribed in the Act of Congress approved March 18, 1959, and all claims of this State to any areas of land or sea outside the boundaries so prescribed are hereby irrevocably relinquished to the United States.
Yes – 132,194 (94.5%)
No – 7,654 (5.5%)

3. All provisions of the Act of Congress approved March 18, 1959, reserving rights or powers to the United States, as well as those prescribing the terms or conditions of the grants of lands or other property therein made to the State of Hawaii are consented by said State and its people.
Yes – 132,281 (94.6%)
No – 7,582 (5.4%)

President Eisenhower called it “truly an historic occasion” because for the second time within a year a new state had been admitted.

“All forty-nine states will join in welcoming the new one – Hawaii – to this Union,” he said. “We will wish for her prosperity, security, happiness and a growing closer relationship with all of the other states.”

“We know that she is ready to do her part to make this Union a stronger nation – a stronger people than it was before because of her presence as a full sister to the other forty-nine states. So all of us say to her, ‘good luck.'” (nytimes-com)

“(A)n unplanned service (was) held at Kawaiahaʻo Church. This church is the denomination of the missionaries who came to Hawaii in 1820. A crowd of more than 1,000 people, including the Honorable Neal Blaisdell, mayor of the city and county of Honolulu, gathered and paid respect to the Divine Providence within minutes of the news being received that the bill was passed by the House.”

“The next morning, thanksgiving services were held at this same church. The Reverend Dr. Abraham Akaka, pastor of Kawaiahaʻo Church, gave the sermon, which is included here.” (John A Burns, Delegate to US House of Representatives))

“‘One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all’ – these words have a fuller meaning for us this morning in Hawaii. And we have gathered here at Kawaiahaʻo Church to give thanks to God, and to pray for his guidance and protection in the years ahead.” (Reverend Abraham K Akaka; Given on: Friday, March 13, 1959)

Contrary to comments by some, the Crown and Government lands were not ‘stolen’ from the people with Territorial status, Statehood or any other change in governance. Those lands have been consistently recognized as part of the public domain or government property, as decided by the Hawai‘i Supreme Court.

Under the Admission Act, about 1.2-million acres are to “be held by (the) State as a public trust” to promote one or more of five purposes:

support of the public schools and other public educational institutions
betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians (per the Hawaiian Homes Act, 1920)
development of farm and home ownership on as widespread a basis as possible
making of public improvements
provision of lands for public use

So, as Statehood is celebrated in the Islands, the lands that were in the public domain over the changing levels and entities of government and governance continue to be held in public trust, for all citizens (just as in the times of the constitutional monarchy.)

“Today, one of the deepest needs of mankind is the need to feel a sense of kinship one with another. Truly all mankind belongs together; from the beginning all mankind has been called into being, nourished, watched over by the love of God.”

“So that the real Golden Rule is Aloha. This is the way of life we shall affirm.”

“Let us affirm ever what we really are – for Aloha is the spirit of God at work in you and in me and in the world, uniting what is separated, overcoming darkness and death, bringing new light and life to all who sit in the darkness of fear, guiding the feet of mankind into the way of peace.”

“Thus may our becoming a State mean to our nation and the world, and may it reaffirm that which was planted in us one hundred and thirty-nine years ago: ‘Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.’” (Reverend Abraham K Akaka; Given on: Friday, March 13, 1959)

Admission Day - Statehood Day - August 21, 1959

Statehood - AP-Honolulu Star-Bulletin photo by Albert Yamauchi of newspaper boy Chester Kahapea on Aug. 21, 1959

Statehood-celebration-Iolani_Palace-(HSA)

Statehood-cranes in the background hoisted the American and Hawaii flags-(HSA)

Statehood-Marching band at the Iolani Palace on Statehood Day-(HSA)

Statehood-Statehood Day at Kawaihao Church near Iolani Palace-(HSA)

Statehood-Statehood day procession at Iolani Palace-(HSA)

August 20, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

49th State

On January 6, 1912, New Mexico was admitted to the Union as the 47th state; on February 14, 1912, Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th and last contiguous state in the Union. (LOC)

It would be nearly 50 years before the 49^th and 50^th States were added to the Union – the race was on between Alaska and Hawai‘i to be admitted next.

