Peter T Young

July 23, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Wailuku Civic Center Historic District

The Wailuku Civic Center Historic District is comprised of several buildings (recognized on the State and National Registers of Historic Places) that generally front on South High Street and constitute the core of governmental structures in Wailuku, the Maui County seat.

Following annexation, the Territorial government passed the County Act in 1905, establishing county governments on the four largest islands in the Hawaiʻi chain.

The act named Wailuku the County seat of Maui, although a number of people were advocating that Lāhainā, the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, be accorded this right.

The citizens of east and central Maui, who comprised three quarters of the island’s population, reasonably argued that with the growth and dominance of sugar production on the island, Wailuku had replaced Lāhainā as Maui’s center of wealth, business and population.

Wailuku originally was a Hawaiian settlement. In 1832, a mission was established there under the leadership of Jonathan S. Green.

Very little development occurred, however, until after the Wailuku Sugar Company commenced its operations in 1862. This led to the growth and eventual prosperity of the town.

Following the naming of Wailuku as Maui’s County seat, the first substantial government building erected in the town was the district courthouse.

The county government remained housed in leased commercial space, a small wooden office building and the community hall, until 1925 when the current Police Station was built to accommodate the demand for adequate office space.

The construction of this building was hailed by the local press as, “another step in the establishment of an attractive civic center,” and the writer looked forward to the day when, “all the civic needs will be appropriately housed in one center.”

The construction of the public library in 1928 was another step in reaching this desired goal, and the Territory’s decision to purchase a corner of the property owned by Kaʻahumanu Church for the construction of the Territorial Office Building in 1930, assured the civic center.

The buildings within the district house State and County government offices, courts, and the public library, and serve as a hub of governmental activity for the island of Maui.

Built within a twenty-four year period, the historic structures represent the architectural aspirations of their time, employing the popular Beaux Arts revival, Mediterranean revival and Hawaiian styles.

These buildings are all of masonry construction and of one or two stories in height, which is in keeping with the scale of most of the city.

The oldest of the buildings is the County Courthouse, erected in 1907. Designed by Honolulu architect H. L. Kerr, it is a Beaux Arts inspired building constructed of cast hollow concrete block which mimetically perpetuates dressed stone.

Next to, and set back from, the Courthouse is the County Office Building, a nine-story building constructed in 1972.

Standing on the other side of the County Office Building is The Police Station. Built in 1925, this reinforced concrete building was designed in a simple Mediterranean style by Maui architect William D’Esmond.

Across South High Street on either corner of the intersection with Aupuni Street stand the Wailuku Library (completed in 1928) and the former Territorial Building (completed in 1931, it now houses the State’s judiciary.) Both of these Mediterranean revival/Hawaiian style buildings were designed by CW Dickey.

Other sites in the vicinity, but not part of the formal “Historic District” include Halekiʻi – Pihana Heiau, Kaʻahumanu Church and Hale Ho‘ike‘ike/Old Bailey House.

Haleki‘i and Pihana Heiau are the most accessible of the remaining pre-contact Hawaiian structures of religious and historical importance in the Wailuku-Kahului area; they are located along the west side of Iao Stream.

Traditional history credits the menehune with the construction of both heiau in a single night; other accounts say they were built under the rule of Kahekili.

In 1832, Queen Kaahumanu visited a religious service by Jonathan Smith Green, and later requested that a more permanent church structure be named for her; ultimately, Reverend Edward Bailey fulfilled her request in 1876 when the current structure was built.

Hale Ho‘ike‘ike, the Old Bailey House, is a combination of four structures built between 1835 and 1850. Originally built as a parsonage for the ministers of the Wailuku Church, it’s now operated by the Maui Historical Society as a museum.

