Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Rescue in Paradise

Douglas developed the B-18 “Bolo” to replace the Martin B-10; the new model was based on the Douglas DC-2 commercial transport.  The B-18 prototype competed with the Martin 146 (an improved B-10) and the four-engine Boeing 299, forerunner of the B-17 Flying Fortress, at the Air Corps bombing trials at Wright Field in 1935.

Although many Air Corps officers judged the Boeing design superior, the Army General Staff preferred the less costly Bolo; contracts were awarded for 82-planes, the order was increased to 132 by June of 1936.  (Trojan)

The Bolo remained the Air Corps’ primary bomber into 1941. Thirty-three B-18s were based in Hawaiʻi with the 5th Bombardment Group and 11th Bombardment Group.

One of those Hawaiʻi B-18 Bolos, piloted by Boyd Hubbard Jr, took off from Hickam Field at 7 pm February 25, 1941 for a routine inter-island night instrument-navigation training flight. (Trojan)

Other members of the crew were 2nd Lt Francis R. Thompson (co-pilot), S/Sgt Joseph S. Paulhamus (flying engineer), Pvt William Cohn (radio operator), Pvt Fred C. Seeger (passenger), Pvt Robert R. Stevens (passenger) WIA. (Aviation Safety Network)

Their flight path took them over the Island of Hawaiʻi.  While flying on instruments at 10,000-feet, Hubbard’s B-18 suffered a main bearing failure in the left engine.  Hubbard headed to Suiter Field, the Army’s auxiliary field (it is now known as Upolū Point Airport.)

Hubbard made a last split-second correction prior to the crash. As he later described it, the mountain just loomed up before him in the darkness and he just reacted. He pulled back hard on the wheel and the aircraft stalled and belly flopped into the thick underbrush.

Airmen from Hickam later described the site as the “Worst possible place for a forced landing in the Islands.”  (Trojan)

“The quiet of the wooded mountains was shattered by a roaring crash! No human ear heard the sound; but shortly thereafter the phone in my office rang with an urgent persistance.”

They called Frederick Christian Koelling (superintendent of the Kohala Ditch Co and engineer for the Hawi Mill and Plantation Co. (Nellist))

“I picked up the receiver with no inkling of the adventure into which this simple gesture would lead me. The voice which answered was an unfamiliar one, but the message imparted sent me running for help and set in motion the ’rescue in paradise’ which saved the lives of a gallant crew of six army fliers.”

“Prior to the rescue attempt, I asked the Army to locate Bill Sproat, our area supervisor, and fly him over the site of the crash. Bill, being thoroughly ‘at home”’ in this area, could easily give me directions which I felt would minimize the time required to effect a ground rescue.”

“On Wednesday, February 26th, having talked with Bill by telephone and determined the approximate location of the downed plane, I gathered a party of co-workers including Leslie Hannah, Ronald May, Elders Johnson and Lyons, and left Hawi, our home base, at noon for Pololu.”

“Arriving at Pololu, the first station in the Kohala Sugar Company irrigation system, we obtained mules and rode up the winding trail to Kaukini Camp.”

The next day, “we left Kaukini Camp just as dawn was breaking. Our party of eight now pushed on to the end of the trail where we dismounted and the mules were staked out. The area, known as Wailoa, was not as familiar to us as the previous terrain. However, a foot trail had been cleared for another two miles or more through these ravines.”

“We followed this trail until we reached the spot previously agreed upon between Bill Sproat and myself as being the most likely approach to where the plane had gone down.”

“We hacked our way up and down a series of steep ravines, crossing a rushing stream at the bottom of each. … In order to cover more ground, we separated into two parties of four and followed the edges of two gulches above which we had determined was the wrecked plane.”

“After more than an hour of steady climbing, always hampered by the dense foliage, vines and marshy soil underfoot, we met at the top of the second gulch. For another two and one-half hours we struggled and hacked our way with machetes over, through and around trees, staghorn ferns, rotten brush and clinging vines.”

“Two of our men had climbed trees above the underbrush to listen for an acknowledgement from the flyers. The men claimed they heard answering shots sounding like firecrackers in the still air, pak-pak!”

“Immediately the lagging spirits of the party revived. and we continued on with renewed vigor, putting considerable distance behind us over firmer terrain with less undergrowth.”