Hawai‘i and Alaska were the only remaining incorporated territories which have not yet become states. Beginning in 1935, nine sets of committee hearings were held on bills for statehood, prior to 1953. (CQ Almanac)

“Statehood for territories perhaps had its inception in 1787, when Congress, still under the Confederation, passed the Northwest Ordi-nance, bringing into existence the territorial form of government and providing conditions for transition from territory to state.”

“Statehood for Hawaii has been brewing for more than a century. There was an American settlement in Hawaii before there was one in California. American civilization was transplanted to the Islands by American missionaries in 1820. Successive migration developed a harmonious citizenry of diverse origins.” (George H. McLane, Executive Secretary Hawaii Statehood Commission)

Act 115, S.L.H. 1947, authorized the establishment of the Hawaii Statehood Commission to “actively support and press the movement for statehood.” (HSA)

Eight known supporters of statehood were appointed, four served at-large and one were appointed from each of the counties. Act 160, S.L.H. 1951 expanded the membership to nine to prevent a tie in voting. Five were members at-large and not more than five were to be members of the same political party.) (HSA)

While the primary function of the Statehood Commission was the advancement of statehood, it was also responsible for representing Hawaii in federal legislation, protecting against discriminatory legislation, preventing discrimination against American citizens of the Territory, correcting false information, and promoting the general interest and welfare of the Territory of Hawaii. (HSA, Hawaii Statehood Commission)

“The Hawaii Statehood Commission agrees that Alaska meets qualifications hitherto required for statehood, and wishes its fellow territory godspeed.”

The first vote on Hawaiian statehood was in 1947 when the House passed a bill on a 195-133 roll-call vote. (CQ Almanac). The bill was not reported in the Senate.

In 1948 the Senate defeated a motion by William F. Knowland (R Calif.) to remove the bill from the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, 20-51 on a roll-call vote. (CQ Almanac).

The next floor action occurred in 1950 when the House again passed a statehood bill on a roll-call vote, 261-111. (CQ Almanac, Vol. VI, 1950, p. 410). Again, the Senate did not act.

In 1951 the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee decided to wait for Senate action before considering similar measures. The Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee reported a bill favorably in 1951, but the Senate did not act either that year or in 1952.

“Actions of Congress … have put Hawaii even closer to statehood than Alaska. . . . Hawaii’s enabling act, appropriately dubbed H.R. 49, has been placed on the House calendar for debate during this session of the 80th Congress.”

“Although Alaska’s friends in Hawaii hope there will soon be 50 stars in Old Glory, they feel that Hawaii has a reservation on No. 49.” (George H. McLane, Executive Secretary Hawaii Statehood Commission)

The Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu took an internal vote and the poll revealed 3 to 1 in favor of statehood. “Upon completion of the poll the chamber board of directors held a special meeting on January 10, 1946, and voted unanimously in

support of immediate statehood for the Territory.”

“The chamber urged west coast chambers of commerce to pass similar resolutions and support Hawaii’s drive for statehood. “The Seattle, Spokane, Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Oakland chambers passed resolutions endorsing statehood for the Territory. The United States Chamber of Commerce took similar action.” (JC Walker, President Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu, US Senate Hearing, January 5, 1948)

In testimony in support of statehood, the Hawaiian Civic Association statement noted, “The club was established exactly 30 years ago; the membership is restricted to Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians – people of Hawaiian ancestry. They are organized to look after and promote things which will be most beneficial to the Hawaiians and the Hawaiian race.” (William Kea, President, Hawaiian Civic Association)

When Kea was asked, “Some person stated to me that the large percentage of the Hawaiians were not in favor of statehood and indicated that it is their feeling in the matter Hawaii should be left as it is. You think that is not correct?” Kea responded, “That is not the impression we gathered from our membership.” (Kea, Hawaiian Civic Association, US Senate Hearing, January 6, 1948)

Another Hawaiian Civic Association testifier stated, “I would like to point out to you that at the time, back in January 1946, we took a poll of the Hawaiian Civic Club through its board of directors and found an overwhelming majority was in favor of statehood.”