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Wailuku_Civic_Center_Historic_District-Top_L_to_R-Courthouse-Old-Police-Station-Bottom-Wailuku-Library-Territorial-Building

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Haleki’i-Pihana_Heiau_State_Monument-looking from the bridge across the Iao Stream in Pakukalo-Waiehu

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Wailuku_Historic_District-Map

Wailuku Civic Center Historic District-Map

July 23, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 092 – January 22, 1820

January 22, 1820 – no entry. (Thaddeus Journal)

Jan. 22d. Distance 163 miles; lat. obsd. 49°20′ South, long. deduced, 61° 37′ West; clear and pleasant weather. “I find the sea remarkably smooth since we have got to the westward. All on board are well, and in good spirits. The thermometer stands at 60°, varying at times from 58° to 63°.” (James Hunnewell)

Jan. 22nd. Going on our way. *Tis half-past nine, sabbath evening, but so long are our days it is not yet dark. The weather so peaceful, to-day, that we could not have had a better opportunity to have heard the word preached, if in our American churches. Sweet has been the day of “sacred rest”. I cannot express my feelings to you, to-night, my sisters, better than to say, that if mercies on every side, with the hope that, through grace, there is in the heart some feeling sense that they come from a Covenant GOD and Father, through a divinely compassionate Mediator, can give “Peace” and comfort, I feel such in my breast. I love to feel that you, with many of GOD’s dear children, are praying for it, and that your prayers are answering, adding another to the already numberless proof that GOD is, indeed, a prayer-hearing GOD. (Sybil Bingham)

Jan. 22nd. We have sailed rapidly since yesterday morning now progressing 8 ½ knots an hour though I can scarcely perceive the motion of the vessel, while I am writing. Now in Lat. 46. Lon. 63. sounded again this morning and found bottom, but owing to the rapid moving of the brig were not able to ascertain how many fathoms of water. Sea weed frequently appears floating on the surface of the ocean which has been beat off the rocks by the waves; some of it is covered with small shrimps. – Expect to see the Falkland Isles this afternoon or to-morrow if the wind continues in our favor. All of us in good spirits. I have not before to-day been sensible how great a tendency favorable winds have in dispelling gloomy feelings, and making our hearts cheerful. The cause which we have espoused is no less dear to our hearts, than when we first embarked. Though our voyage thus far has been long and unpleasant, yet we experienced no trials too great to be endured, for the sake of Christ, and the salvation of the poor heathen. Ninety one days since I bid dear America farewell. (Nancy Ruggles)

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July 22, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Ruggles’ Quilt

“The making of tapa was a time-consuming and labor intensive process. The outer bark was stripped away and the inner bark was soaked in water to make it soft.”

“Artistically carved round wooden mallets were used to pound the strips of the inner bark into meshed fiber to form sheets of various sizes, thicknesses, and textures. Then, the tapa was colored by native dyes and decorated with block prints.”

“New England missionaries arrived in 1820 and taught high-ranking Hawaiian women to make American-style patchwork quilts. On April 3, 1820, seven young New England missionary women held the first ‘Sewing Circle’ aboard the brig Thaddeus.” (Cao and Park)

“The high-ranking Hawaiian women were Kalakua, mother of King Liholiho, her sister Namahana, and two wives of Chief Kalanimoku. The missionary wives were Lucy Thurston, Lucia Holman, Sybil Bingham, Nancy Ruggles, Mercy Whitney, Jerusha Chamberlin, and Elisha Loomis.”

“The missionaries supplied the scissors and furnished the native women with calico patchwork to sew. Sewing calico piecework was new to the ranked Hawaiian women, but the geometric and symmetrical patterns associated with quilting were not.”

“The Hawaiian women were taught both types of quilt making. The pieced variety technique was used to make geometric repeated blocks, and the appliqué style used the ‘snowflakes’ method.” (Cao and Park)

Lucy Thurston, the wife of one of the first missionaries, recorded in her journal (1882): “Monday morning, April 3rd [1820], the first sewing circle was formed that the sun ever looked down upon in his Hawaiian realm.”

“Kalakua, queen-dowager was directress. She requested all the seven white ladies to take seats with them on mats, on the deck of the Thaddeus. Mrs. Holman and Mrs. Ruggles were executive officers to ply the scissors and prepare the work. … The four native women of distinction were furnished with calico patchwork to sew-a new employment to them.” (Thurston)

“For the first few years the missionary wives spent a great deal of time sewing for the upper class Hawaiians.”

