Economy | Page 12 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

May 29, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Lānai Ranch

Lānai’s formal ranching period ran from approximately 1854 to 1951 – longer than the cultivation of pineapple on the island. The ranch headquarters, situated about one mile away from what is now the city was at a place known as Kō‘ele.

Prior to 1923 and the arrival of James Dole, the Kō‘ele headquarters of the Lānai Ranch was the closest thing to a town in the uplands of Lānai. The only other historic “city” or village was situated on the windward shore of Lānai, at Keomuku – which had originally been built as the center of operations for the Maunalei Sugar Company (1898 to 1901). (Kepa Maly)

Walter Murray Gibson and other followers of the Mormon Church started a settlement on land they had purchased. Shortly thereafter, Gibson was excommunicated for allegedly misusing church funds; the settlement failed and the Mormons left the island.

Gibson remained and consolidated the 26,000 acres of land he controlled to form Lānai Sheep Ranch, headquartered in Palawai. By 1867, Gibson’s ranch consisted of 10,000 sheep and 18,000 goats.

By 1875, despite protests by Lānai; residents, Gibson controlled 90 percent of Lānai; lands either in fee simple or long-term leases, for ranching and farming operations. After Gibson’s death in 1888, the ranch was turned over to his daughter and son-in-law, Talula and Frederick Hayselden.

The ranch, headquartered in Kō‘ele, had grown to number 40,000 sheep, 3,000 Angora goats, 600 horses and 200 head of cattle. Lands making up Lānai Ranch included the former Gibson lands, government-owned land, and some ahupua‘as owned by Honolulu financier WG Irwin.

Despite attempts to increase the ranch’s efficiency and profitability, the Hayseldens lost money. Therefore, in 1898, the Hayseldens established Maunalei Sugar Company. Plagued by financial problems, Hayselden closed the plantation in 1901.

The Gibson estate went into receivership, with financiers WH Pain and Paul Neuman assuming two-thirds of the debt and the remaining land and assets. Charles and Louisa Gay, of the wealthy Gay and Robinson family of Kauai and Ni‘ihau, purchased the properties held by Pain and Neuman in 1902.

By 1907, Gay owned virtually the entire island. The Gay family moved to Lānai in late 1902. The family business is primarily ranching, but with a transition from sheep to cattle.

Between 1902 and 1910, the years of his tenure as landowner and manager, Gay brought up plantation homes for ranch hands from Keomuku to Kō‘ele, laid pipelines, dug reservoirs and wells, erected windmills and fences, installed a water-pumping system in Maunalei Gulch, and began experimental farming.

Gay, who lived in the ranch manager’s home in Ko’ele, also maintained a residence near the beach at Keomuku. He used some of the defunct sugar company’s facilities at Keomuku – such as the brackish-water wells, windmills, and the Kahalepalaoa Landing – to maintain some ranch operations manned by a few employees.

Gay also built a school in Palawai for his own children and that of ranch employees, and a church in Keomuku for use by his family and nearby residents. Although Gay achieved some measure of success after his improvements, he had difficulty turning a profit. He subsequently sold all but 600 acres of his lands in 1910 to a hui of businessmen.

William G Irwin (and his wife), Robert W Shingle and Cecil Brown formed the “Lānai Ranch Company,” which later became the “Lānai Company.” At the time of this sale, the ranch consisted of 22,500 sheep, 250 head of cattle, and 150 horses.

Gay remained on Lānai and, on his 600 acres, farmed corn, watermelons, pineapples and other crops, raised pigs, and built a home in Lalakoa, an area adjacent to present-day Lānai City. He also continued to use his Keomuku home.

In 1911, Lānai Ranch Company hired New Zealander George Munro as ranch manager. Munro, who previously worked at Molokai Ranch, found that because there had been little subdividing of pastureland, the sheep were roaming the island almost at will and the goats had become wild.

Munro, who had a knowledge of and interest in botany, planted hundreds of Norfolk Island pine trees throughout the island to catch fog drip to increase the ground water supply. Also during this time, Lānai Ranch Company began shifting its emphasis from sheep to cattle in order to supply a growing market for beef.