“Then in March the question came up again and another vote was taken, and the same result, and last night the board of directors

had another meeting and we got the same result. … We do not doubt that there are some who are opposed to statehood.” (Wilford Richardson, on behalf of Hawaiian Civic Association, US Senate Hearing, January 6, 1948)

The Hawaii Statehood Commission undertook letter-writing campaigns. The Associated Students University of Hawai‘i put out a pamphlet addressed to UH students that supported statehood, saying, in part, “Since this is an issue of great national importance, we know that your group is very interested in knowing why Hawaii seeks admission as a State.”

“It is our hope that through this pamphlet you will be able to get a better understanding of Hawaii’s case for statehood. We feel we are entitled to it and we want you as good Americans to help us get it.” (Calvin Ontai, President, ASUH)

An unnamed UH ‘Student’ noted in the pamphlet message to other students, “To grant Hawaii statehood would extend the domestic frontier of the United States proper 2,200 miles to the west. It would establish a desirable precedent in granting the island peoples self-government and full political rights.”

“It would be an example we could point to with pride – a wordless criticism of the colonial policy of nations which do not choose to extend to the people under them similar rights. It would mean that within the boundaries of the United States would be included a state which would set an example of full racial tolerance …”

“… a state made up of people of many races and creeds living and working together without friction. It would serve notice to the world at large that the Central and Western Pacific constitute a defense zone of the United States.” (ASUH Pamphlet)

In 1948, the Jaycees produced “The 49th State Fair” (the Honolulu Jaycees copyrighted the name;) it was held at Kapiʻolani Park. (The Jaycees were anticipating that Hawai‘i would become the 49th state.)

The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees) were formed on the continent in 1920. The Jaycees first appeared in Hawaiʻi in 1930 with the chartering of the Honolulu Junior Chamber of Commerce. (HSA, Hawaii Statehood Commission)

“By this time the country was actively debating the issue of Statehood for Hawaii and Alaska. Most people thought Statehood would be granted first to Hawaii and then to Alaska … we had the 49th State Fair, businesses called 49th State such-and-such …” (George Ariyoshi)

“Statehood was in the air, and everyone expected Hawaii to become the 49th state; hence there was a 49th State record label and a 49th State fair at the old Honolulu stadium.” (Tom Moffatt, Star Revue)

Hawaiʻi’s 1948 “State Fair” won a national award from the National Jaycees who rated it the best project in the field of profit-making conducted by a Jaycee entity in a city of 100,000 or more.

The next year event also won a national Jaycee award (in the field of trade promotion.) The 1949 State Fair was held in warehouses on the Ala Moana Boulevard, EK Fernandez furnished the entertainment.

Then, again, in 1950 the 49th State Fair was selected as the “Outstanding Project of the Year” conducted by Jaycees throughout the nation in cities with populations of 250,000 and more.

However, the ‘49^th State’ nickname for Hawai‘i was not to be … on January 3, 1959. Alaska was admitted as the 49th state of the Union; then, on August 21, 1959, Hawai‘i is admitted as the 50th state of the Union and the 50-star flag became the official flag of the United States.

August 19, 2025 by Peter T Young 6 Comments

Honolulu Iron Works

Kamehameha moved his Royal Center from Waikīkī to Kou in 1809 (what we now call downtown Honolulu.) Early descriptions and mapping note a place called Honokaʻupu. It was one of the noted places for rolling the flat-sided stone disc known as “the maika stone.”

This was not far from Richards and Queen Streets, although the great “Ulu-maika” place for the gathering of the chiefs was in Kou. This was a hard, smooth track about twelve feet wide extending from the corner of Merchant and Fort Streets along the seaward side of Merchant Street to the place beyond Nuʻuanu Avenue.

