Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery – Videos of Performances

Hawaiian Mission Houses sponsored Cemetery Pupu Theater the past two weekends – if you missed it, you missed some great live performances.  However, I taped each (on my cell phone) and links to each are provided here.
Actors are dressed in period costume telling the life events of select individuals buried at O‘ahu Cemetery – at their respective grave sites.  There was nothing ghoulish about it; rather, it was very effective storytelling.
Portrayed in the June 2012 Hawaiian Mission Houses Cemetery Pupu Theater program were:
John Papa I’i (1800-1870) (portrayed by William Hao)
John Papa Ii was a leading citizen of the Hawaiian kingdom during the nineteenth century. Born in 1800 and raised under the traditional kapu system, I‘i was trained from earliest childhood for a life of service to the high chiefs.
Ii served as a general superintendent of O’ahu schools and was an influential member in the court of Kamehameha III. He was appointed by the king to the Treasury Board; was a member of the Privy Council; Board of Land Commissioners and was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i .
Cherilla Lowrey (1861-1917) (portrayed by Hanna Gaffney)
Cherilla Lowry founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (TOC) (100-years ago) whose mission was to “Keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.” Twenty-two Monkeypod trees were planted in A‘ala Park as the organization’s first tree planting project.
Through its mission, much of TOC’s activities strive to educate youth and local citizens about environmental issues that concern the preservation and conservation of Hawai’i’s natural resources, including planting trees, beautifying parks and public areas including parks, streets, playgrounds and schools and bicycle paths.
Eliab Grimes (1780–1848) (portrayed by Zachary Thomas)
Captain Eliab Grimes, a native of Massachusetts, was a Honolulu merchant of many years and operated with his nephew Hiram, as the firm E & H Grimes.  Eliab Grimes persuaded John Sinclair to occupy the Rancho Del Paso (a 44,371-acre Mexican land grant in present day Sacramento County, California)  until such time as he (Grimes) could take legal title to it.
A fur trader whose voyages in illegal activities brought him face-to-face with the Spanish Armada, and required ransoming a crew which included John Dominis, the future would-be father-in-law to Queen Lili`uokalani.
Lucy Thurston (1795 — 1876) (portrayed by Cecilia Fordham)
Asa Thurston (1787–1868) and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.  Lucy Goodale Thurston voyaged to the Hawaiian Islands in 1820 intent on bringing the word of God to its inhabitants.  During the next fifty years she raised a family, dealt with tragedy and helped to change the future of Hawaii forever.
The Thurstons, unlike most missionary couples, spent most of the rest of their lives in the islands.  Lucy compiled her letters and other writings into one of the most vivid accounts of the early mission days.  She underwent a mastectomy without anesthetic in 1855.  She died on October 13, 1876 in Honolulu.
Lorrin Andrews (1795–1868) (portrayed by Jeff Gere)
Lorrin Andrews was an early American missionary to Hawaii and judge.   In June 1831 the mission hoped to establish a seminary on Maui, since it was somewhat centrally located among the Hawaiian Islands. Andrews was selected to run the school called Lahainaluna for “upper Lahaina”.
On September 5, 1831 classes began in thatched huts with 25 married Hawaiian young men. It was the first college west of the Rocky Mountains.  His students published the first newspaper and were involved in the first case of counterfeiting currency in Hawaiʻi.  He later served as a judge and became a member of Hawai‘i’s first Supreme Court.
Please also consider visiting the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (on King Street, adjoining Kawaiaha‘o Church.)  I am honored and proud to have been recently elected to serve on the Missions Houses Board of Trustees.

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery, Hawai‘i – 6 pm, June 22-23

