Economy | Page 225 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

November 24, 2015 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Kahoʻolawe

Kaho‘olawe is the smallest of the eight Main Hawaiian Islands, 11-miles long and 7-miles wide (approximately 28,800-acres,) rising to a height of 1,477-feet. It is seven miles southwest of Maui.

Archaeological evidence suggests human habitation began as early as 1000 AD; it is known as a navigational and religious center, as well as the site of an adze quarry. Subsistence farmers and fishers formerly populated Kaho‘olawe.

Interestingly, the entire island of Kaho‘olawe is part of an ahupua‘a from the Maui district of Honua‘ula. The island is divided into ʻili (smaller land units within ahupua‘a.)

Kekāuluohi “made Kahoʻolawe and Lānaʻi penal settlements for law breakers to punish them for such crimes as rebellion, theft, divorce, breaking marriage vows, murder and prostitution.” (Kamakau)

The first prisoners exiled to Kahoʻolawe were a Hawaiian man convicted of theft, and a woman accused of prostitution, both of whom were sent to the island on June 13, 1826. (Reeve; KIRC)

“The village is a collection of eight huts, and an unfinished adobe church. The chief has three large canoes for his use. In passing over the island, the walking had been found very tedious; for they sunk ankle-deep at each step.”

“The whole south part is covered with a light soil, composed of decomposed lava; and is destitute of vegetation, except a few stunted shrubs.”

“On the northern side of the island, there is a better soil, of a reddish colour, which is in places susceptible of cultivation. Many tracks of wild hogs were seen, but only one of the animals was met with.”

“The only article produced on the island is the sweet-potato, and but a small quantity of these. All the inhabitants are convicts, and receive their food from Maui: their number at present is about fifteen.”

“Besides this little cluster of convicts’ huts, there are one or two houses on the north end, inhabited by old women. Some of the convicts are allowed to visit the other islands, but not to remain.” (Wilkes, 1845)

The “Act of Grace” of Kamehameha III, in commemoration of the restoration of the flag by Admiral Thomas July 31, 1843, let “all prisoners of every description” committed for offenses during the period of cession “from Hawaiʻi to Niʻihau be immediately discharged,” royal clemency was apparently extended to include prisoners of earlier conviction. (Thrum)

Located in the “rain shadow” of Maui’s Haleakala, rainfall has been in short supply on Kaho‘olawe. Historically, a “cloud bridge” connected the island to the slopes of Haleakalā. The Naulu winds brought the Naulu rains that are associated with Kaho‘olawe (a heavy mist and shower of fine rain that would cover the island.)

In 1858 the first lease of Kahoʻolawe was sold at public auction. Plans were made to turn the Island into a sheep ranch. From then until World War II, Kahoʻolawe was effectively used as a livestock ranch.

A constant theme from 1858 on was elimination of wild animals that were destroying the vegetation. At first wild dogs, hogs, and goats were the predators. By the end of the 19th century, grazing of cattle, goats and sheep were the destroyers. (King; KIRC)

“The Island of Kahoolawe consists of one government land, at present under an expiring lease held by Mr Eben P Low, that runs out on January 1, 1913. This lease was formerly held by Mr. CC Conradt, now of Pukoʻo, Molokai, and was transferred by him to Mr Low a few years since.”

“Prior to that time the island had passed through many hands. It has been used continuously for many years for the grazing of cattle, and especially of sheep.” (Hawaiian Forester, 1910)

“A great part of the time it has been badly overstocked, a condition which has resulted in the destruction of the original cover of vegetation, followed by erosion and the loss of large quantities of valuable soil, much of which has literally been blown away to sea by the strong trade wind.”