“These ladies preferred to spend their time instructing the Hawaiians in spiritual matters and when regular supplies of fabric and patterns arrived from the mainland, the missionary wives began teaching Hawaiians to sew”.

“According to Wild, the missionaries’ instructional program included other domestic arts in addition to sewing lessons, and both sexes were welcomed into the domestic arts classes.”

“Leftover scraps of fabrics from the lessons were used to teach patchwork quilting. As they began learning to quilt, Hawaiian women incorporated traditional and familiar kapa designs into their quilts.”

“As part of the assimilation and acculturation processes, western fabric, fashions and quiltmaking were integrated into Hawaiian material culture. As this happened, the making of kapa began to decline, and by the end of the nineteenth century, kapa production waned.”

“To the Hawaiian seamstresses, it probably seemed illogical to cut new materials into small pieces only to be sewn together to make a patchwork quilt.”

“It was quite natural, therefore, that the Hawaiian women would move toward individual designs as they were accustomed to producing original designs with their own kapa beater and wood-blocks from which they made kapa designs of their own.”

“It is not known exactly when, or even how the appliquéd Hawaiian quilt evolved. What is most striking about the Hawaiian quilt is the appliqué technique in which a large sheet of fabric is folded, cut into a design, then stitched onto a contrasting background, followed by contour quilting around the motif.”

“Both in technique and style, Hawaiian appliqué reminds us of paper snowflakes made by schoolchildren, a contemporary remnant of cut paper work that was popular in the northeastern United States during the early decades of the nineteenth century.” (Arthur)

In addition, 9-year-old Huldah, daughter of missionary Samuel Ruggles made her own patchwork quilt, it is featured in the image. It was recently on display at Hawaiian Mission Houses. It is made from scraps; images of other clothing are also included in the album (from which Huldah Ruggles used scraps to finish her quilt).

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Huldah Ruggles Quilt-HMH

Huldah Ruggles Quilt-HMH and Garment-Huldah Ruggles used scarps of material for quilt

Huldah Ruggles Quilt-HMH

Garment-Huldah Ruggles used scarps of material for quilt

July 22, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 093 – January 23, 1820

January 23, 1820 – Blessed with a peaceful and delightful day, with favorable seasons for worshiping God, and with the preaching of the everlasting gospel while coasting along the regions of Patagonia which are denied the blessings which we and our friends at home enjoy. In a discourse from Amos 4.12. “Prepare to meet thy God.” Bro. Thurston explained and enforced the duty of preparing to meet God in judgment. We believe it was a word in season to our souls. (Thaddeus Journal)

Jan. 23. The same sun which is wont to rise on America and gladden the land with his cheering beams, rose on us this morning with more than usual brightness. It is the -morning of the Son of Man, and commemorates that illustrious morning when Jesus the Saviour of the world burst asunder the cords which held, him three days a prisoner in the grave, and arosd, leaving captivity captive. — 0 that the all- glorious Sun of righteousness may arise upon me as I open my eyes on this sacred day, and shine into my soul with his enlivening rays, that my lanquid affections may be lifted up to things heavenly and sublime. – A gale last night, which lasted but a short time. A calm succeeds. Though calms are unfavorable to our progress, they are very acceptable on the sabbath, as then we can enjoy a peaceful rest, and are afforded a better opportunity to attend on public worship of God and such other duties as belong to the holy sabbath. When looking back on the two preceding days, it seems as if we had hastened as it were to prepare for the day of rest. –
A day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest, –
Some part of the time we have sailed more than $ miles an hour. 0 may such displays of the kind care which our Heavenly Father exercises toward us, be regarded with gratitude, and improved by his glory. – Sabbath eve, Religious exercises in the cabin as usual; in the morning brother B. expounded the last part of the 11th of Mat. Christ’s yoke is easy &c. in the evening brother T. preached on deck; from Amos 4.12. We are now opposite the Falkland Islands, but we shall not see them.as we expected and fondly hoped, the wind carrying us too far westward. We feel somewhat disappointed but all is well. (Nancy Ruggles)

23. – A pleasant Sabbath is what we did not expect in this region but such we have had. Probably we have heard to day the first sermon that was ever preached within some thousand miles. ‘Prepare to meet thy god O Israel’ was the text. How vast a portion of this earth has never heard of Christ! Send forth thy light & thy truth O Lord & enlightened the nation’s sitting in darkness. (Samuel Whitney Journal)

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July 21, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Umu

In 1846, Article V of the “Statute Laws of His Majesty Kamehameha III” was published. The law defined the responsibilities and rights the konohiki and people had to the wide range of fishing grounds and resources. It codified the prior traditional and customary fishing practices.