In 1917, Lānai Ranch Company sold the island to Frank and Harry Baldwin of Maui, who continue the cattle ranching operation under the title of “Lānai Ranch.”

Munro, who was to stay on as ranch manager until 1935, continued the shift from sheep to cattle, and reduced the goat population. With the improved water supply, the emphasis on cattle, and the decimation of goats which destroyed grazing lands, Lānai Ranch began making a profit.

In 1922, despite this relative prosperity, the Baldwins sold the island to James D Dole of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. This began the large-scale pineapple cultivation on Lānai which was to permanently alter the island’s landscape and social fabric while at the same time signaling the decline of Lānai Ranch as the island’s dominant commercial activity.

James Dole and associates planned and started the construction of Lānai City, Kaumālapa‘u Harbor (to ship pineapples and supplies), the plantation fields, and infrastructure needed for development of the plantation.

Dole engaged David Root, James Munro, Tokumatsu Murayama, Hawaiian Dredging and others to develop the plantation. Former pasturelands were cleared and rows upon rows of pineapple were planted. The first buildings in Lānai City were under construction in 1923.

During the decade following its purchase, Hawaiian Pine carefully implemented plans to transform Lānai into a pineapple plantation and ultimately made Lānai the world’s largest pineapple plantation.

As pineapple growing and harvesting began in earnest, the first crop was harvested and shipped in 1926 – Munro reduced the cattle herd and turned over ranch acreage to Hawaiian Pineapple Company. By 1927, of Lānai’s 89,600 acres, pineapple operations accounted for 40,000 acres, Lānai Ranch occupied 44,000 acres, and 5,000 acres were taken up by forest reserve.

In 1935, George Munro, Lānai Ranch manager since 1911, retired. He advised that pineapple, not cattle, be given primary consideration on Lānai, and that the ranch be continued only as long as pineapple-growing was not jeopardized.

The ranch continued to decline in the 1940s. By 1950, there were only a few cowboys to herd up the remaining cattle on the island. The ranch officially closed in 1951.

Castle & Cooke, Inc., which in 1961 acquired 100 percent direct ownership of Hawaiian Pineapple Company (in 1985, David H Murdock purchased Castle & Cooke – which includes much of the island of Lānai). In 1987. construction of the two luxury hotels on Lānai started.

In 1992, the final harvest of pineapple on Lānai took place in October. On November 14. 1992, a “Pau Hana” (“end of work”) gathering was held in Dole Park to commemorate the close of the pineapple era on Lānai.

In 2012, Larry Ellison purchased the island of Lānai – approximately 97 percent of the land on island – and engaged in building a sustainable community through the holding company, Pūlama Lānai. (Lots of information here is from UH Center for Oral History and Lānai Culture & Heritage Center.)

May 24, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Club Lanai

Allan Dale Starr Sr was born July 10, 1924 in Carlinville, Illinois, graduated from Northwestern University, was a naval aviator, and came to Hawai‘i in 1949 and joined the Lund-Heitman agency. (Adv, Apr 4, 1991)

In 1965 he founded the AD Starr Co. Over the years, through growth/mergers the company grew to Hawai‘i’s largest marketing communications firm for nearly two decades.

He acquired a property at Kahalepalaoa on the north east shore of Lānai and used it as a weekend beach cottage. Kahalepalaoa was the former landing area with a long wooden pier built in about 1899 that several motor-driven boats were engaged in providing transportation of people and goods between Lānai and Lāhaina. (Lānai Culture and Heritage Center)

“The Lanai Landing site (formerly known as Halepalaoa Landing, Kahalepalaoa Landing, or Maunalei Sugar Co. Landing) has long been used as a boat harbor.” (BLNR, D-7, 11-10-22)

The pier had deteriorated, and in 1985 Starr received permission and built a new pier “to re-activate the only harbor on the windward coast of Lanai for small craft. The main purpose of restoring the Landing is to provide access to the shoreline and [Starr’s] property for small craft carrying tour groups from Kaanapali and Lahaina, Maui.” (BLNR, LA-1705, 03-08-85)

At that time, four companies operate cruise boats between Lahaina and Mānele Harbor on Lanai’s south coast. The companies offer the boat trip to Lanai and, upon arrival, picnic, swim, and snorkel at Hulopoe Bay. Hulopoe Beach Park is a private park and all facilities are located on property owned by Castle and Cooke.”

