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April 13, 2018 by Peter T Young 9 Comments

Pszyk

Geologic evidence suggests that the modern caldera of Kīlauea formed shortly before 1500 AD. Repeated small collapses may have affected parts of the caldera floor, possibly as late as 1790. For over 300-400 years, the caldera was below the water table.

Kīlauea is an explosive volcano; several phreatic eruptions have occurred in the past 1,200 years. (Phreatic eruptions, also called phreatic explosions, occur when magma heats ground or surface water.)

The extreme temperature of the magma (from 932 to 2,138 °F) causes near-instantaneous evaporation to steam, resulting in an explosion of steam, water, ash and rock – the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was a phreatic eruption.

There were explosions in 1790, the most lethal known eruption of any volcano in the present United States. The 1790 explosions, however, simply culminated (or at least occurred near the end of) a 300-year period of frequent explosions, some quite powerful. (USGS)

Keonehelelei is the name given by Hawaiians to the explosive eruption of Kilauea in 1790. It is probably so named “the falling sands” because the eruption involved an explosion of hot gas, ash and sand that rained down across the Kaʻu Desert. The character of the eruption was likely distinct enough to warrant a special name. (Moniz-Nakamura)

The 1790 explosion led to the death of one-third of the warrior party of Kaʻū Chief Keōua. At the time Keōua was the only remaining rival of Kamehameha the Great for control of the Island of Hawaiʻi; Keōua ruled half of Hāmākua and all of Puna and Kaʻū Districts. They were passing through the Kilauea area at the time of the eruption. (Moniz-Nakamura)

Camped in Hilo, Keōua learned of an invasion of his home district of Kaʻū by warriors of Kamehameha. To reach Kaʻū from Hilo, Keōua had a choice of two routes one was the usually traveled coastal route, at sea level, but it was longer, hot, shadeless and without potable water for long distances. (NPS)

The other route was shorter, but passed over the summit and through the lee of Kilauea volcano, an area sacred to, and the home of, the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele. Keōua chose the volcano route, perhaps because it was shorter and quicker, with water available frequently. (NPS)

… Fast forward … “Despite the network of Pre-Western contact trails that covered the island, Hawaiʻi lacked a comprehensive system of interior roads for overland travel before 1846.”

“In that year, the Kingdom established the Department of the Interior and the office of Superintendent of Internal Improvements (the forerunner of Public Works) to oversee the construction of piers, harbors, government buildings, roads, and bridges.” (Terry)

Like the times of Keōua, “Two routes may be taken to the crater Kilauea, on the slope of Mauna Loa, one by Puna, the other by ‘Ōla‘a. It will be advisable to combine both, by going one way and returning the other.”

“Time being an object, the trip to and from the crater via ‘Ōla‘a can be accomplished in three days, which will give one day and two nights at the volcano house.” (Whitney, 1875)

“A critical step toward developing agriculture in ʻŌlaʻa was the creation of a new road between Hilo and Kīlauea located mauka of the Old Volcano Trail.” (Terry)

Work on the road began in 1890 using mainly prison labor, and in September of 1894 the entire road was completed. As the new Volcano Road through ʻŌlaʻa was being built, the Crown made a large portion of potential agricultural lands in ʻŌlaʻa available for lease and homesteading.”

“Three hundred eighty-five ʻŌlaʻa Reservation lease lots were created mauka and makai of the new Volcano Road, as well as an additional forty homesteads.” (Terry)

The ‘Ōla‘a Sugar Company was incorporated on May 3, 1899; the promoters purchased 16,000 acres in fee simple land and nearly 7,000 acres in long leasehold from WH Shipman. The plantation fields extended for ten miles along both sides of Volcano Road as well as in the Pāhoa and Kapoho areas of the Puna District.”

‘Ōla‘a Sugar Company began as one of Hawai‘i’s largest sugar plantations with much of its acreage covered in trees. Previous to cane, coffee was the primary agricultural crop grown in the region. After purchase of these lands, the company uprooted the coffee trees and cleared it for planting sugarcane.”

“The town of Mountain View grew with the sugar trade, as immigrant laborers were imported from Japan, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to work on the sugar plantation.”

“Another lesser known group also came to ʻŌlaʻa. In 1897, the Hawaiian Minister of Foreign Affairs approved a request by H.F Hackfeld and Company (who acted as a recruiting agency for the “Planters Association”) to bring in European laborers for a number of sugar plantations.”