“After another half hour of steady climbing, we again checked our position, firing more rifle-shots, and again we could hear an answering, pak, pak, pak! As we strained our ears to pin-point the shots, suddenly one of our group saw a flare, a small parachute trailing smoke and fire a considerable distance away.”

“Another ridge, another gulch, until we finally reached a point where we could call to the stranded flyers. … Despite the fact that they had acknowledged our calls, we were very much in doubt as to the physical well-being of the survivors.”

“The scattered debris, the crushed and fallen trees, plus the sight of the badly damaged plane, caused considerable apprehension, as to the condition of the flyers; badly injured or worse.

“Miraculously, and no doubt due to the thick growth of trees and shrubs, the plane had landed with far less impact than it would have, had it crashed in a desert or open area. The survivors were only slightly hurt, a mighty fortunate crew indeed!”

“One of the aviators had a bandage over one eye; another an injured hand, a third had one pants leg ripped off and a lacerated leg, and the fourth bad a bruise on his face!”

“Captain Boyd Hubbard, leader of the crew, had a rather badly bruised arm, but the Lieutenant escaped with only a scratch!  The marvelous condition of the flyers was a most welcome sight to their rescuers. If they had been seriously injured we would have had a much more difficult time getting them down out of the mountains.”

“After some consultation, it was decided that our party and two of the least injured aviators would return to the Kaukini Camp for the night.  Bill Sproat was at that time, leading another party over our trail.”

Among this group were Major Higgins from Wheeler Field, a Dr. Hall, two mechanics and a number of Army personnel. Our presence at the scene would not be necessary as this group was better equipped to assist in the salvage work on the aircraft. Therefore, we immediately set out on our return trip.”

“It was with profound relief that we relaxed somewhat in our saddles after the exhausting descent. However, our troubles were not all over. We now proceeded entirely in darkness. Suddenly, one of the pack mules broke loose and lunged forward down the trail dragging its tie rope. Ronald May, whose mule was next in line, pursued the pack mule.”

“Fortunately, the tie rope became lodged in a rock cleft before the mule had traveled very far. Ronald leapt from his mount and grabbed for the tie rope – at the same instant, one of the aviators brought his flash into play. The sudden bright light [panicked] the mule causing the animal to plunge into Ronald who fell back off the trail and down the cliff coming to a splashing halt in a pool of water ten feet below.”

“We all came to a quick halt, pulling up our mules on the narrow trail. By great good fortune, Ronald was promptly located and, with the aid of a rope, we hauled him back up to the trail, more doused than hurt. The recalcitrant mule was firmly tied into the pack train and we all proceeded on to the stables above the Kaukini Camp.”

“Upon reaching Pololu, we disbanded and I drove the two aviators to [Upolū] Point Field from whence they were flown to Wheeler Field in Oahu. During the following days, the entire crew was brought out of the mountains along with all salvageable parts of the aircraft (the bombsight and instruments, Aviation Safety Network) by Bill Sproat and the Anny personnel who had accompanied him to the site.”

Decades later (during 1980s?) Gary Larkins visited this site and photographed it with top turret intact. Internal fittings and the top turret were removed, including the retractable top turret and nose cone. These parts went to the USAF Museum for use in their restoration of B-18A Bolo 37-469, but the turret did not fit their aircraft. (Aviation Safety Network) (Special thanks to Cindy McKievick for providing her grandfathers’ (FC Koelling) summary of his heroic rescue.)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kimis

William James Kimi was born on January 10, 1898, in Hilo, Hawaii; his father, Sapau James Kimi Fong, was 41 and his mother, Maria da Conceicao Cozy Deniz, was 19. He married Matilda Elizabeth Wassman on May 28, 1920, in Hilo.

“Kimi had a long and varied career. He and the late State Sen. William H. (Doc) Hill began their political careers together in 1928 when both were elected to the Territorial House as Republicans. Kimi served in the Senate in the 1935 and 1937 legislatures, switched to the Democratic Party in 1938 and in 1959 rejoined the GOP.”

“The kamaaina had served as liquor commissioner, County Building Inspector and a variety of other appointments. His business career was widely varied from cane grower, to housing developer (Kimiville [a low rent housing development in Hilo])”. (HTH, Aug 20, 1971)

One of Kimi’s sons, Richard Wassman Kimi (born Feb 3, 1925), “had to learn at a young age whatever skills it took to help put food on the family table. As his father was quite the entrepreneur.”