“As the result of long years of overstocking, Kahoolawe has become locally a name practically synonymous with desolation and waste. The object of declaring the island a forest reserve is to put it in a position where, upon the expiration of the existing lease, effective steps could be taken toward its reclamation.” (Hawaiian Forester, 1910)

The Island was a forest reserve from August 25, 1910 to April 20, 1918. But, it was determined, “(I)t would be a foolish waste of money to attempt to reforest the bare top of the island; that for the good of the island the remaining sheep and goats should be exterminated or entirely removed”. (Hawaiian Forester, 1918)

“(T)here is a vast area of pili grass valuable for fattening cattle for the market and tons of algaroba beans on the island going to waste annually; that under a carefully prepared lease of the island with due restrictions and limitations good use could be made of these and at the same time the goats could be required to be exterminated.” (Hawaiian Forester, 1918)

While ranching restarted with a lease to Kahoʻolawe Ranch, it was a later use that further impacted the Island. Military practice bombing of the island is reported to have begun as early as 1920. (Lewis; american-edu)

Then, in May 1941, Kahoʻolawe Ranch signed a sublease for a portion of the island with the US Navy for $1 per year to 1952, when the Ranch’s lease expired. Seven months later, following the attack on Pearl Harbor and initiation of martial law, the military took over the whole island and ranching operations ended. (PKO)

Bombing of the island continued to 1990. Then, in 1992, the State of Hawai‘i designated Kahoʻolawe as a natural and cultural reserve, “to be used exclusively for the preservation and practice of all rights customarily and traditionally exercised by Native Hawaiians for cultural, spiritual, and subsistence purposes.” (KIRC)

In 1993, Congress voted to end military use of the Island and authorized $400-million for ordnance removal. In 2004, The Navy ended the Kahoʻolawe UXO Clearance Project.

At its completion, approximately 75% of the island was surface cleared of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Of this area, 10% of the island, or 2,647 acres, was additionally cleared to the depth of four feet. Twenty-five percent, or 6,692 acres, was not cleared and unescorted access to these areas remains unsafe. (KIRC)

With the help of hard work by volunteers and Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) staff, the island is healing and recovering. Kahoʻolawe is being planted with native species that include trees, shrubs, vines, grasses and herbs.

Every year, the planting season begins with a ceremony that consists of appropriate protocols, chants, and hoʻokupu given at a series of rain koʻa shrines that were built in 1997.

The shrines link ʻUlupalakua on Maui to Luamakika, located at the summit of Kahoʻolawe, seeking to call back the cloud bridge and the rains that come with it.

I was fortunate to have served on the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) for 4½-years and had the opportunity to visit and stay overnight on Kaho‘olawe; the experiences were memorable and rewarding.

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Cloud Bridge – Kahoolawe to Maui

Cloud Bridge – Maui to Kahoolawe

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KIRC Place names

November 18, 2015 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Teeth

Dental care in pre-contact was simple. For cleaning, Hawaiians rubbed wood ash or charcoal on and between the teeth and then rinsed their mouths.

Toothache and periodontal disease were treated with the root of the pua kala (poppy,) bitten into and held between the teeth. Teeth were extracted by pulling them out with an olona cord. (Schmitt)

Some extraction was done as part of mourning – prolonged weeping and sorrowful wailing marked the death of a loved one, distress upon the death of a respected leader was demonstrated by knocking out one’s teeth, cutting one’s flesh, tattooing one’s tongue, or cutting a section of one’s hair. (NPS)

It was found that the custom of knocking out the incisor teeth as a sign of grief for the departed was not prevalent, just over 17-per cent (more often resorted to by men than by women, and more prevalent on the island of Hawai‘i than on the other islands. The lower incisors were removed more often than the upper. (Chappel)

When Kalola died (grandmother of Keōpūolani (future wife of Kamehameha,)) Kamehameha and his chiefs entered into mourning for her. Her chiefs and others were full of grief and Kamehameha knocked out a front tooth (as did other chiefs.) (Desha) When Kamehameha died in 1819, Boki knocked out four of his front teeth. (Daws)

Western dentistry apparently started in the Islands with the coming of the missionaries. “Mr B has almost daily calls to extract teeth, let blood, administrate medicine, etc. If the mission should have perfect health, a physician might still be exceedingly useful at this, or any other station on the islands.” (Sybil Bingham Journal, February 14, 1822) (Bingham was a missionary, not a doctor or dentist.)