“Between 1897 and 1910, a number of Ukrainian families and single workers were recruited to work for ʻŌlaʻa Sugar Company. Most Ukrainian immigrants left ʻŌlaʻa for the US mainland in 1905 and 1906, but a few remained.” (Terry)

Among those who stayed in Mountain View were Michael and Annie Pszyk. (Terry) They a fifty-acre farm and in addition to work on the plantation they began to clear some land and go into developing a small herds of cows.

It was rather isolated, about 1 ½ miles from the highway. They first blazed a path so that they were able to walk out to Volcano
road.

He then widened it into a trail, but it wasn’t very satisfactory to haul wood to the village for which there was good demand, and take milk and other products.

“My father approached the council to have them make the trail into a road, but there was little interest in such a project.”

“He, eventually, widened the trail himself and made it into a passable road. Then the council took it over and named it Pszyk Road, and rightly so …” (Helen Richardson-Pszyk; Ewanchuck)

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Pszyk Road Sign
Pszyk Road Sign
View from Olaa-Volcano-Rd-DAGS1665a-1892
View from Olaa-Volcano-Rd-DAGS1665a-1892
Michael Pszyk headstone
Michael Pszyk headstone
Annie Pszyk headstone
Annie Pszyk headstone
Puna_District-DAGS-1808-1893
Puna_District-DAGS-1808-1893
Olaa-Keaau-Proposed Volcano Road-DAGS1665-1893
Olaa-Keaau-Proposed Volcano Road-DAGS1665-1893

Filed Under: Economy, General, Place Names, Prominent People Tagged With: Olaa, Pszyk Road, Ukraine, Mountain View, Hawaii, Olaa Sugar, Hackfeld

April 12, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Honolulu 1848

Nineteen-year-old Gorham D. Gilman arrived in the Islands in 1841. He mastered the Hawaiian language, and pursued his career at several locations in the islands. It is likely Gilman set down his impressions of Honolulu while at sea on his way to California—lured thence by news of the gold strike. The following is his writing, compiled and edited by Sharpless & Greer:

“The first impression generally received of Hon: as the stranger rounds Dimond Pt is that of disappointment. The hills and plains if in the summer season look bare and barren—and burnt-brown by the heat of the sun …”

“… but as the vessel nears the anchorages the prospect is more pleasing the village of Waikiki amid its grove of Coconut trees—the long line of sand beach on which the surf gently roll ….”

“Leaving the vessel at anchor two or three miles from shore—the bay is entered in the boats—the passage safe and commoidious—there being 22 feet of water on the bar which—On either hand makes up and down the coast forming the protection of the harbor from the sea …”

“… on this reef the sea waves curl their tops and break the snowy crests and when old ocean is excited by a storm they crash and break with almost deafning roar—tho harmless—and it is of beautiful and exquisite music of a still evening to hear its reverberations— as it spend it strength on the coral rocks.”

“The first object that arrests the attention on approaching the shore, is the beautiful valley of Nuuanu situated just in the rear of the city and extending inland between two spurs of the Mountain. It is clothed with perpetual green and with its numerous cottages whose white walls peep forth from amid the shrubery has a cool and inviting appearance.”

“Most conspicuous of the buildings, as you near the shore is The Palace The Bungalow (a private residence)—The Large Stone Church—the Catholic Church The Bethel—and some of the larger warehouses of the merchants while from various parts of town may be seen the consular flags of which there is quite a number …”

“… sailing past the Fort which stands at the head of the passage into the harbour—and whose walls bristle with guns—the boat lands at the wharf amid a crowd of boatboys and natives assembled to see the strangers.”

“The first impression of the people as received from the motley crowd of men, women & children here assembled is not apt to be very favorable—their chattering like so many parrots quite amuses one.”

“The city is regularly laid out all the principle streets crossing at right angles cuts up the place into regular squares and makes it easy to find the way from one part to another without difficulty.”

“The most of the streets are wide and pleasant the most unpleasant feature of them is, the high adobie walls which generally line either side sperating the yards & premises of the citizens from the street—these are often plastered and white washed and when the sun is bright the reflection of this light and heat is very unpleasant …”

“… but these unsightly walls are fast giving away to neat picket fences set upon stone foundations which while they protect the premises from the street—afford the passerby a pleasant view of the cultivated yards within and the residences amid the shrubery.”