“[A]dditional boats from Lahaina would like to operate trips to Manele, but the space is not available to expand this activity.” (BLNR, LA-1705, 03-08-85)

“Passengers on the cruise boats would disembark at Halepalaoa Landing to enjoy a picnic lunch, snorkeling, swimming, and other such activities currently offered at Hulopoe Beach Park. These activities would take place [on Starr’s] private property and the public beach area.” (BLNR, LA-1705, 03-08-85)

Shortly thereafter, Charles Forman, Trustee, and City Cathedral Investments, Inc. took control of the property for use of the Landing and the adjoining beach retreat … Club Lanai was started. “The concept of this place came from the previous owner, a man named [Allan Starr.]”

Club Lanai was a ‘day use facility’ that would bring in guests from the Island of Maui via two catamarans (65‐foot Ehukai and 70‐feet Kaulana), going over in the mornings and returning midafternoon 7 days a week, 365 days a year

Under the prior Club Lanaʻi operation, each of the boats used had a capacity of 149‐passengers. A stated “capacity” at the facility was apparently 250‐people. On some days, over 200‐guests were brought in for the day use activities, including food (typically lunch) and beverages (there were occasional nighttime activities, as well).

“Club Lanai was an 8-acre beach estate that was a cross between Gilligan’s Island and Club Med. Our guest book was signed by people returning 2 & 3 times during their week stay on Maui because they had so much fun there.”

“What made it that fun was that it was like going to your own private beach estate that was an 8-mile boat crossing from Maui to the seclude side of Lanai.”

“When you arrived there, there was a variety of activities you could do from snorkeling, kayaking, bike riding, volleyball, horseshoes, a history tour, a themed Hawaiian village where … Lanai residents shared the Aloha and history of Hawaii, and other activities that came and went though the years.”

“There was an open bar with all you could drink and an all you can eat lunch buffet that served steak, Mahi Mahi, and chicken. There were hammocks, lounge chairs, and palapas spread throughout the property.”

“It was his personal property and after some time of owning it he wanted to make it into a simple getaway place where people could come for the day. He ran out of money during the building process and put it up for sale as that concept.”

“When my father Charles Forman heard about it, he fell in love with the idea. He and the people that worked for him turned it into the above-mentioned place.” (Steven Forman, YouTube)

“The building sitting back from the coconut encrusted water was the first bar built. … It had 2 bridges going to it. The building that housed the kitchen was built by the previous owner. It was his personal home.”

“The Club used the front half of this building for an employee kitchen and living room/lounge. The back half was built into a commercial kitchen to prepare the meals that were served for the day.”

“The upstairs was used for sleeping quarters. There was always a caretaker living there with other employees and their guest staying from time to time.”

“The barn like building was used for several purposes. The back side housed all the property maintenance equipment and the front side was used as a storage room for products for the store.”

“Other building not mentioned were a serving kitchen, a 2nd bar, a commercial bathroom, and a mock Hawaiian Village designed by the Bishop museum.” (Steven Forman, YouTube)

“In basic terms the cost of operation would end up always out weighing the income. Insurance was at the same rate as amusement parks, maintenance and dry docks on large boats are costly as well as the maintenance for all the property equipment.”

“State and County taxes as well as State Harbor taxes added a fair share of burden as well. In the end this spread of costs was a hard ship to keep afloat. …”

“[The Property] was sold to some speculators who hung on to it for several years. It sat empty at that time with just caretakers keeping the property up.”