“Richard worked hard at their drive-in diner at nights, Hilo’s only roller skating rink on weekends, the circus when it came to town, and waking up at 2 am every morning to make ice cream that he would sell at chicken fights and pay days in the Hamakua Coast plantation camps.”

He “yearned and learned to be a salesman. His education [was on] the streets rather than the classroom. At age 8, because of family hardships, he lived in Kamuela with his hanai Uncle and Aunty and learned cattle raising and building roads on their ranch.”

“Right after the Pearl Harbor attacks, he enlisted to serve our country in the U.S. Army; where his leadership skills earned him his Sergeant stripes at age 19, the youngest Sergeant in the U.S. Army at the time. When the war ended he chose to return home to help his family business”.

That business “was now selling Army surplus goods (over-supplies like clothing, tents, shovels, canteens, trucks, bull-dozers, electric and plumbing fixtures) at his father’s store near Hilo airport; where Hilo Seaside Hotel is today.”

“As the business kept struggling, he turned to the construction business with the surplus equipment he could not sell. He and his brothers built Kimiville … Soon, his successful sales skills sold all the surplus store inventory; except for an old dump truck, a bulldozer, some lumber, roofing and a steam-roller.”

“He was 29 by then, but wanted a life for his family that made money while you were sleeping and decided to build a hotel where the surplus store was. All the ‘experts’ he consulted thought he was crazy yet the contrarian that he was he saw an opportunity the war had ended and prosperity was in the air why not build a hotel that was affordable to the average person?” (Legacy Obituary)

“Alan Kimi, Richard’s son and president of Seaside Hotels Hawaii, said his father never wanted to build large hotels. He said his father’s main objective was to serve local residents and budget-minded visitors.

“‘People traveled by boats in those days and the ones that traveled by plane were rich,’ Alan Kimi said ‘So his idea was, as the airplanes became bigger, what about the average guy?’”

“‘What about the local traveler, people that lived in Kona, but that wanted to go to Hilo for a couple of days but couldn’t afford it? That’s how it started.’” (Adv, Feb 1, 2009)

“So he built the 30-room Hotel Hukilau, and soon it was always busy; so he built more rooms there. As smaller propeller planes became larger jet planes; travel to Hawaii became more affordable for the masses. What about building a hotel in Kailua-Kona, so visitors could spend one week on the Big Island? (Kona Hukilau now known as Kona Seaside Hotel opened with 44 rooms in 1960.)”

“As vacations became longer guests wanted to see Maui. So the family moved to Kahului and built the Maui Hukilau (Maui Seaside Hotel today) in 1962. Jet planes became jumbo jets but could only land in Honolulu. … [He] bought the Waikiki Biltmore Hotel [now, the site of Hyatt Regency Waikiki] in 1965.”

“He was a legend in Hawaii tourism a pioneer of the kamaaina rate; air, hotel and car packages for locals, reservations by toll-free phone lines, then fax lines, and now on-line bookings. His vision was affordable and friendly hotels. Today they are known as the Seaside Hotels Hawaii. It is the only Hawaiian owned and operated family hotel chain in the world.”

“He enjoyed teaching sales, marketing and business to hundreds of students; and always favored the under-dog and the little guy. One of his students, Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad books, recognized Richard Kimi as his original ‘Rich Dad’ and continues sharing his lessons to the world.” (Legacy Obituary) Richard Kimi died on December 19, 2008, in Honolulu.

Another son of William James Kiki Sr was William ‘Uncle Billy’ James Kimi, Jr (born Nov 6, 1922), Richard’s older brother. Like his younger brother, Uncle Billy was “One of the island’s most well-known residents, [who] had a number of landmark businesses, including the Uncle Billy’s Kona Bay Hotel in Kailua-Kona and Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel. He also managed Uncle Billy’s Fish and Steakhouse for 45 years”.

In 1978, “three main partners – real estate agent Kenneth Fujiyama, transportation kingpin Chiaki Matsuo and hotelman Billy Kimi” acquired and converted the Kona Inn hotel into the Kona Inn Shopping Village (that opened as the shopping center in July 1980). (Adv, Aug 3, 1980) (Fujiyama later sold his interest in the property.) (Star Bulletin, Sep 4, 1981)

“[H]is resume would fill pages: entrepreneur, importer, financier, retailer, wholesaler, developer, accountant and farmer, innkeeper, restaurant owner, art dealer, shopping center owner and more,” the citation read in recognition of the businessman.”