“The streets present a bustling active appearance during business hours—merchants—and traders are busy transacting their business the drays loaded with [illeg.] imported & for Export—the wharfes filled with goods and all the machinery in motion of an active place.”

“It is amusing to the stranger to stand and study the people as they pass before him—clad in every variety of costume. Some of which is unique in.”

“If it is a hot sweltering day in summer he will be likely to see some native who has become possessed of an old cast off pea jacket, and with this on buttoned up close to the chin—and with neither pants draws nor stockings to cover his legs he will walk up the streets as dignified as possible.”

“Another & quite as common sight is to see a man with a old hat shirt & vest on while his neither limbs have nothing but a pair of thick shoes upon his feet—but who is this? that with her silk parrasol comes by—she is dressed in the richest satin made like a loose dress worn by the laides at home an expensive Canton Crepe tied by two of the corners hangs upon her back …”

“There has been a very great improvement in the appearance of the people in the streets in the last few years—a few years since & it was very common to see some stout backwoodsman from the other Islands walking thru the street clad only with the Malo and the Kehei (Kihei – shawl) …”

“It is supprising almost to see the amount of silks and other rich goods that are worn by the females for they dress much more and better than the males—for a half clad female without some article of foreign fabric is seldom or ever seen in the streets of Hon.”

“I never saw but one of them clad in the ancient cloth & fashion —& she was just in from the backparts of Hawaii—and in an hour was genteelly fitted out by her friends.”

“The females are very ambitious to appear well dressed and strive to imitate as far as possible the fashions set by the Queen & the other female chiefs—and a good many support themselves by the use of their needle being easy to learn and very good seamstresses and commanding good pay for their labour …”

“Broadway (King Street) is the principal street of the city—th’o there is not so much business done here as at some of the others but it is the widiest & longest and the most of a thoroughfare & favorite resort …”

“… this street runs parallel with the harbour thro the whole length of the town—from the river on the most northern side to the plain on the South Eastern—& is two to three miles long.”

“There are a number of stores but all of them retail establishments. Broadway of a Saturday afternoon presents a gay and amusing spectacle—Saturday being a general holiday—and the afternoon particularly so for all classes of natives they strive to press as much amusement possible into the few hours—between the Meridian sun.”

“Consequently, they may be seen at an early hour on horseback—starting off in gay parties for a ride to some of the places of resort in the suburbs every half hour a very perceptable increase of their number may be seen—and at Four O’Clock the plain and valley roads are filled with equestairans riding at any rate from a wild race to the sober jog …”

“… and upon a variety of animals—From the noble horse proud to distinguish himself from the vulger herd—to the demure looking donkey with two or three rouges of boys on his back who try in vain to urge him along …”

“… and some wag not to be out done mounts a half broken in steer and stears his way among the crowd by a single string attached to a ring in the nose of the animal.”

“The women ride across the saddle and with their long flowing robe of silk or bright calico which conceals the leg of the rider— their loose dress—and head either ornamented with a wreath of Flowers or Feathers—or a strawhat with a good quantity of Ribbon flowing Cut quite a dash they are very expert riders indeed …”

“… and seldom got thrown & will accept a chalange to a race over the plain without the least hesitation and will ride fearlessly and ply the whip if likely to be beaten—as the sun sets the crowds turn to town, and now Broadway is all life—the streets are thronged with men & women all dressed out in their very best …”

“… lining the street its whole length it looks like a great gala day—they seem to enjoy the scene very much and their faces seldom can be seen to express more animation than as they pass & repass one another—among hundreds you scarce can find one that is not well dressed …”

“… the horseman & women make Broadway their point of display and come in in crowds or singly—and the bystanders amuse themselves by critizising the riders—like the crowd in the carnival some will be hailed with shouts of laughter at their appearance …”

“…and then words of praise as some good riders go prancing by – women as well as the men enter this gauntlet of opinion & sometimes call forth loud applause.”

“Soon His Maj’s (King Kamehameha III) coming is announced the streets are closed for his approach. He generally on this P.M. has some dozen or twenty in his train—he is a fine rider and makes appearance on horseback. All is hushed as he passes—and the crowds soon disperse to their homes.”