“They eventually sold it Dole Pineapple who wanted to make back into a place where their resort guests could go for the day but the County told them they would have to pave the road if they wanted to put it into operation and that would of been too costly being that that road washes out every year from winter storms.” (Steven Forman, YouTube)

It then ended up with Pūlama Lanai (of Lanai Resorts (Larry Ellison)), who recently (2022) stated that it is interested in using the former Club Lānai site for day activities for guests staying at Sensei Lānai or the Four Seasons Lānai resorts. The intent of Pūlama Lānai is to bring in guests via boats from Mānele Boat Harbor to the Club site. (BLNR, D-7, 11-10-22)

May 19, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Okino Hotel

“The [Okino] hotel [on Kamehameha Avenue] was built in 1913. But before then, [Yoshimatsu Okino] had another one on Front Street [Kamehameha], but I don’t know what year that was built. And then they built this big one in 1913.” (Violet Hirata)

Hotel advertising referred to it as “The Oldest Hotel in Hilo”. (Hilo Tribune Heald, July 31, 1947) A newspaper story referred to it as “the oldest Japanese hotel in Hilo”. (Hilo Tribune Herald, July 24, 1959)

Yoshimatsu Okino was born on December 4, 1860, in Hiroshima-ken, Japan. He had at least 2 sons and 1 daughter with Waka Hamai. (Family Search)) Yoshimatsu Okino died in 1917; after that, his son, Yoshio (‘Fats’) Okino took over the operation.

“We had all different customers. We used to have – month to month, we had salesmen that came from Honolulu, and different tenants. We had some boarders that worked in Hilo. So they boarded there and they went to work. So we had quite a few of them boarding, regular boarders.”

[Masako Kayano Okino], born in Pahala, married Yoshio Okino, son of the Okino hotel founder. Masako “was busy with the cooking and all that with the ladies.”

“And [we] had my aunt living with us when we were young to help my mom. So, besides the ladies that work with her, we had one aunt, older aunt that stayed, and then the younger one came in and stay, take over after that. We were lucky.”

“And they had [base]ball teams coming. Or, Fourth of July, they have [sumo] wrestlers coming in. The group comes and goes. We were very busy.”

“Grandfather built it. Grandfather died when [Yoshio] was nineteen, so [Yoshio] had to take over that. Grandma [Waka Okino] died later, but he was nineteen only when Grandfather died.” (Violet Hirata, daughter of Yoshio Okino)

Yoshio Okino and Masako Kayano Okino owned and operated Okino Hotel on 482 Kamehameha Avenue. There were family quarters in one section of the hotel. The children helped their parents in the hotel dining room, serving food to customers and clearing tables.

Okino Hotel was destroyed in the 1946 tsunami. Hirata and the family managed to escape the waves by fleeing in back of the building – away from the ocean – toward the Hilo Gas Company gas tanks. Her brother, George, became trapped in the debris and was later rescued. A guest of the hotel died that day.

Yoshio later established another hotel on Kino‘ole Street, which they operated until 1959. Hirata eventually worked as a hairdresser, and later, for Western Auto. She retired in 1989. She and her husband, Takeshi Hiiata, whom she married in 1949, raised three children and currently have five grandchildren. (NOAA Fisheries)

“The Okino Hotel, which was completely demolished in the tidal wave of April 1, 1946, will reopen its modern, two story building Friday in a new location at 481 Kinoole street.” (Hilo Tribune Herald, July 31, 1947)

(“Ironically, the single remaining ‘monument’ from the 1946 tsunami, the furo bathroom of the old Okino hotel, stood firm through the … wave assault”. (Hilo Tribune Herald, July 18, 1960))

“Construction of the proposed Okino Hotel has been postponed indefinitely, Yoshio Okino reported today. Instead, Okino has taken a lease on the two story building at 481 Kinoole Street … he said he cannot afford to wait any longer to get back into business”. (Hilo Tribune Herald, June 16, 1947)

“The new structure is situated across from the Hilo fire department and will be under management of Yoshio Okino …. The hotel has been located in Hilo for over 50 years and prior to the tidal wave was on Kamehameha avenue.”

“Well-ventilated, the hotel will have 24 rooms for transient guests, and will have hot and cold showers. A restaurant will be located on the ground floor.”

“In his youth, [Yoshio] Okino was one of the most noted baseball players in the territory, known as the ‘Babe Ruth of the Pacific.’ [He was referred to as the ‘home run king’ with a batting average of .556]”. (HTH)

“He was centerfielder of the Japanese Athletic club nine that toured Japan in the early ‘20s. Later he became a catcher. His sons are prospective Hilo senior leaguers.” (Hilo Tribune Herald, July 31, 1947)

Yoshio “started in Honolulu with the Japanese High school team there and played for the JAC combine in Hilo during his summer vacations. That was his start.”