“‘This is where it all started for my family,’ [Kimi] said. ‘I just wanted to have a business where my kids could work and build their families without having to leave home.’”

“Kimi was also involved in the Occupational Skills Program at Konawaena High School, which taught special education students work skills at the shopping village and hotel during the 1980s. They worked every weekday but Wednesday, in areas such as retailing, sales, cooking, laundry work, maintenance, housekeeping and construction work.”

“Kimi said at the time he helps because he ‘prefers to train people that don’t know anything’ about the hotel business and wanted to help people improve their careers. He said he’s the same with his other employees, supporting them anytime they can better themselves,’ even if that means leaving his business.

“His 70 years of entrepreneurial creativity, work and vision have provided jobs for hundreds of people in a multitude of businesses, as well as improving the Hilo and Kona communities. He has worked diligently to improve education and health care for the children of Hawaii.” (HTH, Feb 2, 2016) Uncle Billy died Feb 19, 2016.

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Pipi Chute

In the middle 1800s, ranching became a significant economic engine in the Hawaiian Islands. On Lānai, Mānele Landing served as the port of call for ships picking up cattle, sheep and goats; and also in service of passengers and freight.

Ranching was the primary commercial enterprise on Lānai between 1860 to 1922. Initial activities focused on goats and sheep, but by the early 1900s cattle had become the primary stock.

To ship the cattle (in Hawaiian, pipi) to Honolulu, the animals were driven down to Mānele, held in pens, and then loaded on interisland steamers.

“They used to send cattle out, and then the Inter-island Steam [Navigation] Company’s boat, you know, freighters, used to come in, take those cattle to Honolulu, O’ahu, anyway.” (Fusako Nishimura Uchimura, UHM Oral History)

“In the early 1900s there were not as many wharves as there are today, and it was in few places that stock could be loaded onto the vessels through chutes as is more general now. The steamer would be anchored out from the shore and a heavy line run to some attachment on the land.”

“A boat was then tied to this shoreline and held in deep water. The cattle would be in a corral above high water or were driven out into the water and kept there by the surrounding cowboys.”

“On Lānai the corral was at Mānele at the top of a wide beach separating it from the sea. A lasso was thrown over the horns of one of the animals in the corral, the other end held by a man on horseback, and it was herded out and down the beach following the horse.”

“The animal’s efforts to escape brought it into the water as the horse headed for the boat. When within reach, just as the led animal lost its footing and the horse was reaching for the bottom with its hind feet the cowboy threw the rope to the men in the boat who would then throw another rope back to him.”

“The boat, with several beasts securely tied to the thwarts on each side, would be towed back to the steamer. Slings were adjusted to the animals and in turn they were hoisted to the deck and tied along the sides.”

“In fine weather this worked out well, but when rough it was risky, and sometimes cattle were injured or drowned. … so we devised a portable chute in sections, for bringing the stock to the water’s edge. The sections were drawn up when not in use. This was a great improvement, but we were not yet satisfied.”

“A corral was then built at the top of a low cliff overlooking a small tidal shelf with fairly deep water close to it. A chute was run out to above the edge of the tidal shelf close to deep water and supported there by posts.”

“Into this another chute was telescoped which, when run out over the water, reached to the deck of the steamer. By using a calf led down the chute, the large cattle were induced to follow, and the loading was done in a few minutes.”

“The calf was brought ashore ready for the next shipment. The steamer then pulled out, and the cattle were tied up as she proceeded on her way.”

“Even with this method, the work could still prove more or less harassing with changes of weather. After the Hawaiian Pineapple Company built the Kaumalapau Harbor and wharf, the cattle were shipped from the wharf through a chute. The pen and chutes were movable and, when not in use, kept out of the way of other work.” (Munro:105)

“I think more in the ‘20s, maybe, that’s when they built that chute. That thing was really something. You know they’d lead the calf down. The cows all follow the calf, they go right onto the ship.”