Just before, Sybil was a patient, “Feb. 5th. I have some confidence in the skill of my dear husband, or I could hardly have been prevailed on to sit down, as I did yesterday, to the extraction of a badly decayed tooth, given up as hopeless, a long time since.” (Sybil Bingham Journal, February 5, 1822)

Shortly thereafter, “Feb. 8th. Much distressed again, night before last, with the tooth ache. The seat of the pain was a large black tooth, so much decayed that I thought I never should have resolution to have it extracted.”

“But encouraged by the good success of Monday, I closed school last night and sat down as before, to the operation. Much to my surprise, like the other, it came safely out. I had taken an opiate–now went to bed–slept and was refreshed, and, today, find myself well and free from pain.” (Sybil Bingham Journal, February 8, 1822)

Hawai‘i’s first professional dentist of record was Dr MB Stevens, who appeared in December 1847 and advertised his services over a twelve-week period, and then dropped out of sight.

Dr. Stevens was followed by George Colburn, who arrived in Honolulu on September 20, 1849 and ran an advertisement in the paper; however, like his predecessor, apparently moved on. (Schmitt)

Hawai‘i’s third dentist, and the first to settle permanently in Hawai‘i, was John Mott Smith. Dr. Smith (who eventually acquired a hyphen between his middle and last names, becoming John Mott-Smith) was a New Yorker who studied dentistry by himself, using the textbooks of a friend who was then attending dental college.

After passing the State dental examinations, he located in Albany and practiced there for three years. He moved to California in 1849 and late in 1850 sailed to Hawai‘i. He arrived early in 1851 and remained an Island resident until his death 44 years later, after a distinguished career as a dentist, editor, and government official. (Schmitt)

Intimate friend of both King Kalākaua and Queen Lili‘uokalani, Dr Mott-Smith was an ardent champion of the monarchy and gave freely of his services to the kingdom

Here is a short video about Dr Mott-Smith, portrayed by Adam LeFebvre at a ‘Cemetery Pupu Theatre, sponsored by Hawaiian Mission Houses:

In 1866 Mott-Smith gave up his dental practice to John Morgan Whitney, the first in Hawai‘i to actually graduate from a dental school. Whitney, MD, DDS, was for more than fifty years regarded as Honolulu’s leading dentist.

“When I first came to my practice in Honolulu it was the custom for the physicians to give instructions to the dentist what to do. This I resented with considerable spirit …”

“… for as I said to them, ‘I have spent as many years in preparing for my specialty as you did for your general practice and under as severe discipline, and it is but commonsense that I should know more about it that you do who did not probably give it an hour of time in your full course.’”

“I had so much of this to contend with that I resolved to see for myself the foundation upon which they built their sense of such superior knowledge.” (Whitney; Pacific Dental Gazette)

Notwithstanding the growth in sophistication regarding dental care, standards for dentists remained low or nonexistent through most of this period. Licensing had been instituted for foreign physicians in 1859 and all physicians in 1865, for example, but until the last decade of the century no restrictions were imposed on the practice of dentistry.

‘An Act to Regulate the Practice of Dentistry in the Hawaiian Kingdom’ was approved on December 19, 1892; a three-member Board of Dental Examiners (one physician and two dentists) was created, and standards for licensing were established.

A new, much stricter ‘Act to Regulate the Practice of Dentistry in the Territory of Hawai‘i’ was approved on April 25, 1903. The new law established a Board of Dental Examiners, consisting of three practicing dentists, to be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Dental Society of Hawai‘i (formed 3-months earlier.)

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Tooth Extractor-similar to that used at the time of Bingham

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John Morgan Whitney gravestone

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November 17, 2015 by Peter T Young 4 Comments

Pualani ‘Flower of the Sky’

Hawaiʻi’s first interisland passenger service was launched on November 11, 1929 when Inter-Island Airways flew 13 passengers in a Sikorsky amphibian from Honolulu to Hilo; the flight took a total of one hour and 40 minutes (they touched at Maʻalaea along the way.)