“In 1916, he played football and baseball for the Mid-Pacific Institute, also known as Mills school. The following year he came to Hilo and started playing for the JAC in dead earnest.” (Hilo Tribune Herald, April 6, 1928)

Back to the hotel … a July 24, 1959 notice in the paper noted, “Okino Hotel will be closed from July 31, 1959. [Yoshio Okino stated,] I wish, at this time, to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to my many patrons and friends for their kind patronage in the past years. Retiring after 40 years in the Hotel Business.” (Hilo Tribune Herald) He then moved to Honolulu.

Shortly thereafter, a “Notice” in the paper, “Announcing the Change of Name and Ownership of Okino Hotel, Effective August 1^st, 1959” to Lincoln Hotel. “Richard M Inouye, Owner of the Lincoln Grill)”.

Later, “The New Rainbow Hotel … Formerly Known as Okino Hotel” was “Completely Remodeled” “all with Private Bathrooms” and “Open for Business”. (Hawaii Tribune Herald, Dec 29, 1965). The former Okino Hotel still stands across from the Fire Station on Kino‘ole street.

May 18, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

John Howard Midkiff Sr

John Howard Midkiff, son of James Jesse and Bertha (Wilson) Midkiff, was born January 16, 1893, in Stonington, Christian County, Illinois. His mother died when he was only 3-½ years old. His father was a Baptist preacher, who never made more than $62 a month and raised the 5 boys and 2 girls himself and sent every one through college.

In the summers between 7^th grade and high school, John worked on a farm in the corn belt on the mainland. They got up at 3:30 am to milk cows, feed pigs and harness horses; then worked in the fields from daylight to sunset; came back and fed the livestock again. (UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“I came out here [to Hawai‘i] during the Food Administration. I was at the First Officer’s Training School in the first World War. And I was taken out of there and sent over here. They had the Food Administration, really, it’s mostly food production. In case we should be shut off from the Mainland. On the island of Hawaii [in West Hawaii].” (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

Then, “John H Midkiff, former county food agent in West Hawaii, is now assistant professor of agriculture at the College of Hawaii [forerunner to University of Hawai‘i], devoting part of his time to instruction and lectures and hog raising, at a part of his time, also, to experimental and investigation work.” (HTH, May 21, 1919)

After that, “John H Midkiff now with Koloa Plantation, Kauai, was selected late yesterday afternoon by the trustees of Kamehameha Schools as principal of the Kamehameha School for Boys.”

“Midkiff is well known in the islands and his combination of thorough vocational training with experience in Hawaiian industries was a strong factor … in his selection for Kamehameha.” (SB, Aug 7, 1923)

John’s brother, Frank Elbert Midkiff, was president of Kamehameha Schools [1923 – 1934] and a trustee of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate [1939-1983]. (KSBE) “I was principal of the (Kamehameha) school [1923-1924] and I decided the school life simply wasn’t for me.”

“I just naturally preferred the agricultural work. Before that time, I had taught botany, genetics, agriculture at the University and I had been principal of the Kamehameha Boys’ School for one year. But my heart was always on the plantations.” (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“And then, Mr. Frank Atherton who was a head of Castle and Cook at that time knew that I had been offered a job as Division Supervisor at Pioneer on Maui.”

“And he said, ‘Well, why don’t you go out and try our plantations on this island?’ I went to Ewa first and told them very frankly that I was shooting for the assistant manager’s job. If there was a chance to work up to that, fine. Otherwise I didn’t want to go there. And he simply laughed at me. He said, ‘You better go someplace else.’”

“So, then, I went over to Waialua. Buck Thompson was the manager. I frankly told him the same thing. He said well, if I proved that I could handle it, someday I might get it. It took me eight years to get it”. (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“[A]ny plantation work I’ve ever seen in Hawaii is a picnic and always was, compared to the farm days back in Illinois. We had short seasons and we had to work every daylight hour.”