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View_of_Honolulu_Harbor_and_Punchbowl_Crater._(c._1854)
View_of_Honolulu_Harbor_and_Punchbowl_Crater._(c._1854)
Auguste_Borget_-_'Honolulu_Waterfront',_graphite_on_paper,_1838
Auguste_Borget_-_’Honolulu_Waterfront’,_graphite_on_paper,_1838
Honolulu Harbor-Ships pulled by canoes-Henry Walker-1843
Honolulu Harbor-Ships pulled by canoes-Henry Walker-1843
The old palace, which was built in 1845 and was replaced by Iolani Palace in 1882
The old palace, which was built in 1845 and was replaced by Iolani Palace in 1882
Bethel_Church,_Honolulu,_Hawaii
Bethel_Church,_Honolulu,_Hawaii
Our Lady of Peace Cathedral, Honolulu, 1843
Our Lady of Peace Cathedral, Honolulu, 1843
Kawaiahao_Church,_Honolulu,_in_1857
Kawaiahao_Church,_Honolulu,_in_1857
Photograph_of_the_Royal_School,_probably_after_1848
Photograph_of_the_Royal_School,_probably_after_1848
Paul_Emmert_-_'Diamond_Head_from_Aliapaakai',_c._1853-59
Paul_Emmert_-_’Diamond_Head_from_Aliapaakai’,_c._1853-59
No._2._View_of_Honolulu._From_the_Catholic_church._(c._1854)-center image
No._2._View_of_Honolulu._From_the_Catholic_church._(c._1854)-center image
No._1._View_of_Honolulu._From_the_harbor._Burgess-(c._1854)
No._1._View_of_Honolulu._From_the_harbor._Burgess-(c._1854)
John_Prendergast_(English)_-_'Honolulu_Looking_Toward_Diamond_Head'_1848
John_Prendergast_(English)_-_’Honolulu_Looking_Toward_Diamond_Head’_1848
Interior_of_the_Fort,_Honolulu_Harbor-1830s-1840s
Interior_of_the_Fort,_Honolulu_Harbor-1830s-1840s
Honolulu Hale-gov't bldg of Kingdom -Paul_Emmert-1853
Honolulu Hale-gov’t bldg of Kingdom -Paul_Emmert-1853
Honolulu Hale-governmental building then post office from 1853-1871
Honolulu Hale-governmental building then post office from 1853-1871
Hiram Bingham House, Mission Houses Museum
Hiram Bingham House, Mission Houses Museum
Downtown_Honolulu-Land_Commission_Awards-Map-1847-Black & White
Downtown_Honolulu-Land_Commission_Awards-Map-1847-Black & White
Downtown and Vicinity-Street_Names-Map-1843
Downtown and Vicinity-Street_Names-Map-1843
Honolulu_Harbor-Downtown-1847
Honolulu_Harbor-Downtown-1847

Filed Under: Economy, General, Buildings, Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Honolulu, Timeline, 1848

April 5, 2018 by Peter T Young 3 Comments

Japanese Language Schools

Japanese came to Hawai‘i to work on the plantations between 1885 and 1924, when limits were placed on the numbers permitted entry.

“The government contract workers who arrived in Hawaii in the 1880s did not have much time or energy to worry about their children’s education.”

“Their only aim was to make enough money to return to Japan. With mothers going to work from early in the morning the children were virtually left to themselves all day long.”

“Takie Okumura, posted in Hawaii as a minister after his graduation from Doshisha University, was astonished as he made his pastoral rounds at how little communication the immigrant children had with their parents.” (Duus)

“Christian missionary Reverend Takie Okumura, who started Honolulu’s first Japanese language school, was moved by a little girl’s peculiar Japanese: ‘Me mama hanahana yōkonai’ in response to his question ‘Are you with your mother?’[“

“He learned that ‘me mama’ was pidgin for ‘my mother’, ‘hanahana’ was the Hawaiian word for ‘work,’ and ‘yōkonai’ was a Japanese expression equivalent to ‘cannot come.’”

“Okumura credits this exchange for his strong urge to establish a school.”

“After several failed attempts to receive support from either the Japanese consul general in Honolulu or politicians in Japan, Reverend Okumura decided to establish a school independently.”

“On April 6, 1896, he opened the Nihonjin Shōgakkō (Japanese Elementary School) in a room of the Queen Emma Hall, originally used as Queen Emma’s residence, with 30 students. Okumura purchased desks and chairs from $15 in donations and was able to use the room for free.”

“The first Japanese language program at a public school was established at McKinley High School in Honolulu on October 1, 1924.

