Economy | Page 189 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

February 2, 2017 by Peter T Young 6 Comments

Mānoa War Homes

“Housing was a critical problem at the beginning of the war.”

“On December 7, 1941, the only project operated by the Hawaii Housing Authority was Kamehameha homes consisting of 221 units for families in the low-income bracket.”

“Prior to the declaration of war, plans had been prepared for the construction of a low income family project of 368 units to be known as the Mayor Wright homes. The war prevented this development from going ahead since the buildings in the slum area on the site could not be demolished. Tenants living there were permitted to remain.” (DOI Annual Report, 1946)

Then, “Since the close of the war, one of the most important activities of the land department has consisted of arranging for the return of numerous tracts of territorial lands which had been transferred to the Army and Navy for military purposes.”

“Whenever it has been to the advantage of Federal agencies to give up the buildings and other improvements on territorial lands, and when the Territory or a county government needed the improvements, the office of the commissioner of public lands assisted in negotiating for the acquisition of title to the buildings in lieu of restoration performance of the premises involved.”

“As a result of this procedure of acquisition, the Territory and counties realized considerable savings in money, material, and labor, and gained title to a great deal of construction equipment, including buildings of various sizes …”

“… warehouses, quonset huts, water and sewer pipes, refrigeration plants, stoves of all descriptions, furniture, cable and electric wiring, reservoirs, gas storage facilities, septic tanks, water heaters, and generators.”

“The termination of hostilities with Japan caused an unprecedented demand for house lots. For a number of years prior to the beginning of the war, home building was curtailed, and such materials as might normally be needed to meet the housing requirements of a growing population were diverted to national defense.”

“With the beginning of war, these materials were actually frozen. In addition to this, a large number of existing home sites were taken over for military purposes.”

“The sale of public lands for home sites is the most beneficial purpose to which these lands can be dedicated. Every effort was made to subdivide and place on the market as house lots all public lands that were not under lease. Unfortunately, the area of unencumbered public land on Oahu, where the need is greatest, is decidedly limited.” (DOI Annual Report, 1946)

“During the past year (1946) the problem has become even more serious. The Governor’s housing committee and a committee of the chamber of commerce of Honolulu, after a careful study, reported that 11,000 additional houses were needed in the Honolulu-Pearl Harbor area.”

“A number of factors have militated against an adequate home-building program. The most important of these arc: (a) Scarcity of land even at an extremely high price, (b) unavailability of building materials, and (c) shortage and high cost of labor.”

“During the year over 3,900 families applied to the housing authority for homes. This number does not reflect the extent of the need since the public was aware of long waiting lists.”

“Of those who applied the authority could provide houses for only 1,265, 1,000 of whom were placed in Manoa war homes. This situation indicates the need for drastic action immediately to relieve the existing shortage of housing for all income groups.” (DOI Annual Report, 1946)

“The idea was to offer veterans a decent, affordable place to live while they found jobs, re-entered civilian life and saved up for a down payment on a permanent home. One-bedroom units went for $35 a month, 2-bedroom units were $42.50.” (Cataluna)

It worked for a while; then, “The Commissioners of the Authority froze vacancies as of January 1, 1956, at Manoa War Homes, a 982-unit temporary war housing project, as the site must be vacated, buildings demolished, and the land restored to its owners by June 30, 1958.”

“The project was relinquished by the Public Housing Administration to the Authority on June 30, 1953 at which time the Authority was able to obtain leases with the property owners for 3 years, with options to renew for two successive terms of 1 year each only.” (Annual Report of Governor to Secretary of Interior, 1956)

“During the year (1958) the Authority has continued the deprogramming of a relinquished 1,000-unit war housing project, Manoa War Homes.”

“On June 30, 1957, there were 519 families still living in the project. By June 30, 1958, the number had been reduced to 284. On June 30, 1958, the Authority returned approximately 44 acres of the 94-acre site to its owners. The area returned comprised 14 parcels of land and a portion of another parcel.” (Annual Report of Governor to Secretary of Interior, 1956)

Familiar Mānoa landmarks that were once the site of the Mānoa War Homes are the Mānoa Marketplace, Noelani School and Mānoa Innovation Center.

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Manoa War Homes-Manoa Valley-UH-USGS-2423-1952-labels

February 1, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Ford Hawaiians

“Detroit, Michigan … For the first time in the history of this city the general public was given an opportunity last night to dance to the weird, fascinating and charming music of far-off Hawaii, rendered by Hawaiian Quintet at Arcadia auditorium.”