It was used by the highest chiefs for rolling the stone disc known as “the maika stone.” Kamehameha I is recorded as having used this maika track. (Maly)

Later (1852,) it was near here (at Queen (now Ala Moana/Nimitz) and Marin/Nuʻuanu) that a business initiating steam power for business purposes began. (Thrum)

Honolulu Steam Flouring Company also milled wheat sent to Honolulu from the fields on Maui. That year, the Islands produced enough wheat to supply the home demand for flour and left some for export to California. (Ford)

In conjunction was Honolulu Iron Works; David Weston was the machinist in charge. In addition, at one time there was an attempt at making hard bread from the Maui wheat, but it was so hard and flinty that it did not find a market, and the growth of wheat was given up. Then, there were attempts at cleaning rice.

In 1860 the whole premises, with much adjoining property, was swept away by fire. The foundry, at the time owned by Thomas Hughes was soon rebuilt. (Goodale)

But the future of Honolulu Iron Works was not grain. As the sugar plantations flourished, Weston’s machines began producing hardware for the sugar mills. (Dye)

By the turn of the century, the Iron Works was making complete sugar ‘factories’ for plantations in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Louisiana, Formosa and the Philippines – as well as supplying Hawaiʻi’s sugar planters. (Dye)

In 1869, Theophilus Harris Davies was a principal owner; at that time, Alexander Young took charge of the operations. Young was first in Hilo, operating a foundry and machine shop there.

Moving to Honolulu, Young bought the interest of Hughes in the Honolulu Iron Works (and remained the manager to the first months of 1896, when he retired, leaving the enterprise at the zenith of its magnitude and importance.)

In 1875, Davies took the lead in refinancing Honolulu Iron Works into a stock company. Honolulu Iron Works, in which Davies invested and which shared Theo H Davies’ (one of Hawaiʻi ‘Big 5’ companies) principal stockholders, directors and officers, but had no legal ties with the company. (Greaney)

“In Queen Street I found and visited the Honolulu Iron Works, of which it may be said that among the industries which occupy the time and attention of the business men of this town, none contribute more to the progress of the Islands’ interests than this.”

“Since the company commenced operations they have steadily increased their plant, year by year, until now they can work from five to six hundred men in the various shops. … A heavy stock of boiler and bar iron, steam and other fittings, water and steam pipe, fully equal to the capacity of the works is always on hand.”

“Every requisite for the repair of larch iron ships and steamers is always in stock and such work is accomplished with great dispatch; but the building of sugar mills and machinery connected therewith, is what has chiefly occupied the company for some years. (Bowser, 1880; Maly)

“A trip through the works is a rare treat, and affords the only definite means of gaining an idea of the magnitude of the business there carried on. Fronting on Queen street is a large two-story building, which will be recognized as the front entrance to the Works.”

“Down-stairs is the general business office where all contracts are ratified and the business of the Works is carried on. There manager Hedemann has a desk. Up-stairs is the drafting room, where all the plans for contracts are drawn. This department has the appearance of the main room of an architectural firm in a great city.”

“Parallel with the building just described, but running back half through the block, is another, a brick structure, in which are located the most important shops of the Works. In it is the foundry, where the greatest machinery is manufactured and handled with the smallest amount of muscular force. … anything from a small bolt to an immense mill shaft is constructed.”

“There are three machine shops, all equipped with the most modern appliances. Back of them is the smith’s department, another large building. Off in the lower yard is the boiler shops, a most important adjunct of the works.”

“Out of it have come the largest boilers in the country today. Plantation mills have been equipped and a majority of the boilers used by the island steamers have been supplied from this shop.” (Hawaiian Gazette, March 12, 1897)

In 1900, the Honolulu Iron Works moved from its old location at Queen and Marin/Nuʻuanu Streets to the shore at Kaka‘ako; other businesses soon followed. (Later, Kakaʻako makai was filled in, forming the peninsula, putting the Honolulu Iron Works on the mauka side of Ala Moana Boulevard.)