“The first instructor of Japanese language at the public school was University of Hawaii Japanese Professor Tasuku Harada, who had a close relationship with Reverend Okumura. Harada was a former president of Dōshisha University (Congregationalist).” (Asato)

“Both Harada and Okumura were on the Japanese committee of the Hawaiian Evangelical Association and members of the Textbook Revision Joint Committee.”

“This Japanese language program was arranged by the Committee for Oriental Language Studies, chaired by University of Hawaii President Arthur L. Dean, who also was an American member of the Joint Committee for Textbook Revision.”

“The minutes of the Japanese committee of the Hawaiian Evangelical Association, dated September 10, a month before the Japanese program at McKinley High School began, reveals who was involved with this movement.”

“During the meeting, Treasurer Theodore Richards expressed his concern about female high-school students who attended the Hongwanji School for advanced Japanese language study, saying that they ‘were getting led away from Christianity.’”

“Richards was discussing the Hongwanji Girls’ High School (Hawai Kōtō Jogakkō) established in 1910, the girls’ counterpart of Hongwanji’s junior high school, Hawai Chūgakkō, established three years earlier.”

“Okumura and Imamura had a long history of confrontation over creating their own high schools. Imamura invited Ryūsaku Tsunoda, who later established Japanese Studies at Columbia University, to be principal of the first Japanese junior high school, the Hawai Chūgakkō.”

“Okumura tried to compete by offering a junior-high-school-level class at his “secular” Honolulu Nihonjin Shōgakkō, although this advanced class was short-lived because of low enrollment.”

“Then, in 1910 the Hongwanji Girls’ High School opened, and Okumura again countered by expanding his Japanese school with both its junior high school and girls’ school, renaming it the Hawaii Chūō Gakuin or Central Institute.”

“So it was no surprise that in 1924, after discussion, the Evangelical Association appointed Harada and Okumura to ‘investigate the matter of organizing a Japanese high school.’”

“At their next meeting, on October 8, 1924, Reverend William D. Westervelt reported that Japanese instruction at McKinley High School was arranged by working with Superintendent Willard E. Givens, University of Hawaii President Dean, DPI supervisor of foreign language schools Henry B. Schwartz and McKinley High School Principal Miles E. Cary. “

“Westervelt also reported that the University of Hawaii agreed to recognize the credits students earned from the Japanese program at the high school as entrance credits for the university. Okumura stated that ‘this plan was satisfactory for the present taking care of the Japanese High School teaching’”.

“Although Japanese instruction began at public schools in 1924, it did not seem to prosper. Besides McKinley High School, only one other public school seems to have offered Japanese. Reverend Kikujiro C. Kondo of the Hawaiian Evangelical Association began teaching Japanese at Maui High School in 1925 while taking care of the Paia church on Maui.”

“Reverend Kondo later moved to Honolulu to take over the McKinley High School Japanese program from Mr. Kunimoto, Harada’s successor, in 1926.” (Asato)

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Japanese_Coming_Off_Ship-causeway on Sand Island-(HSA)-PP-46-4-005-00001
Japanese_Coming_Off_Ship-causeway on Sand Island-(HSA)-PP-46-4-005-00001

Filed Under: General, Prominent People, Schools, Economy Tagged With: Hawaii, Japanese, Sugar, Japanese Language Schools

April 3, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Mānoa Heritage Center

Mānoa Heritage Center is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote stewardship of the natural and cultural heritage of Hawai‘i. The site consists of Kūali‘i, a Tudor-style house built in 1911, Kūka‘ō‘ō Heiau and a Native Hawaiian garden.

The site is the former home of Charles Montague Cooke, Jr. Charles Montague Cooke Sr gave the land to his son in 1902. On it his son established Kaimi dairy.

In 1911, Emory & Webb, a major architectural firm in Honolulu, designed this house, and it stands as one of their major works from this period. Other works of theirs from this time include the YMCA and the First Methodist Church.

Amos Starr Cooke came to Hawai‘i in 1837 as a missionary. He and his wife Juliette, were selected by King Kamehameha III to educate the next generation of Hawai‘i leadership (including Kamehameha IV and V, Lunalilo, Kalākaua, Lili‘uokalani and others)

Cooke later founded the firm of Castle & Cooke in 1851, which became one of the ‘Big Five’ sugar companies, which dominated so much of Hawai’ i’s economic, social and political history up through World War II.