“Music lovers of this city from time to time have heard Hawaiian music on the vaudeville stage. On rare occasions the Ford management has allowed this quintet to sing and play for dancing at exclusive society functions.”

“To the Arcadia management belongs the credit of giving the first public dance with this novel band attractive form of music and that it filled a popular demand was evidenced by the fact that Arcadia was crammed to capacity …”

“… in fact, at 9:15 o’clock the police and fire authorities stopped the further sale of tickets. Box office figures show that the attendance totaled 5,316 persons and many hundreds were turned away. At various times during the evening it was estimated that there were 1300 couples on the floor at one time.”

“In addition to the popular music, which was rendered during the evening, Detroit was given an opportunity to hear real Hawaiian folk songs rendered in a manner far different from that attempted on the vaudeville stage.”

“That popular ballad, ‘Aloha Oe,’ was rendered in the native tongue and sung with all its native charm and melody. This number and ‘On the Beach at Waikiki’ were easily the big hits of the evening’s entertainment.”

“’Ford’s Hawaiians,’ as they are styled, were brought to Detroit last year by Henry Ford after he had heard them in the Hawaiian building at the Panama-Pacific exposition.” (Star Bulletin, October 24, 1916)

Hawaiian Quintette – Aloha Oe
http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/3201

On the Beach at Waikiki:

For nine months in 1915, the San Francisco Presidio’s bayfront and much of today’s Marina District was the site of a grand celebration of human spirit and ingenuity – hosted to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, as well as help San Francisco by bringing folks to the area as San Francisco was recovering from the 1906 earthquake.

At the turn of the 20th Century, San Francisco was the largest and wealthiest city on the west coast of the United States. In 1906, a disastrous earthquake struck San Francisco. The ensuing fire was more devastating than the Chicago fire of 1871.

Less than 10 years after most of San Francisco was destroyed, the proud city was rebuilt and its people were ready to hold a party, one designed to dazzle the world and showcase the new city.

Over 18-million people visited the fair; strolling down wide boulevards, attending scientific and educational presentations, “travelling” to international pavilions and enjoying thrilling displays of sports, racing, music and art. The fair promoted technological and motor advancements.

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition looked to the future for innovation. Things we take for granted today – cars, airplanes, telephones, and movies – were in their infancy and were shown off at the fair, and some well-known technological luminaries were involved in the fair.

Henry Ford, who brought mass production to American manufacturing and made the automobile affordable to middle class society, built an actual Model T assembly line at the fair. Fords were produced three hours a day, six days a week. (NPS)

One of the most popular attractions at the Exposition was a daily show at the Hawaiian Pavilion featuring Hawaiian musicians and hula dancers. It’s where millions of people heard the ‘ukulele for the first time.

These Hawaiian shows had the highest attendance at the entire fair and launched a Hawaiian cultural craze that influenced everything from American music, to movies, to fashion. (Mushet)

“The hugely popular Hawaii pavilion … showcased Hawaiian music and hula dancing, and was the unofficial launching pad for ukulele-mania.” Hapa-haole songs were featured in the Hawaii exhibits.

“Henry Kailimai, the leader of the quaint band of singers, is a song writer of note, having written and composed several song hits during the past year which are ranked high among the “best sellers.” The balance of the quintet are: William Lincoln, Robert Waialeale. Gordon Piania and Frank Kema.”

Henry Ford visited the Exposition, and was so impressed with the band’s music that he hired the quintet to come to Detroit and play at Ford company events. They were renamed the Ford Hawaiian Quintet and recorded a number of records for the company of Henry Ford’s good friend, Thomas Edison. (Ukulele Hall of Fame)

“The Ford Hawaiians, whose unique music seems essentially the complement of warm weather, opened and concluded the program, in addition to playing a number of selections during the course of the entertainment.”

“There was the usual variety and charm that is peculiar to Hawaiian music – now a full orchestra of the Hawaiian instruments, now a solo by one of those instruments, then a song, first as solo, then gradually swelling with the full force of the chorus.” (Ford News, May 23, 1923)

“Perhaps no music is more appreciated on these warm summer evenings than that of the Hawaiians. On the evening of August 1, the Ford Hawaiians gave much enjoyment to the WWI (Ford’s AM radio station) listeners-in by their delightful music, both vocal and instrumental.”

“As usual, this music was of widely varied character, and the spirit with which it was rendered accentuated its charm.” (Ford News, August 22, 1923)

“Henry Ford takes a personal interest in his singers from the Paradise of the Pacific and has furnished an elaborate studio for them downtown where the ‘boys’ are allowed the privilege of giving ukulele lessons to large numbers of Detroiters who have become fascinated with this new music.”