“But one time that thing broke, the cattle fell in the water. Some died; some, you see them swim. I didn’t know they could swim, they good swimmers. The cows, yeah.” (Violet Keahikoe Gay, UHM Oral History)

“They put the chute down onto the deck of the ship, and the ship would be going [i.e., bobbing] up and down, and the cattle would be bawling their heads off, and they’d have to be prodded to go down this chute to get onto the deck of the ship.” (Jean Forbes Adams, UHM Oral History)

“When I came over here, they had the chute and they had down. When too rough, the boat no can go by the side [of the chute], so they go by the sand side, everybody go swim. Over there, they rope ‘em and drag ‘em inside the water.” (Ernest S. Richardson, UHM Oral History)

After Kaumālapa’u harbor was built, “they still used Manele and the chute … Probably, since that was all built there. Yeah, Kaumalapau was strictly for pineapple shipping.” (Jean Forbes Adams, UHM Oral History)

With construction of the chute, the pipi could be driven along the cliffs to the chute and walked across the water onto the waiting boat. In addition to the “Pipi Chute,” a series of mortar salt making beds were built on the shore of the landing in the 1930s.

In May 1943, the salt making beds were moved to the cliffs. On the south side of the boat harbor were the salt beds and an old fence line that contained cattle as they were being driven down the chute for shipping to Honolulu. The salt beds were periodically filled with salt water, which evaporated and provided fresh sea salt for drying meat and treating hides.

On rough days, when the steamers couldn’t safely draw along the Mānele cliff side, cattle were driven into the ocean at Hulopo’e Beach. They were then tied up to a launch, which took them out to the steamer, and hoisted onto the boat for transport. Typically, anywhere from 30 to 70 cattle from Lānai were shipped in one trip.

By 1918, Charles Gay and family began experiments in planting pineapple on Lānai in the uplands near what would become Lānai City. Once harvested, the fruits would be taken by truck down to Mānele Landing via a stone and dirt trail that was almost impassable.

The crop was then loaded onto a small boat and transferred to Maui for canning. It was a difficult trip which caused the loss of much of the fruit, due to bruising. However, as a result of the Gay family’s success, James Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Company knew that the crop could be grown, and in 1922 Dole purchased almost the entire island of Lānai.

And the rest, as they say, “is history.”

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by Peter T Young 3 Comments

Clarissa Haili

Clarissa Meleka Haili, one of five children of George and Rebecca Haili, was born into a musical family on October 28, 1901 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She first went by the name ‘Clara.’

She attended Kaʻahumanu Elementary School; graduated from the Territorial Normal School. Setting out to be a teacher, Clara began teaching at Waipahu Elementary in 1923.

Though she taught English, social studies and math, her real love was teaching music and many of her students remembered her with great fondness. (Singletary)

While still teaching she started performing – singing and dancing. (“I never had a hula lesson in my life. I just learned to dance by watching others. I just do what comes naturally.” (Clara; Reading Eagle, October 11, 1972)

Clara turned professional in 1936 when she entertained with the Royal Hawaiian Girls Glee Club. They sang at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Waiʻalae Country Club. (“We would get $25 for an appearance, and there were 25 of us, we each got a dollar.” (Clara; Reading Eagle, October 11, 1972)

She took part in the Kodak Hula Show. Clara participated in the summer shows from 1937 through 1940.

While traveling to Portland, Oregon in 1936 for a teachers’ convention, Clara was part of the entertainment on the ship. She became such a huge hit with the passengers. (hawaii-edu)

This was a turning point in her career. During a program of entertainment on the ship, she first performed a song written by Don McDiarmid.

McDiarmid had a much more sultry dancer in mind when he wrote the song, and he was conducting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel orchestra when a dancer fell ill and Clara performed the song in her unique comic style.

He was astounded when the audience loved Clara’s interpretation. The song would later be her theme, as well as her name.

Clara continued to teach school while performing at night, when the National Shriners’ convention put her at the top of their list of entertainers in 1938 in Los Angeles.

She and Al Kealoha Perry and his Singing Surfriders entertained all over Los Angeles. Clara’s next mainland trip was to the St Regis Hotel in New York, in 1939.

Upon returning home, Clara was told by the Board of Education that she must choose between teaching and performing. She gave in gracefully and decided to go back to school herself to get her teaching degree.