The law also addressed the practice of designating kapu or restrictions on the taking of fish, tribute of fish paid to the King and identified specific types of fisheries from the freshwater and pond fisheries to those on the high seas under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom.

Section II of the law stated, “The fishing grounds from the reefs, and where there happen to be no reefs from the distance of one geographical mile seaward to the beach at low water mark, shall in law be considered the private property of the landlords whose lands, by ancient regulation, belong to the same”.

Therefore, a typical ahupuaʻa (what we generally refer to as watersheds, today) was a long strip of land, narrow at its mountain summit top and becoming wider as it ran down a valley into the sea to the outer edge of the reef. If there was no reef then the sea boundary would extend into the deep water.

While Hawaiʻi has some fantastic reefs, there are areas where there are no reefs (i.e. sandy bottom or muliwai (estuaries and river mouths where flowing freshwater prevented coral growth.))

So, how can a konohiki and the tenants of an ahupuaʻa that does not have a reef fronting the land fish for reef fish?

Like today, in many cases, the ancient Hawaiians built artificial reefs. They were called umu (or imu.)

In Hawaiʻi, as well as other areas of Polynesia, rock shelters were constructed that provided protections and sources of food for reef fish.

Large and small stones were piled into walls with an underwater chamber. Algal growth on the rocks provided them a source of food. Small fish attracted larger fish. Openings in the rock piles allowed small fish to hide.

These rock piles acted like naturally-occurring rock outcrops and coral reef habitats. They provided protection from predators and a food supply for reef fish.

“Such shelters were quite common in the islands. On Oʻahu, evidence of their existence has been found in Kāneʻohe Bay and around Kahaluʻu and Waiʻāhole.” (Kanahele)

“Besides providing stability and some protection from predators, these shelters also helped to regulate fish growth and potentially increase fish stocks by serving as artificial homes for fish to congregate and reproduce.” (Kikiloi)

Some of the prominent fish species that inhabited these shelters were squirrelfish (u‘u), unicornfish (kala), surgeonfish (manini), goatfish (moano), greater amberjack (kahala), parrotfish (uhu) and eels (puhi). (Kikiloi)

“These were the predecessors of present-day attempts to attract fish to Waikīkī and other places with artificial reefs.” (Kanahele)

The Territory of Hawai`i began looking into the possibility of installing artificial shelters in areas of sparse natural habitat. Back in 1957, the proposed purpose of these shelters was to increase and enhance opportunities for fishermen.

In 1961, the State’s first artificial reef was created at Maunalua Bay, off Kahala, Oʻahu (74 acres). Then, in 1963, two more artificial reefs were created off Keawakapu, Maui (54 acres) and Waianae, Oʻahu (141 acres).

A fourth artificial reef was created in 1972 off Kualoa, O`ahu (1,727 acres). The Ewa Deepwater artificial reef (31 acres) was built in 1986.

Unlike the other four reefs, which were deployed at depths of 50-100 feet, the Ewa reef was sunk in 50-70 fathoms (300-420 feet) of water for “new” bottomfish habitat.

Initially, car bodies were the primary material used to construct artificial reefs. Then, from 1964-1985, concrete pipes were mainly used to build these reefs. In addition, several barges and minesweeper vessels were sunk.

From 1985-1991 the program used concrete and tire modules as the main artificial reef components. Other items used included derelict concrete material, barges, and even large truck tires.

From 1991 to the present, materials deployed have mainly been concrete “Z-modules” (4-feet by 8-feet, with 1-foot high “legs” on end of opposing sides.) Other components include barges, derelict concrete material and several small vessels.

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