“Although this quintet devotes most of its time to Mr Ford’s personal entertainment at his palatial home in Dearborn, Mich., they are taken from time to time to various large cities in the Middle West to give public concerts under the Ford sales management.” (Star Bulletin, October 24, 1916)

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HawaiianQuintette

Ukulele players at the Hawaiian Pavilion, PPIE, 1915 (Collection of Donna Ewald Huggins)

Ford Hawaiians played over station WWI during 1923-1925-Bryan

View of the South Gardens and the Tower of Jewels at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915

View of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915

Pan-Pacific, 1915; San Francisco-PP-19-8-018-00001

Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915-map

Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915-map overlay

January 31, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Timeline Tuesday … 1850s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1850s Kuleana Act, Smallpox Epidemic, death of Kamehameha III and growth in rice cultivation. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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January 30, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Whaley

“Getting the stuff into port was a good deal like the true, sportsman shooting domestic chickens when he had been brought up to go after game. The sport was left for the men who handled it here, men on the interisland steamers and men around the plantations, for there is where it was sold.”

“The Chinese had to have it, and twenty years ago managers of the sugar estates would end down to the city to get it for them. One time, a good many years ago, the story is told of an official who came in contact with opium in two ways. …”

“In one way he came against opium dealers as an administrative officer. And he would cinch a fellow tight enough if it suited him. Another way he came against opium handlers was in the role of purchaser. He played the game both ways and waxed rich.”

‘”There was a lot of money in it in the old days. … and there was fun and excitement in dodging the officers.’” (Unidentified former opium smuggler) (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, December 19, 1909)

“There was a ring in San Francisco in those days with connecting links in the Sound cities and Victoria. The old Driard House was headquarters for the party in Victoria and Will Whaley was the acknowledged head of that branch.”

“It was only forty miles across the water to the United States and sixty miles would bring the men who did the rough work to a safe harbor on the Yankee side.”

“Chinese constituted the most profitable contraband because the price, in those days, warranted the risk. Fifty dollars a head to land them on the beach during the night, and the money in hand before leaving hospitable British soil, and it was an easy matter to run twenty or even thirty across in a night and get back safely.”

“The same men who engaged in handling the Chinese were in the business of shipping opium. Whaley had his own schooner, the Halcyon, a ‘long low rakish craft’ built to sail with the wind or beat against it, and she could make steamer time if the wind was at all fair. She came to these waters on several occasions and was suspected of having opium as her cargo.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, December 19, 1909)

“(William A) Whaley managed to keep out of harm’s way but was continuously under suspicion.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, December 19, 1909)

“(L)inked with that of the famous yacht Halcyon, (he) was formerly a custom house employee, and hence knew all the ‘ropes’ in the workings of the force, but this very knowledge has made him fight shy of San Francisco and seek other fields for his gigantic deals in contraband opium.” (Californian, 1893)

“Halcyon, is one of the trimmest little vessels that ever spread a sail, and she is said to be the fastest thing in the Pacific. She has certainly shown a clean pair of heels to every vessel sent out to try to catch her.”

“Her movements are so rapid that she seems a phantom ship. If reports be true, she is worth her weight in gold to her owners.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, July 13, 1891)

“Halcyon (was) built by Matthew Turner at Benicia the latter part of 1886 for Harry Tevis. The boat was one of the handsomest in the harbor, and her fittings were luxurious. She is 74-feet long, 21-feet 2-inches broad and 8-feet 5-inches deep, so her cabins were ample for the parties who used to go for cruises on her.”

“Tevis tired of the boat and sold her to persons who soon resold her, and she sailed … for Victoria, B. C, in charge of Captain Alfred Metcalf, while Alfred V Wilson appeared as owner.”

“For a few months the Halcyon dropped out of sight, and then stories about a vessel of her description that had met incoming
China steamers and taken on board large quantities of opium began to fly about.”

“It was asserted that the Halcyon picked up the opium after it had been thrown overboard from the steamer in tubs, and landed it in Drakes Bay, Halfmoon Bay and over at Sausalito. One thing is certain when the Halcyon was making her mysterious trips Hongkong opium could be bought in Chinatown for less money …”

“It soon became generally known that the yacht was owned by AW Whaley and EW McLean, two members of the famous Boyd-Ciprico gang. The pair saved money and opened an opium factory in Victoria and another in Vancouver, BC. For a time they directed all their attention to the smuggling of the stuff turned out by their Chinese workmen into the United States, and succeeded.”