This is waaay cool – we went last night.
Founded in 1844, O‘ahu Cemetery is Hawai‘i’s oldest public graveyard.  Over the years, O‘ahu Cemetery has become the permanent resting place of hundreds of prominent history makers.
Located on 18-acres in lower Nu’uanu Valley, near downtown Honolulu, O’ahu Cemetery is a “classic” example of an early American “rural” cemetery, distinguished by a park-like setting, and an eye-catching array of ornately carved tombstones.
Hawaiian Mission Houses is presenting Cemetery Pupu Theater – actors dressed in period costume telling the life events of select individuals buried at O’ahu Cemetery – at their respective grave sites.
There was nothing ghoulish about it; rather, it was very effective storytelling.  When you get there, you are separated into groups then go from gravesite to gravesite for each presentation.
$60 per person – includes drinks and pupu, seating limited, RSVP required.  Click here to make your reservation:  https://safesite.4agoodcause.com/mission-houses-museum/event1.aspx?eventid=15
Portrayed in the June Hawaiian Mission Houses Cemetery Pupu Theater program include:
John Papa I‘i (1800-1870)
John Papa Ii was a leading citizen of the Hawaiian kingdom during the nineteenth century. Born in 1800 and raised under the traditional kapu system, I‘i was trained from earliest childhood for a life of service to the high chiefs.
I‘i served as a general superintendent of O‘ahu schools and was an influential member in the court of Kamehameha III. He was appointed by the king to the Treasury Board; was a member of the Privy Council; Board of Land Commissioners and was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i .
Cherilla Lowry (1861 – 1917)
Cherilla Lowry founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (TOC) (100-years ago) whose mission was to “Keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.”  Twenty-two Monkeypod trees were planted in A‘ala Park as the organization’s first tree planting project.
Through its mission, much of TOC’s activities strive to educate youth and local citizens about environmental issues that concern the preservation and conservation of Hawai’i’s natural resources, including planting trees, beautifying parks and public areas including parks, streets, playgrounds and schools and bicycle paths.
Eliab Grimes (1780–1848)
Captain Eliab Grimes, a native of Massachusetts, was a Honolulu merchant of many years and operated with his nephew Hiram, as the firm E & H Grimes.  Eliab Grimes persuaded John Sinclair to occupy the Rancho Del Paso (a 44,371-acre Mexican land grant in present day Sacramento County, California)  until such time as he (Grimes) could take legal title to it.
In 1844, Eliab Grimes received the official land grant. Over the next four years, Grimes and Sinclair, raised cattle and harvested wheat on the property.  Grimes, who subsequently became an important trader and political figure in San Francisco, died in 1848
Lucy Thurston (1795 – 1876)
Asa Thurston (1787–1868) and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.  Lucy Goodale Thurston voyaged to the Hawaiian Islands in 1820 intent on bringing the word of God to its inhabitants.  During the next fifty years she raised a family, dealt with tragedy and helped to change the future of Hawaii forever.
The Thurstons, unlike most missionary couples, spent most of the rest of their lives in the islands.  Lucy compiled her letters and other writings into one of the most vivid accounts of the early mission days.  She underwent a mastectomy without anesthetic in 1855.  She died on October 13, 1876 in Honolulu.
Lorrin Andrews (1795–1868)
Lorrin Andrews was an early American missionary to Hawaii and judge.   In June 1831 the mission hoped to establish a seminary on Maui, since it was somewhat centrally located among the Hawaiian Islands. Andrews was selected to run the school called Lahainaluna for “upper Lahaina.”
On September 5, 1831 classes began in thatched huts with 25 married Hawaiian young men. It was the first college west of the Rocky Mountains.  His students published the first newspaper and were involved in the first case of counterfeiting currency in Hawaiʻi. He later served as a judge and became a member of Hawai‘i’s first Supreme Court.
Please also consider visiting the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (on King Street, adjoining Kawaiaha‘o Church.)  (I am honored and proud to have been recently elected to serve on the Mission Houses Board of Trustees.)
I posted a video on YouTube of “Cherilla Lowrey” (1861-1917) founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (she is portrayed by Hanna Gaffney.)  (There as a little wind and rain – it was recorded on my cellphone.)
Click here to make your reservation:

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery – 6 pm, June 15-16; 22-23

As of earlier this week, there are still spots open to attend this event.
This is waaay cool.
Actors are dressed in period costume, telling the life events of select individuals buried at O‘ahu Cemetery, at their respective grave sites.
There was nothing ghoulish about it; rather, it was very effective storytelling.
$60 per person – includes drinks and pupu, seating limited, RSVP required.
We went last year and are already signed up for this one – I suggest you do, too.  It’s lots of fun and a good learning experience.
Portrayed in the June Hawaiian Mission Houses Cemetery Pupu Theater program will be:
John Papa I‘i (1800-1870) – Served Kamehameha I, II, III and IV; was general superintendent of O’ahu schools; was appointed by the king to the Treasury Board; was a member of the Privy Council; Board of Land Commissioners and was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i .
Cherilla Lowry (1861-1917) – Founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (TOC) (100-years ago) whose mission was to “Keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.”
Eliab Grimes (1780-1848) – A fur trader whose voyages in illegal activities brought him face-to-face with the Spanish Armada, and required ransoming a crew which included John Dominis, the future would-be father-in-law to Queen Lili`uokalani.
Lucy Thurston (1795-1876) – Wife of Asa Thurston and part of the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.  She underwent a mastectomy without anesthetic in 1855. She died on October 13, 1876 in Honolulu.
Lorrin Andrews (1795-1868) – An early American missionary to Hawaii and judge. In June 1831 the mission hoped to establish a seminary on Maui, since it was somewhat centrally located among the Hawaiian Islands. Andrews was selected to run the school called Lahainaluna for “upper Lahaina”.
Please also consider visiting the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (on King Street, adjoining Kawaiaha‘o Church.)
(I am honored and proud to have been recently elected to serve on the Mission Houses Board of Trustees.)