However, Harry Owens took over the band at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and immediately hired Clara. Clara said she would probably “still be teaching if it hadn’t been for a professor at the University of Hawaiʻi who told her to stick to entertaining.” (Reading Eagle, October 11, 1972)

Owens got her into movies in Los Angeles; they also entertained in various Southern California hotels.

Then the war broke out. They entertained soldiers and sailors departing for the Pacific and participated with the Red Cross, USO and hospitals. For the next 26-weeks, they were on the road entertaining at big hotels and military bases.

After the war, Clara became a disc jockey for Honolulu radio station KPOA. Harry Owens had a television program and Clara became a regular on the Hawaiian music show in 1949. The show ran for nine years.

During the late-1940s and 50s, she criss-crossed the country in Hawaiian-themed show rooms.

Finally, after years on the road, Clara returned to Hawaiʻi and the Tapa Room at the Hawaiian Village in 1960, where she recorded her first live album. Engagements followed at the Ilikai’s Canoe House, the Halekūlani, the Kahala Hilton, the Royal Hawaiian and Moana. She continued performing until 1977.

Oh, her stage name (and later, legal name?) … Hilo Hattie. And, the song, ‘When Hilo Hattie Does The Hilo Hop.’

Here’s a link to “Hilo Hattie Does The Hilo Hop” and “Cockeyed Mayor Of Kaunakakai:”

Clara legally took the name Hilo Hattie at the insistence of Harry Owens when she performed in the 1941 film Song of the Islands. Unfortunately, she doesn’t perform her signature song in the movie, only a shortened version of ‘The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai.’

In 1971, an original line of clothing was also named after her. While attending the Merry Monarch festival in Hilo that year, Clara was approached by Evelyn and Richard Margolis and entered into an agreement for them to design and sell a line of ‘Hilo Hattie’ clothing.

The namesake store, Hilo Hattie’s, originally started in 1963 as Kaluna Hawaii Sportswear on Kauaʻi.  The name changed in 1979, with the purchase of Hilo’s Evelyn Margolis Manufacturing and Retail Co and rights to Hilo Hattie’s name.

She was married a few times: John Baxter, in 1920 (divorced); Milton Douglas, in 1926 (divorced); Theodore Inter, in 1930 (divorced) and Carlyle Nelson (a violinist), in 1949 (the last lasted for 30-years.) She died December 12, 1979. (Lots of information here from Singletary.)

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Hilo_Hattie,_1941
Hilo_Hattie,_1941
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Hilo_Hattie,_ReadingEagle-1972
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Hilo Hattie with Al Kealoha Perry's Hawaii Calls musicians -(HSA)-1937-PP-33-1-016
Hilo Hattie with Al Kealoha Perry’s Hawaii Calls musicians -(HSA)-1937-PP-33-1-016
Hilo Hattie doing the hula, Hawaii Calls, Banyan Court, Moana Hotel-PP-33-5-043-1950s
Hilo Hattie doing the hula, Hawaii Calls, Banyan Court, Moana Hotel-PP-33-5-043-1950s
Hilo_Hattie-gravesite NMCP
Hilo_Hattie-gravesite NMCP
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Hilo_Hattie-gravestone NMCP

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Pahikaua – Rebellion of 1831

On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner (a slave on the Travis farm) and six of his men met in the woods to make their plans. At 2 am, they set out to the Travis household, where they killed the entire family as they slept.

They continued on, from house to house, killing all of the white people they encountered. Turner’s force eventually consisted of more than 40 slaves, most on horseback.

By mid-day the next day, word of the rebellion had gotten out to the whites; confronted by a group of militia, the rebels scattered and Turner’s force became disorganized. (PBS)

Several of the rebels were captured. The remaining force then met the state and federal troops in final skirmish, in which one slave was killed and many escaped, including Turner. In the end, the rebels had stabbed, shot and clubbed at least 55 white people to death.

Nat Turner hid in several different places near the Travis farm, but on October 30 was discovered and captured. His “Confession,” dictated to physician Thomas R. Gray, was taken while he was imprisoned in the County Jail.

On November 5, Nat Turner was tried in the Southampton County Court and sentenced to execution. He was hanged, and then skinned, on November 11. In total, the state executed 55 people, banished many more, and acquitted a few. (PBS)

But that is not the 1831 rebellion this summary is about – this is about an 1831 rebellion in the Islands.