“Several times she was ‘nearly caught,’ but matters were always so arranged that the Custom House men were ‘a day behind the fair.’ The next time she was heard from she was in Hongkong, where Whaley bought two tons of opium.”

“She was next from off Honolulu, and a few months later appeared in Victoria, B. C, without an ounce of opium on board. Most of the opium had been landed on the Hawaiian Islands and the remainder came to San Francisco. Since then the Halcyon has made a number of trips which have proved successful.”

“In consequence, Whaley is living in Honolulu and entertaining the Marshal of the kingdom, the Minister of State and other officials, besides the consuls, at costly banquets”. (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, July 25, 1892)

“The ‘gang’ of which Whaley, Ferdinand D Ciprico and ‘Champagne Billy’ Boyd were leaders flourished from about 1888 to 1892, when Ciprico was sent to San Quentin. Boyd committed suicide while under arrest at Alcatraz. Whaley escaped to foreign lands and lived luxuriously on the proceeds of his operations, an exile from America.” (Hawaiian Star, August 28, 1907)

“Opium began to pour into the island villages, and the price dropped from $75 per pound to $23. With the identity of the mysterious schooner once settled, the Hawaiian Customs authorities concluded that the source of the opium influx had something to do with the Halcyon and ordered an armed expedition out to bring her into port.”

“A dozen seizures of the drug were made in various places, and it was so thick that the Hawaiian papers credited the Halcyon with importing 450 tons of it. This is somewhat extravagant, as the Halcyon only measures sixty-three tons, and could not possibly carry over one hundred.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, May 29, 1891)

“If Whaley be a smuggler, and there is little doubt that he is, he is certainly one of the most romantic figures in the gallery of customs-breakers. He is a handsome man of good figure apparently about thirty-five years old, and possessed of a dashing manner that well becomes the title given him around town as ‘King of the Smugglers.’”

“WA Whaley has duped all his associates in the smuggling business, and has fled to Yokohama. The sum he is said to have made away with is about $75,000, which shows, if true, that there is no honor among smugglers or thieves.”

“Whaley … claimed to have boundless influence with certain high officials in the islands, but he did not go so far as to name them. He claimed that a Chinaman in Honolulu made over $1,000,000 while he was in the business.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, November 2, 1892)

“Whaley was noted in Hongkong for his extravagant mode of living, but his luck turned against him and the usual result followed. He lost all his money and finally went to Manila, where he eked out a precarious existence.”

“A few months ago the physicians told him that the end was near. Without money or friends he was dying far from his native country. It was cheaper for the government to send him to America than keep him as a public charge and he was sent to San Francisco on the Thomas as an indigent citizen. He died at sea July 28th.” (Hawaiian Star, August 28, 1907)

“The passing of William A. Whaley on board the United States army transport Thomas, who died a pauper while on the homeward voyage from the Philippines recalled to the old officials in the customs house service one of the strongest bands of depredators against the customs revenue that has ever existed on this coast.” (Hawaiian Star, August 28, 1907)

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Whaley-Opium_King-Pacific Commercial Advertiser, December 19, 1909

January 29, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Public Clocks

The first timepieces seen by the Islanders were those brought in 1778-1779 by Captain James Cook and his officers. These instruments included “the same Watch Machine that was out with me last voyage,” “Another Watch Machine . . . put on board the Discovery,” an astronomical Clock,” an “Alarum D°,” and a “Pinchback pocket Watch with a second hand & Ruby Cylinder.”

The “watch machine,” or marine chronometer, was an extremely accurate and sophisticated timepiece, essential for determining longitude, that had only recently been perfected by John Harrison; tested on Cook’s second voyage, it had “performed magnificently.”

The first direct evidence of a clock on Island soil appears in a list of goods received by Kamehameha I at Lahaina in 1812, in return for a shipload of sandalwood. Well down an accounting of such items as clothing, swords, mirrors, saddles, casks, lamps, fishing rods, and rockets appears the entry, “1 large clock for the house.” (Schmitt & Cox)

“Large public clocks first appeared in the 1840s and 1850s. In 1842, James Hunnewell presented Kawaiahaʻo Church with the large church clock on the gallery wall below the new organ.”

The public clock served the functional purpose of telling passers-by the time. But it also served as a village landmark, a reference point, and a symbol of civic pride. Indeed, public clocks were something of a status symbol for a community, a sign that a town had reached a certain level of prosperity, that there was action there.