“We got up long before daylight, did all our chores around the farm, had breakfast, and then went to the fields. Took our lunch with us and stayed there till dark”. (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“[I]n the plantations of course, we had a number of different communities. They pretty well segregated according to their racial background. Japanese lived in certain village, Chinese in others, and the Portuguese’d live mostly in one place although they were scattered all over, too.”

“We had what was known as the haole camp. That was the supervisors mostly, too. They were a little better class of houses. Well, considerably better class of houses than the ordinary workmen had.”

“At the time I first went to Waialua, very few of the workers’ houses had any running water or toilets in them. … before I left, I saw that every one of them did have.” (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“One of the first regulations I sent out to the supervisors when I was appointed manager was that there was to be absolutely no abuse of any kind of any laborer. No verbal or other abuse. They certainly should never touch em.”

“And first, a good many of them’d said, ‘Well, how are you gonna run a gang, if you can’t cuss em out?’ I said, ‘Well, lead them.’ We had really good labor relations. We paid 10 cents an hour more than any plantation in Hawaii. And had the lowest labor cost in Hawaii. Cause we could get good men who were willing to work.”

“During the War, to encourage turnout, because the government wanted all the sugar it could get and we lost many of our men to the services, I gave a $25 bond every month to a person who had a perfect turnout or within one day of it. Well, no other plantation did that.”

“But then when they finally got union contract, that was frozen into my contract. Not the bond, but the 10 cents an hour extra. Which suited me fine because I could always get almost anybody I wanted.”

“We were not unionized until after every other plantation had been. Maybe I was wrong, but I thought I could have kept them out as long as I was manager if I wanted to.”

“But then I knew everybody’d be concentrating on us all the time, the whole ILWU would be. So finally I decided, oh heck, better let them get in so I can see what they’re doing and work things out.” (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“Under his management, Waialua was among the first plantations to introduce training programs, improved community facilities and a funded pension plan. He emphasized the importance of the work done by his employees and the contributions they made to the company’s success.”

“His work in the fields brought him close to the men in the sugar industry and helped him understand their problems. When the opportunity came, he used his position to help to make life better for his employees.”

“Few men hold as distinguished a place in Hawaii’s industrial and community life because few men possess John Midkiff’s understanding that good human relations are essential to any success.” (SB, Jan 5, 1951)

“My brother Frank and I started the Waialua Community Association. It was his idea. I got the plantation to donate land, the building and that was the start of that movement all over Hawaii. There are many of them now where you could get together. Everyone in the whole community, plantation or non-plantation, was invited and included in.”

“In fact, I always refused to take any office in it, or to be on any board of directors in it because I thought it or to be too overpowering for the plantation manager. If he said something when you’re furnishing the payroll for a big part of the community, people might be inclined to give it too much weight. So I never was.” (Midkiff, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“The broad aim of this Waialua association is the desire to improve the social and economic life of the people of Waialua and the feeling that with cooperative effort … rural life can be made as attractive as urban life. … The district is agricultural, characteristic of the territory at large; it has adequate soils and water; and it has an industrious and ambitious population.”

“Through the cooperation of all Waialua people, the Waialua district may become a model for Hawaii and an example for other sections of the United States as well – in showing what a rural community can do in the way of social and economic betterment when it sets about to do it.” (SB, Feb 15, 1935)

“John was very concerned to keep competent employees on the plantation. So [he and his brother] organized the first rural community association in Hawai’i at Waialua and then the second one along the Windward O‘ahu Coast, (Ko‘olau Poko, Ko‘olau Loa).” (Robert Midkiff Oral History)

John H Midkiff Sr began working for the Waialua Agricultural Co. in 1924 as a supervisor. He was manager from 1932 to 1951 and retired because of bad health. He died on May 28, 1984 (at the age of 91).

May 14, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Arthur Akinaka

Arthur Akinaka was born in 1909 in Kapalama, Oahu. His mother, Haru Yokomizo, and father, Rinichi Akinaka “were next-door neighbors in a sparsely settled farming area. Before they could leave Japan to better their economic circumstances, their parents felt (it) best that they should get married.”

“My parents came here newly married in 1906 from the back farming area of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. They boarded (the steamer,) America-Maru, from Kobe”.