Since its beginning, Honolulu Iron Works has participated in the construction of more than 200 cane sugar mills, 8 beet sugar factories, 8 refineries and 6 alcohol distilleries. (honiron)

Davies later sold out to local businessman George Murphy, who, in less than three years, sold to Ward foods. Up until 1960, Honiron (successor name for Honolulu Iron Works) had been operating as an independent corporation when the company associated with J&L in Jeanerette, Louisiana. (honiron) Honolulu Iron Works building in Kakaʻako was later replaced by One Waterfront Plaza.

August 18, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Waikoloa

“It was the same from Hawaiʻi to Kauai –
no name was given without some reason.”
(Kamakau)

In old Hawaiʻi, it was the nature of ‘place’ that shaped the practical, cultural and spiritual view of the Hawaiian people. In ancient times, the naming of a place was not a task to be undertaken lightly, for the Hawaiians recognized the power inherent in a name.

In giving a name to a piece of land, whether it be an island, a hill or a rocky headland, the inhabitants of ancient Hawaiʻi were placing a part of themselves on the landscape. (Reeve)

Place names are a reaffirming link, not only to the land itself, but to all the events, both legendary and historic, which had taken place on that land and to the ancestors who had lived on and were now buried within it.

Place names are often descriptive of: (1) the terrain, (2) an event in history, (3) the kind of resources a particular place was noted for or (4) the kind of land use which occurred in the area so named. Sometimes an earlier resident of a given land area was also commemorated by place names. (Kepa Maly)

Place names matter, and depending on your spelling or diacritical notations, you may be speaking of different places, with the same letter sequence. Take, for instance,

Waikoloa (wai-kō-loa – the name of a wind (cold northwest wind; literally: water pulling far)
Waikoloa (wā‘i-ko‘-loā; wai-koloa) – literally: (wild) duck water

Honi aku i ke ala o ka mau ‘u
Ike ala o ke kupukupu,
E lino ‘ia ‘ana e ka Waikoloa

Sniff the scent of the grasses
The fragrance of the kupukupu ferns
That are twisted about by the Waikoloa wind (Kamakau)

“The region of Lālāmilo was named for the young chief Lālāmilo, grandson of Kanakanaka, an expert lawai‘a hī-‘ahi (deep sea tuna lure fisherman) and Pilia-mo‘o, a powerful priestess and ‘ōlohe. Kanakanaka and Piliamo‘o were the parents of Nē‘ula (a fishing goddess), and she married Pu‘u-hīna‘i a chief of the inlands, and they in turn were the parents of Lālāmilo.”

“Kanakanaka’s sister was the wind goddess, Waikōloa, for whom the lands are now named.” (Kepa Maly)

“Although the NEern part of the bay which (the whole or part) is call’d Toe-yah-ya [Kawaihae] looks green & pleasant, yet as it is neither wooded or hardly any signs of culture, & a few houses …”

“… it has certainly some defect, & does not answer the purposes of what the natives cultivate. The s part appear’d rocky & black, & partakes more of the nature of the land about Karakakooa [Kealakekua].” (Cook’s Journal by King, Feb 6, 1779; Maly)

In March 1779, while sailing north from Kealakekua, Cook’s ships passed the South Kohala shoreline and King compared the southern section of Kohala to the arid shore of Ka‘ū. He also reported that there appeared to be few residents in the area around Kawaihae. (Maly)

“We now come to Ko-Harra [Kohala] the NW & last district. It is bounded by two tolerable high hills, & the Coast forms a very extensive bay call’d Toe Yah-Yah, in the bottom of which is foul Corally ground, & there was no approaching it; in the head of the bay as far as we could judge distant the Country look’d tolerably, but the s side is partook of the same nature as Kao [Kau] …”

“… & along the NE side of the bay close to which we Sail’d, it is very little Cultivated, & we saw but few houses; the Peoples appearance shewd that they were the lowest Class that inhabited them…” (Cook’s Journal by King; Maly)

“The climate of this district is, upon the whole, unpleasant, particularly at Waimea, in consequence of the trade-wind, which is exceedingly strong, bringing with it a mist towards sunset. This wind rushes furiously down between the mountains which bound the valley of Waimea, and becomes very dangerous to shipping in the bay.”