A clock was ordered from France soon after the dedication of the Our Lady of Peace Catholic Cathedral. Bishop Maigret sent the order through the office of the superior of the Sacred Hearts Fathers and Brothers in Valparaiso, Chile.

It was sent there for inspection before it was forwarded to Hawai‘i. For some unknown reason, it was switched with an older clock in Chile. (Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace) This ‘second-hand’ clock was installed in the Church’s original tower in about 1846. (Historic Hawaii Foundation) It is the oldest tower clock in Hawai‘i.

Kawaiahaʻo Church, designed by Hiram Bingham and constructed between 1836 and 1842, was in the New England style of the Protestant missionaries. Its tower clock is commonly referred to as the Kauikeaouli clock (four faces,) in memory of King Kamehameha III, its donor.

It was made by the Howard & Davis Clock Makers of Boston, Massachusetts. Mechanics arrived with the clock in 1850 and preparations were made for its installation – King Kamehameha III was selected to supervise the task. The clock, which tolls the hours, still operates on its original machinery.

Down on the Honolulu Harbor waterfront, Lucas’ Honolulu Planing Mill building served a couple critical purposes. First, the clock tower served as a range marker for ships aligning to enter/leave the harbor. (“The line of the harbor light (red) and the clock tower of the Honolulu Planing Mill on Fort … just touches the west side of this channel at the outer end.”) (Hawaii Bureau of Customs)

In addition, the clock served as a local time piece, as well as the official time to mariners. “Time-Signal at Planing Mill … a time-signal has been established at the Honolulu steam-planing mill, Honolulu, Sandwich islands. The signal is a whistle, which is sounded twice daily by electric signal from the survey office; … (giving time associated with) Greenwich mean time. (Nautical Magazine, January 1890)

The Lucas clock didn’t always work; “Lucas’ clock … At 7 this morning the clock was of the opinion that 10:45 was about the correct time.” (Hawaiian Star, October 25, 1895)

“Lucas’ clock on the Esplanade has been groggy for some time lately but repairs are being made. It’s a godsend to the waterfront people and the government should keep it in repair.” (Evening Bulletin, July 12, 1897)

Others wanted to be different, “Maui wants to adopt the Government time on Lucas’ clock with five minutes added, but some few will not agree to it. The result is a great uncertainty in times. (Maui, June 28)” (Hawaiian Gazette, July 1, 1890)

Another Harbor timepiece (and still keeping time) are the four clocks on Aloha Tower (construction began in 1924.) It was completed in a year and a half and became the landmark of Honolulu.

At 10 stories and 184 feet of height topped with 40 feet of flag mast, for four decades the Aloha Tower was the tallest structure in Hawaii. It was built in the Hawaiian Gothic architectural style.

The 4 clocks, each face 12 feet in diameter (by far the biggest clock in the Territory of Hawai‘i and one of the largest in the United States at the time) and facing different directions, were made of bronze and weighed 7 tons each.

If a ship or person was too far away to read the clock, two other means of time synchronization were provided. A time ball was lowered to the bottom of the forty-foot mast atop the tower each day at noon, and the blast of a siren was sounded at 7 am, noon and 4 pm.

Aloha Tower was built as a control tower for the Honolulu harbormaster and a lighthouse as part of a modern freight and passenger terminal at piers 8, 9 and 10.

In addition, it provided offices for the harbor master, pilots and customs officials. The eleventh floor of the tower served as a lookout for the harbor pilots, with balconies on all four sides.

The Kaʻahumanu Church began on August 19, 1832; the first services were held under a thatched roof. The present Kaʻahumanu Church is actually the fourth place of worship for the Wailuku congregation. The original congregation, under the leadership of the Reverend Jonathan S Green, was forced to hold their meetings in a shed.

Active fundraising under Pastor William Pulepule Kahale led to the opportunity to finally build a permanent church. Under the direction of Reverend Edward Bailey, in May, 1876, the new church, finally named the Kaʻahumanu Church, was completed.

The Kaʻahumanu Church is a large blue stone structure with wall more than two feet thick. It has a high-pitched gable roof with no overhang, but the eave terminates in a small molding adjacent to the top place along the wall.

The exterior is finished in plaster. The church tower was not added until 1884 with a “fine tower clock from the U.S. costing $1,000.” In 1892 the chandeliers were added to the interior.

Hilo’s Waiākea Social Settlement Clock was dedicated in 1939, in memory of Mrs CS Richards. The May 23, 1960 tsunami damaged the clock – it stopped at 1:05 am, when the tsunami struck. It was restored on its original pedestal and reminds all who pass of the timing of the tsunami.

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