“Upon arrival they were met by my (uncle’s business) partner at the wharf. They were encouraged by my uncle, who was operating a soda (water bottling) works with his partner, not to struggle at some sugar plantation, but to try to get started in Palama.”

“So, knowing only one occupation, my mother, then age sixteen, my father, age nineteen, started a small tofu factory (in the hopes of making) a living. Of course, the work was very hard.”

“My sixteen-year-old mother had to get up two o’clock in the morning. And then, after the tofu, aburage [deep fried tofu], and konnyaku [a type of jelly made from the konjac] were made, (my father) would carry (them in) cans around Palama.”

“It was (only) a few months (later) that Judge (William) Rawlins, who owned that building at the intersection of Beretania and King Streets, saw my father (passing by daily) and asked (him) whether he would want to – together with my mother – move over to the premises of Mr. Harry Roberts, who was looking for a replacement (for) his (yard keeper), who was retiring to Japan.”

“And so, that’s how my parents moved (here) to (the corner of Houghtailing and School Streets,) where I was born.” (Akinaka, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

Arthur grew up on Mr. Roberts’ two-acre estate, “It was a two-acre site, (where) Mr. Roberts, (after) his retirement from the Honolulu Advertiser (as) a commercial artist due to failing eyesight, (had) very thoroughly interested himself in horticulture. My earliest recollections (are of) this two-acre site.”

“This area has always been known as the makai portion of Kapalama. Kapalama extended from the mountain to the sea. The Kamehameha Schools (are located in the mauka portion of Kapalama).” (Akinaka, UH Ethnic Studies Oral History Project)

“As I remember it, both School Street and Houghtailing Road were dirt roads. School Street extended (Ewa only) as far as Kalihi Street, and Kalihi Street went up into Kalihi Valley. In the Waikiki direction – this was before McInerny Tract was subdivided – there (were) a (few) scattered houses.”

“I’m thankful to have been born in this point in time (and not during previous times). When (I was) a youngster, my mother had to prepare food on wood stoves and (I) had to chop (kiawe) firewood (and thence there was) the gradual changeover to kerosene stove and kerosene lamps.”

“When I was born and for many years, we had no electricity, no drinking water. But with McInerny Tract (being opened up), water (mains) came in, sewers came in, electric system came in.”

“It (was) quite interesting to meet up with schoolchildren from near the school site, mostly from mauka of School (Street), as well as down on Vineyard, Kukui Street, all the way toward King Street. They were far more urbanized than I was.”

“In fact, I was looked on as more of a country boy and was finding it difficult to make too many new friends. Of course, there were always boys that are friendly to you, but by and large, I minded myself and studied, which was what my parents and also Mr. Roberts emphasized.”

“[I]n 1917, Queen Lili’uokalani passed away. Of course, that would have made me eight years old. I walked all the way to Nuuanu Street to witness the funeral procession that laid the Queen to rest up Nuuanu Mausoleum.”

Akinaka attended Japanese “language school [that] was on Nuuanu Street, halfway between School and Vineyard [Streets] on premises which now have been taken over by Foster Gardens. It was known as Japanese Central Institute and was started by those (first-generation Japanese) who were Christians.”

“However, when Palama Gakuen was built, in my sixth year of language school, I moved to that school (since it was nearer to home). From there, I continued at Hongwanji [Japanese-language (high) school] on Fort Street. So, I have had ten years of Japanese schooling to a degree where I began to (understand) Japanese culture.”

“[M]y mother had jogakko or middle school education. My father, being the only child and having to leave school after only four years of grammar school education (to tend the family farm,) felt very strongly about all his children at least getting as good education as he could afford. So, there was no question that we (should) continue (on to) college (if we could).”

“When I entered University [ of Hawai‘i], I thought I should try to take up premedicine. But I came to the (early) conclusion that our family finances would not permit (my) being financed through a Mainland medical school, (and) so I shifted to something (in) which I could graduate in (four years) and make a living.”

“So, from one year of pre-medical courses such as chemistry, zoology and botany, I shifted over to whatever engineering subjects they would allow me to take. It was a constant [effort] trying to catch up.”

“I’m very grateful with the teachers (and principals) that I had all through grammar school, high school and university, and how they helped me appreciate the value of a good education and being a good citizen.”