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Henry Opukahaʻia’s Influence on Missionaries Coming to Hawaiʻi

The history and growth of Christianity in Hawaiʻi include Henry Opukahaʻia, a native Hawaiian from the Island of Hawaiʻi.
In 1809, at the age of 16, after his parents had been killed, he boarded a sailing ship anchored in Kealakekua Bay and sailed to the continent.
On board, he developed a friendship with a Christian sailor who, using the Bible, began teaching Opukahaʻia how to read and write.
Once landed, he traveled throughout New England and continued to learn and study.
Opukahaʻia’s life in New England was greatly influenced by many young men with proven sincerity and religious fervor that were active in the Second Great Awakening and the establishment of the missionary movement.
These men had a major impact on Opukahaʻia’s enlightenment in Christianity and his vision to return to Hawaiʻi as a Christian missionary.
By 1817, a dozen students, six of them Hawaiians, were training at the Foreign Mission School to become missionaries to teach the Christian faith to people around the world.
He improved his English by writing the story of his life in a book called “Memoirs of Henry Obookiah” (the spelling of his name prior to establishment of the formal Hawaiian alphabet, based on its sound.)
Opukahaʻia died suddenly of typhus fever in 1818.  The book about his life was printed and circulated after his death.
Opukahaʻia’s book inspired 14 missionaries to volunteer to carry his message to the Sandwich Islands. 
On October 23, 1819, a group of missionaries from the northeast United States, set sail on the Thaddeus for the Sandwich Islands (now known as Hawai‘i.)
There were seven couples sent by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to convert the Hawaiians to Christianity.
These included two Ordained Preachers, Hiram Bingham and his wife Sybil and Asa Thurston and his wife Lucy; two Teachers, Mr. Samuel Whitney and his wife Mercy and Samuel Ruggles and his wife Mary; a Doctor, Thomas Holman and his wife Lucia; a Printer, Elisha Loomis and his wife Maria; a Farmer, Daniel Chamberlain, his wife and five children.
Along with them were four Hawaiian youths who had been students at the Foreign Mission School, Thomas Hopu, William Kanui, John Honoliʻi and Prince Humehume (son of Kauaiʻi’s King Kaumuali‘i and also known as Prince George Kaumuali‘i.)
After 164 days at sea, on April 4, 1820 (192-years ago, today,) the Thaddeus first arrived and anchored at Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaiʻi.
Hawai‘i’s “Plymouth Rock” is about where the Kailua pier is today.
The Thurstons remained in Kailua-Kona, while their fellow missionaries went to establish stations on other Hawaiian islands.
Hiram Bingham, the leader of the group, went to Honolulu to set up a mission headquarters; Whitney and Ruggles accompanied Prince Kaumuali‘i on his return to Kaua‘i.  (Hiram is my great-great-great grandfather.)
By the time the missionaries arrived, Kamehameha I had died, Liholiho (his son) was king and the kapu system had been abolished.
I have added a folder of like name in the Photos section of my Facebook page of images from Hiram Bingham’s book, “A Residence of Twenty-one Years in the Sandwich Islands” and other related images.  Several of the illustrations show missionary work across the islands.

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

John Webber Images of Old Hawaiʻi

John Webber (1751 – 1793)
John Webber served as official artist on Captain James Cook’s third voyage of discovery around the Pacific (1776-1780) aboard HMS Resolution.
On this voyage, during which Cook lost his life in a fight in Hawai‘i.
Webber became the first European artist to make contact with Hawai‘i, then called the Sandwich Islands.
He made numerous watercolor landscapes of the islands of Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i, and also portrayed many of the Hawaiian people.
I have uploaded a number of John Webber images (landscapes, portraits and other scenes) into a folder of like name in my Facebook Photos section.