The first flight to Kauai was made the following day and all the Hawaiian Islands were soon receiving air service on a regular basis. During this time, the first inflight treat offered to passengers was a stick of Wrigley gum to relieve ear pressure. (Clark)

By 1936 there was a drastic upsurge in local passenger traffic. After seven years of scheduled service without an accident, the traditionally boat-minded islanders realized the safety of interisland air travel.

In 1941, the company’s name changed to Hawaiian Airlines, to pave the way for trans-Pacific operations; the Wings logo was adopted. (hawaii-gov)

Hawaiian hired its first ‘hostesses’ in 1943 to serve aboard its DC-3s. Before then, ticket agents in the Honolulu terminal would “change hats” and board the aircraft to take care of in-flight passenger needs.

Hawaiian converted five of its DC-3s into “Viewmasters” for sightseeing flights. It enlarged single windows and combined others to create 5-foot-long, panoramic windows.

In the first of its many fleet upgrades, Hawaiian introduced the Convair 340 in the early 1950s. Unlike a DC-3, it was pressurized and air conditioned.

Hawaiian brought the first interisland jet service to the islands in 1966 with the Douglas DC-9 (and adopted the Jetbird logo to symbolize change over to jet service.)

In 1973, Hawaiian Air introduced new colors and a ‘Pualani’ (flower of the sky) logo, with the profile of a woman against a red hibiscus, the state flower. (Smithsonian)

Leinaʻala Ann Teruya Drummond, a former Miss Hawaii (1964,) was the model for the distinctive island girl profile that adorns the tails of all Hawaiian Airlines aircraft.

She was born in 1946 in Puʻunene, Maui and educated at Kamehameha School (1963) and Cannon’s School of Business, and worked in the travel and hotel industry.

She married John Ian Drummond; they have two children, Christina and Kawika. She also served on the Maui County Council.

The Pualani logo had several iterations. At times the flower was a solid color; some dots were added to the center of it, and possibly a star.

In 2001, the logo was updated with the current Pualani. The new logo was an evolution of the original Pualani, which profiled an Island girl with a flower in her hair against a red hibiscus. In the new adaptation, the face has more character and represents the look of a 21st century Island woman.

Designed with input from the airline’s employees, the new Pualani is intended to reflect Hawaiian’s proud Island heritage with a sense of grace, elegance and caring. At the same time, her expression is seen to capture the strength, determination, spirit and confidence of the people of Hawaiian Airlines.

The contemporized island girl symbol is depicted in “a realistic, more genuine way, in keeping with the current Hawaiian cultural renaissance that has revived dance, music, language and other native traditions.” (Hawaiian Air)

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Timetable issued by Hawaiian Airlines (No. 146, “Effective September 8, 1964”). The cover features a boarding scene showing a man seated and looking out the plane door, a stewardess standing behind him holding newspapers, and another stewardess standing at the door to greet passengers. Inner pages feature timetables, fare tables, and a route map.

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Timetable issued by Hawaiian Airlines (“Effective June 8, 1970”). The cover features the image of a stewardess, dressed in a bright floral dress, holding a tray of drinks. Her photograph is framed by an illustration of a watch. Inner pages feature timetables, fare tables, and a route map.

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November 6, 2015 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Central Fire Station

No organized fire protection system existed in Honolulu until November 6, 1850, when the city’s first volunteer fire brigade was formed.

On December 27, 1850, King Kamehameha III established by ordinance in the Privy Council creating the Honolulu Volunteer Fire Department; the 1851 legislature enacted the ordinance into law.

In August 1851, a second-hand fire engine was purchased through public subscription and became the property of Engine Company No. 1.

Within ten years, the city had four engine companies, including No. 4, which was composed exclusively of Hawaiians. Kings Kamehameha III, Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V and Kalakaua were all active members of this company. (NPS)

In 1870, the tallest structure in Honolulu was the bell tower of Central Fire Station, then-located on Union Street. Spotters would sit in the tower, ready to sound the alarm. (HawaiiHistory)

In 1897, Central Fire Station was relocated to its present site at Beretania and Fort Streets, a consolidation of Engine Companies 1 and 2.

“The city of Honolulu is protected from fire by a very efficient department. The central fire station is not only an ornament to the city, but contains all the necessary conveniences for its intended purpose.”