Charles Montague Cooke Jr. was the grandson of Amos Starr Cooke and the son of Charles Montague Cooke. His father was the President of both C Brewer, another of the ‘Big Five’ firms, and the Bank of Hawai’i.

Dr. Charles Montague Cooke Jr. was born in Honolulu in 1874, and attended Punahou and Yale. In 1901 he received his PhD and went to Europe to do scientific work in London and Paris.

In 1902 he returned to Hawai’i to work at the Bishop Museum, where he made valuable contributions to the field of malachology, the branch of zoology that deals with mollusks, especially with regards to the study of Hawaiian land snails. He headed a number of scientific expeditions throughout Polynesia and was the author of 45 scientific works. (NPS)

Kūali‘i, the house on the site, is a two-story Tudor revival style house. It is situated at the top of a hill in Mānoa Valley and has a large front lawn gracefully landscaped with several mature monkey pod and shower trees. The front of the house is separated from Mānoa Road by a stone wall, and a circular drive provides vehicular access to the property. (NPS)

The lava rock basement and first floor support half-timber and stucco second and third floors. The home has three bays with a large 2-story porte cochere off the center bay. Two stonewall chimneys anchor the outside bays. The stone was quarried in the front year where the driveway now circles between two stone pillars of the front rock wall.

The house was originally going to be sited where a heiau (temple) was situated – and use the stone from the heiau as the foundation. Instead, the house was located so as not to disturb the heiau. (Ferraro; Pōhaku) The heiau was later restored.

According to legends, the menehune built a fort and heiau at the top of the hill ‘Ulumalu. They were driven away from their fort by the high chief Kūali‘i during his reign (sometime in the 1700s). Kuali‘i rebuilt it after his seizure of the fort. (Cultural Surveys)

This heiau was the center piece of a string of heiaus that strung across the Kona district. The existence of such an important heiau at the mouth of the valley could be taken as an indication of the early importance of Mānoa.

Another legend says that the menehune were driven from their fort and temple by the owls, who became their bitter enemies.
The legends say that the fairy people, the Menehunes, built a temple and a fort a little farther up the valley above Pu‘u-pueo, at a place called Kūka‘ō‘ō.

Surrounding Kūka‘ō‘ō Heiau is a Native Hawaiian garden featuring endemic and indigenous plants, as well as Polynesian introductions.

In addition, a Polynesian Introduced Garden offers an array of ‘Canoe Plants’ representing those that may have come with ancient seafarers from the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa and other South Pacific archipelagoes.

The first settlers of Hawaiʻi arriving by canoe, brought many of their favorite plants for food, seasoning, medicine, making household items and implements to farm, build structures and use for clothing.

Taro (kalo) became the staple of the Hawaiian diet and they developed hundreds of varieties, adapted to suit diverse terrain and weather conditions. Sweet potato (uala) was sometimes substituted for taro in the drier areas.

Tumeric (ʻolena) was used to produce a brilliant yellow orange dye for clothing, coconut (niu) for bowls, drums and roof tops, and kawa (ʻawa) to ease a painful headache were treasured supplies. (Mānoa Heritage Center)

The house, heiau and gardens are part of the Mānoa Heritage Center, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote stewardship of the natural and cultural heritage of Hawai‘i. It was the home of Sam and Mary Cooke and the restoration of the property was through their efforts.

Currently, Kūka‘ō‘ō Heiau and garden tours are available, guided by volunteer docents. Reservations are needed with two-week advance notice preferred.

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Manoa Heritage Center map
Manoa Heritage Center map
Kukaoo_Heiau-AuthorGeneParola
Kukaoo_Heiau-AuthorGeneParola
Kukaoo_Heiau-AnnCecil
Kukaoo_Heiau-AnnCecil
Kualii-Manoa Rd-2859-gateposts-WC
Kualii-Manoa Rd-2859-gateposts-WC
Kualii-from-Oahu Ave-below-WC
Kualii-from-Oahu Ave-below-WC
Honolulu-Manoa-Road-2859-WC
Honolulu-Manoa-Road-2859-WC
Charles-Montague-Cooke-Jr-House-WC
Charles-Montague-Cooke-Jr-House-WC
Kualii-Manoa-Valley-above-WC
Kualii-Manoa-Valley-above-WC

Filed Under: Prominent People, General, Buildings, Economy, Missionaries / Churches / Religious Buildings, Hawaiian Traditions, Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Oahu, Juliette Cooke, Amos Cooke, Manoa, Castle and Cooke, Manoa Heritage Center, Charles Montague Cooke

April 2, 2018 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Loading Cattle

“In 1777 there was not one cow, sheep, horse or goat anywhere in the area that is now the State of Hawaii. In fact, the only land mammals in the Islands were a small light weight pig, Poi Dogs (eating type), Polynesian rat, Hoary bat, and Hawaiians.”