“It is called by the natives ‘mumuku,’ and is foretold by them from an illuminated streak that is seen far inland. This is believed to be caused by the reflection of the twilight on the mist that always accompanies the mumuku.” (Wilkes, Vol IV, 1845)

Waimea is “a ‘Kalana’ or ‘‘Okana,’ a land division which in ancient times was treated as a sub-district, smaller than the moku o loko, yet comprised of a number of smaller lands that contributed to its wealth.”

“The lands and resources subject to the Kalana of Waimea included, but were not limited to, ‘Ōuli, Wai‘aka, Lālāmilo, Puakō, Kalāhuipua‘a, ‘Anaeho‘omalu, Kanakanaka, Ala‘ōhi‘a, Paulama, Pu‘ukalani (Pukalani), Pu‘ukapu, and Waikōloa.” (Kepa Maly)

“In the 1840s and 1860s, elder native witnesses described these various lands as ‘‘ili,’ or land divisions of lower status than ahupua‘a, which fell under the jurisdiction of the chiefs of Waimea.”

“Understanding this difference in the status of the land divisions of the Waimea region helps explain why lands such as ‘Anaeho‘omalu and Kalāhuipua‘a have no upland agricultural resources; and why Waikōloa and all the other lands extending north from it, except for Lālāmilo and ‘Ōuli, have no ocean frontage.” (Kepa Maly)

“Waikōloa and its smaller land areas shared a unique relationship with the Kalana of Waimea in ancient and early historic times.”

“In 1903, Parker Ranch, under the direction of A.W. Carter, purchased the land of Waikōloa, in which are situated the smaller land areas of Waiki‘i and Ke‘āmoku. By 1904, Parker Ranch began upgrading and developing the Waiki‘i and Ke‘āmoku stations.” (Kepa Maly)

“The Waiki‘i Village was under construction by 1909, and by 1918, over 2,000 acres of corn, hay, and other feed crops; and potato fields, tree farms and a fruit orchard had been planted.”

“The ranch also developed turkey, chicken and pig farms on the land. With the blossoming and fruiting of Waiki‘i upon the mountain landscape, there came also, people from the far corners of the earth.” (Kepa Maly)

Now head over to the east side of Mauna Kea … and you have Waikoloa (Duck Ponds).

The ‘pond’ reference helps identify this as the other translation and place name related to the Koloa – the Hawaiian Duck. This area has some shallow pools called the Duck-Ponds [Wai-koloa], from the quantity of these birds frequenting them. (Maly)

Koloa are medium-sized (20 inches long) ducks with variable mallard-like plumage. Male Koloa-maoli resemble male mallards in eclipse plumage but have a dark chestnut breast. Dusky green heads on male Koloa rarely appear on other than first-year birds.

Female Koloa-maoli are similar to female mallards but are ruddier and with green rather than blue speculums (colored patch on their secondary wing feathers).

Koloa-maoli, termed simply Koloa, differ chiefly from their nearest relative, the Laysan duck, by their larger size, less regularly barred retrices, less reddish color, and lack of white around the eye.

The first mention of Koloa on the island of Hawai‘i seems to be that of Wilkes who wrote under date of January 11, 1841 that members of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition observed “an open space in the woods, near some shallow pools called the Duck-Ponds, from the quantity of these birds frequenting them.” (Wilkes)

Some 35 years later, during a brief stop-over by the Challenger Expedition, one of the Expedition members, Campbell, wrote that they “started many a wild duck … every hollow being under water” . (Banko, 1987)

Observers before 1900 recorded the Koloa as common and widespread, though becoming scarcer, in freshwater habitats on all of the major Islands. (Banko)