The 2½-story blue stone Central Fire Station was one of three stations at the time; the others were the 2-story wooden Makiki Station and the 2-story brick Palama Station.

There were 200 3-way standing and 50-ground hydrants distributed throughout the City. Plans were underway for a fire alarm telegraph system with 65-alarm boxes. (Report of the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii; to the Secretary of the Interior, 1901)

The Central Fire Station soon became outmoded. The Romanesque Revival rock structure was replaced in 1934 by a Dickey designed Moderne/Art Deco two-story reinforced concrete building (Kohn M Young was the engineer.) It previously served as headquarters for the Honolulu Fire Department.

The building is five bays wide and dominated by the three middle bays with their one-and-one-half story Art Deco aluminum doorways which were constructed by the California Artistic Metal and Wire Company of San Francisco.

Above the doors are aluminum panels with linear designs with an octagon in the middle containing the letter HFD. Above each panel is a set of four windows.

The end bays each contain a first story window and a set of three second story windows. All second story windows are jalousies, and the first floor windows are tinted plate glass.

A decorative belt course bands the top of this flat roofed building. This banding employs the octagonal HFD motif of the door panels. An abbreviated tower of approximately thirty feet rises from the roof at the rear of the right bay. This tower has a pair of long rectangular louvers running its height.

In 1949, a one-story hollow tile addition was erected at the rear to provide additional office space. The Ewa (northwest) side of the building features a balcony with geometric deco decoration. Behind the balcony is a set of three windows with rectangular pillars between them. (NPS)

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November 3, 2015 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Fred Harvey Company

The rapid growth of railroads after the Civil War was both a response to an existing need and an attempt to meet the challenge of future development. The frontier was pushing across the Kansas plains. (Snell)

Cyrus K Holliday took concrete steps toward the building of a railroad to the west as early as 1859; he has been credited with inaugurating the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (Santa Fe) railroad system.

“The said company is hereby authorized and empowered to survey, locate, construct, complete, alter, maintain and operate a railroad, with one or more tracks, from or near Atchison, on the Missouri River, in Kansas Territory, to the town of Topeka, in Kansas Territory, and to such a point on the southern or western boundary of said Territory, in the direction of Santa Fe, in the Territory of New Mexico”. (AT&SF Charter; Snell)

After getting to Santa Fe, New Mexico, the rail reached Needles, California in 1883 and would later reach all the way to Los Angeles in 1885 with a connection to San Francisco by 1900.

Frederick Henry Harvey was born on June 27, 1835 to Charles and Helen Manning Harvey, he lived in Liverpool, England with his family until they immigrated to the United States in 1850.

He first worked as a dishwasher with Smith and McNeill Café in New York for just $2 per day. He moved to New Orleans; then in 1853, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Six years later, he and a partner opened a restaurant in St. Louis (just before the Civil War broke out.)

The Civil War was bad for the restaurant industry, but good for the rail industry. Mr Harvey’s business partner left to join the Confederacy and the restaurant closed.

Harvey went to work for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (commonly called the ‘Burlington.’) On January 14, 1860 he married Barbara Sarah Mattas; they had 7 children, 5 of which survived to adulthood.

During this time, Harvey noticed that the lunchrooms serving rail passengers were deplorable and most trains did not have dining cars, even on extended trips. The custom at the time was typically to make dining stops every 100-miles or so.

The dining stops were short, no longer than an hour, and the passengers were expected to find a restaurant, order their meal, get served and eat. When the train was ready to go, it left, often leaving passengers stranded at the station.

Harvey tried unsuccessfully to interest the Burlington in a co-operative arrangement to provide good food for travelers. But the Santa Fe was interested and early in 1876 he acquired the lunchroom at the Topeka depot. Service and food were dramatically improved, and both Harvey and the Santa Fe desired to see his operations expanded.

Before long, the first Harvey House Restaurant opened in the Topeka, Kansas Santa Fe Depot Station in 1876. Leasing the lunch counter at the depot, Harvey’s business focused on cleanliness, service, reasonable prices and good food. It was an immediate success.