“All this was destined to change abruptly and dramatically. Goats were introduced to some of the Islands by Captain James Cook, who rediscovered them in 1778 …”

“In two voyages, 1792 and 1793, Captain George Vancouver landed 7 cows, 1 heifer, 2 bull calves, and 1 bull on the Big Island. These animals were for the most part black longhorns, believed to be of the line that the Mexicans used for their bull-bear contest.”

“The animals were obtained from what is now British Columbia and Monterey, Calif. In addition to the 11 longhorns, 7 rams, 9 ewes, and some goats were also presented to the ruling monarch, King Kamehameha.”

“The King placed a kapu (taboo) against the killing of these animals, which were subsequently turned loose upon the unsuspecting vegetation. By 1830, the number of animals on the Big Island alone was estimated to be 20,000 cattle, 3,000 sheep, 1,200 horses (introduced in 1803) and numerous goats.” (Smith)

“Beginning in 1786, ships trading in the Pacific had begun to stop in Hawaiian ports on a regular basis. Their captains were very interested in securing fresh provisions, including water, salt, wood, vegetables, and meat.”

“They also saw Hawaii as a good place to rest and recuperate, especially during the harsh winters of the northern seas. Captains found the protected, natural harbor at Honolulu the most accessible and, therefore, the most attractive in the islands, Thus, by 1810, Honolulu had already become a port of great commercial importance.” (Strazar)

Salt meat could store longer than fresh – what about fresh meat for those in the Islands?

Refrigeration first came to Hawai‘i in the middle of the nineteenth century. “The first Boston ice brought to these islands, was received on the 14th inst. (September 14, 1850) by brig Fortunio, Hasty, via San Francisco.” (Polynesian, September 21, 1850)

Then, “(a) few tons of ice were brought to this port from San Francisco by the bark Harriet T Bartlet, Capt Heeren, and a part sold by our friend Thompson, at auction, on Tuesday.”

“This is the first importation of the kind, in any quantity, to this market, and but the beginning, it is to be hoped, of a regular supply of this luxury to the inhabitants of this city.” (Polynesian, June 26, 1852)

Then, they started to make ice in the Islands. “Ice Manufacture. The establishment on the Esplanade for the manufacture of ice by chemical process, has been in operation during several days past. “

“Like all new beginnings, difficulties have had to be met and overcome, but yesterday the machinery was in the full tide of successful experiment, and to-day we expect to be able to see home-made ice.”

“It is expected that enough will be manufactured to supply the demand for the city, and at such rates as will prevent the necessity of importing the luxury from California.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, September 2, 1871)

“Before the days of refrigeration, cattle, for other than the local markets of each island, had to be shipped live to the island of O‘ahu where, because of the larger population and accelerated development, the demand for fresh beef was always greater.”

“The transporting of live cattle posed dramatic technical challenges that were complicated by the absence of deep-water wharfs where an inter-island schooner or steamer could dock for loading of cattle.”

“Ranchers, therefore, had to have their paniolo drag cattle out through the pounding surf to longboats that rowed out to the main steamer with cattle tied by the head to the gunwales.”

“Later solutions included a drop chute utilizing a trap door that released the cattle one by one to the sea where a rope would then be thrown to the waiting longboat.” (Strazar)

“The cattle at Napo‘opo‘o were driven and dragged into the water, a rope around the neck and a cowboy holding the animal’s tail …. Drawn alongside the small boat, another rope was secured to the horns and the one taken from the neck, the head being secured to the side of the boat.”

“They are tied very close together, perhaps eight or ten on either side, and in some cases the animals fought and pawed one another in the water. The small boat is drawn out to the steamer and some of the animals loaded by slings under the middle while others are drawn up by the horns.”

“A woman in Kona, and whose cattle these happened to be, was present and I spoke to her about the nonuse of slings. She said the ‘light’ cattle were always loaded that way and slings used for the heavy ones…” (National Humane Review, July 1919)

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Filed Under: General, Economy Tagged With: Hawaii, Cattle

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