From 1825 until her death in 1832, Kaʻahumanu was one of the staunchest friends of the missionaries and one of the foremost supporters of their cause.

Kaʻahumanu was missionizing throughout the islands, proclaiming the new taboos against murder, adultery, Hawaiian religious practices, hula, chant, ʻawa and distilleries. (Silva)

In 1824, Boki and Liliha, along with some other aliʻi actively opposed Kaʻahumanu and the missionaries. (Silva)

From 1816 to 1829 Boki was Governor of O‘ahu and was in charge of Liholiho’s (Kamehameha II) and then Kauikeaouli’s (Kamehameha III) O‘ahu lands.

Boki participated in establishing a sugar plantation in the upper part of Mānoa valley. Untimely rains raised the stream and destroyed a dam under construction at the mill site. (Kuykendall) His partners constructed a still and began to make rum from molasses. (Daws)

Boki’s trade in entertaining the visiting ships and distilling liquor ran him afoul of the missionaries and Kaʻahumanu. Kaʻahumanu had him fined in 1827 for misconduct, intemperance, fornication and adultery, apparently in connection with his brothels and grog-shops. (Nogelmeier)

Kaʻahumanu ordered the sugar cane on his Manoa plantation to be torn up when she found it was to be used for rum. When Boki could no longer provide the cane for distilling and Kaʻahumanu had the sugar crop destroyed, Boki turned to distilling ti-root. (Nogelmeier)

Then, in 1829, Boki, in debt, attempted to recover his financial situation by assembling a group of followers and set out for a newly discovered island with sandalwood in the New Hebrides; he never returned. Boki’s wife, Liliha, succeeded him in the office of Governor of O‘ahu.

During Boki and Liliha’s tenure (ca. 1830) Chief Abner Paki was appointed konohiki (land agent/overseer) of some of the lands under their control – Paki is Liliha’s cousin.

Kaʻahumanu was concerned about Liliha’s lifestyle (indulging in drinking and other worldly pleasures) and asked her father, Hoapili, to go to Oʻahu and teach his daughter “to let liquor alone and abandon drunkenness, loose living, and wastefulness.” (Kamakau)

Concerned about Kaʻahumanu’s control, in 1831, Paki joined with Liliha in an attempt to take over Oʻahu.

Pahikaua (literally war knife or sword) was the name given to the attempt made by followers of Liliha to retaliate against Kaʻahumanu for the threat made by (her) against Liliha if she continued to live in her independent fashion. (Silva)

However, the Pahikaua rebellion failed.

As a result, Liliha was removed from power and lost official control of most of Kamehameha III’s lands. However, Liliha maintained some of her lands and “continued to play a governess role in Pali Ko‘olau (Ko‘olaupoko) into the mid-1830s.”(Cultural Surveys)

At a national council held April 1, 1831, Kuakini (Governor Adams,) brother of Kaʻahumanu, was appointed governor of Oʻahu, and Naihe governor of Hawaiʻi.

Kuakini proceeded to vigorously enforce the laws of 1829, which had been allowed to become a dead letter under Boki and Liliha. (Alexander)

About a year later, June 5, 1832, Kaʻahumanu died, after an illness of about 3-weeks. She was buried at Pohukaina at ʻIolani Place and later transferred to Mauna ‘Ala, the Royal Mausoleum in Nuʻuanu Valley.

On August 25, 1839, Liliha died unexpectedly in Honolulu, at the age of 37 and was buried at Waineʻe (Waiola) Church cemetery.

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Na_Poki._and_his_wife_Liliha-1824
Na_Poki._and_his_wife_Liliha-1824
Kaahumanu,_retouched_image_by_J._J._Williams_after_Louis_Choris
Kaahumanu,_retouched_image_by_J._J._Williams_after_Louis_Choris
Kaahumanu-(HerbKane)
Kaahumanu-(HerbKane)
Abner Pākī (c. 1808–1855) was a member of Hawaiian nobility. He was a legislator and judge, and the father of Bernice Pauahi Bishop-1855
Abner Pākī (c. 1808–1855) was a member of Hawaiian nobility. He was a legislator and judge, and the father of Bernice Pauahi Bishop-1855
Confessions_of_Nat-Turner
Confessions_of_Nat-Turner
Nat_Turner_Rebellion
Nat_Turner_Rebellion