The Harvey Houses became the first chain restaurants, with the Topeka depot becoming the training base for the new chain along the Santa Fe Route. Soon Harvey lunchrooms extended from Kansas to California.

By the late-1880s, there was a Harvey establishment every one hundred miles along the Santa Fe line. Setting high standards for efficiency and cleanliness, the food was always served on china and customers were required to wear coats.

Harvey found that the men he hired to work in his restaurants weren’t working out; he began hiring women at a time when the only jobs for respectable females were as domestics or teachers. Harvey began to recruit them in newspaper ads across the country.

In order to qualify as one of the ‘Harvey Girls,’ the women had to have at least an eighth grade education, good moral character, good manners, and be neat and articulate. Harvey paid good wages, as much as $17.50 per month with free room, board and uniforms.

In return for employment, the Harvey Girls would agree to a six month contract, agree not to marry and abide by all company rules during the term of employment. In no time, these became much sought after jobs.

The famous ‘Harvey Girls,’ carefully trained, well-groomed young women who were hired as waitresses, further increased customer traffic. Before long, Harvey was operating restaurants, hotels, gift shops and newsstands in increasing numbers along the railroad route.

Fred Harvey’s rest houses became gathering places for visitors searching for mementos of Indian land and the Native residents of some of the West’s most striking cultural and geographic terrain.

In the 1890s, the Santa Fe Railway began including dining cars on some of its trains; Harvey got the contract to serve food on those, as well. About this same time, George Pullman began building (and staffing) his own sleeping cars.

After World War I, rising affluence, more automobiles and more leisure time hurt the Harvey Company. While keeping many Harvey Houses, they moved away from full reliance on train passengers. They packaged motor trips of the southwest, including tours of Native American villages (Indian Detours) and natural wonders(such as the Grand Canyon

At its peak, there were 84 Harvey Houses. They continued to be built and operated into the 1930s and 1940s (in 1946, its 7,000 employees served 33,000,000 meals a year to travelers.)

So, what’s the Hawai‘i connection? … In 1968, Amfac (one of Hawai‘i’s ‘Big Five’ companies) bought the Fred Harvey Company.

Amfac had its beginning in the Islands when, on September 26, 1849, German sea captain Heinrich (Henry) Hackfeld arrived in Honolulu and opened a general merchandise business (dry goods, crockery, hardware and stationery,) wholesale, as well as retail store.

Hackfeld later became a prominent ‘factor’ – business agent and shipper – for the sugar plantations. However, with the advent of the US involvement in World War I, things changed. In 1918, the US government seized H Hackfeld & Company and ordered the sale of German-owned shares. (Jung)

The patriotic sounding ‘American Factors, Ltd,’ the newly-formed Hawaiʻi-based corporation (whose largest shareholders included Alexander & Baldwin, C Brewer & Company, Castle & Cooke, HP Baldwin Ltd, Matson Navigation Company and Welch & Company,) bought the H Hackfeld stock. (Jung) At that same time, the BF Ehlers dry goods store took the patriotic ‘Liberty House’ name.

American Factors shortened its name to “Amfac” in 1966. The next year (1967,) Henry Alexander Walker became president and later Board Chairman of Amfac.

Amfac first got into resort management in 1962 when it developed some of its land at Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, Hawaiʻi’s first master-planned resort. Twenty-five years after it started, the Urban Land Institute recognized Kāʻanapali Beach Resort with an Award of Excellence for Large-Scale Recreational Development.

Amfac expanded its resort experience in the Islands in 1969 when it acquired Island Holidays Hotel Co and its chain of ‘Palms’ resorts (including Kona Palms, Maui Palms and Coco Palms) started by ‘Gus’ and Grace Guslander.

Walker took Amfac from a company that largely depended on sugar production in Hawaiʻi to a broadly diversified conglomerate (which included the acquisition of the Fred Harvey Company in 1968.)

Later (2002,) the resort management company became known as Xanterra Parks and Resorts. (Lots of information here is from Harvey Houses, Armstrong, Legends of America and Xanterra.)

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