“I graduated in 1930 after the disastrous 1929 stock crash and work was hard to come by. I had always wanted to go into building construction because in that field there were, perhaps, better opportunities. Engineering (was) not (then) open to too many Orientals.”

“But then, the (contracting) firm I (started with) had a very minimum salary [and] was not able to even pay that salary. So it was fortunate that I had, at the University, taken up advanced (ROTC) [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] training (and) upon graduation had (received) a (reserve) commission in the Army.”

“The Corps of Engineers here needed (an additional) young man (for) their staff. The major in charge of the local office took a liking (to me) and hired me. So, I worked for five years (with the) Corps of Engineers on harbor work. But then, come the year ’35, (and) with increasing war consciousness, it was (thought) better that I stay back instead of being assigned to the (more sensitive) Pacific islands. (I was transferred) laterally to Hickam Field (where a military airfield was to be built).”

“But after eight years (with the) Federal civil service I shifted over (in 1938) to the first Territorial Planning Board. … There was (then) a national trend (in long-range planning) among the forty-eight states; all of them had state planning boards.”

“At that time (for the territory,) it was desirable to make an inventory of the resources – (geographic), social, economic, and industrial. So, using (Mainland state reports) as a pattern, the Territory of Hawaii made its own report. One of the important things about statewide planning is (that) unless it is implemented subsequently with (projects and funding) it (soon is) forgotten and filed away on shelves.”

“The Territorial Planning Board was a creature of the Legislature. The Legislature, realizing that war (was) imminent, decided there was not the need to put (further) human resources to further planning. So, that office was closed in June 1941.”

“And rather than try to, in a frustrating manner, make a go in the government service with a career, I was advised, being still young, to try my luck out on my own. That’s how I started out.”

“I, having a reserve commission, approaching earning a captaincy, volunteered to (join) the military right (after) the Pearl Harbor (attack). But since my father and my younger brother (were) in Japan, (I was) not (a) welcome volunteer.”

Following the attack on Pearly Harbor, “the first year, we, together with couple other construction firms, produced these sixteen-men pre-fabricated (military) housing units. (Our company) must have produced a thousand of (them), which were fabricated in that block, (then a large empty lot), just makai of Blaisdell Center.”

“Army units would come, with their trucks, and haul (them away) and assemble (them) wherever they were assigned. And then, with that first year program over, came construction of warehouses, office additions, (a) cold storage building, hospital additions, all of which kept me busy. As I take inter-island plane trips and fly over [the island], I notice next to the airport, still standing and in use, many of the warehouses that (we) had built.”

Following the wars, “I ran for the Senate [in 1948]. There were six of us, and I didn’t qualify with the first three, but I didn’t come

in last. It [the campaign] was a last-minute assignment. It was not something which I had preplanned and programmed.”

“But as a result of that, I guess I won the respect of Mayor [John H.] Wilson. He invited me to succeed a department head who had reached compulsory retirement age. [But] at that time [because the position was] only a two-year appointment, requiring me to give up my business because it was too related, I had to thank the mayor and refuse it.”

“My business was something I had built up over a period of close to ten years. But when I went to see the mayor after, he told me to think it over. He (said), ‘Arthur, you are privileged to be an American citizen, and with it, you have had the benefit of public education and protection in police, health, and so on’”

“He would think, (that) when (one were) asked – and not many people get asked – there should be but one answer. And my answer to him was, irrespective of the way I felt, ‘Yes, sir.’” (From 1951 to 1955, Akinaka served two terms as a building department head.) Following that, he remained in private practice for the rest of his career.

In his long engineering career, Arthur was recognized for not only his professional endeavors, but his contributions to the community. He dedicated his time and energy to various organizations including the UH Alumni Association, Kamehameha Lions Club, Kalihi-Palama Community Council, Kalihi YMCA, Advisory Group for the Prison Correctional Industries, and Board of Trustees for Kuakini Medical Center, to name a few. (Akinaka & Associates)

In 1966, the firm was incorporated and since 1984 led by his son, Robert Y. Akinaka. Today, the company is a locally owned firm headed by Ken C. Kawahara. (Akinaka & Associates)