Place Names | Page 137 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

April 16, 2016 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Hoʻopuloa

Edward G Wingate, USGS topographical engineer, was mapping the summit of Mauna Loa in 1926, changing campsites as the work progressed. On April 10 his camp was along the 11,400-foot elevation, well into the desolate upland above the Kau District.

An earthquake wakened the campers about 0145; as they drifted back to sleep, a further series of quakes had them sitting up, talking, and wondering. About 0330 Wingate braved the cold and wind; with a blanket wrapped around him, he went outside and stood bathed in reddish light. (USGS)

“About 3 am April 10 (1926,) glowing lava spouted along the upper 3 miles of cones and pits of the Mauna Loa rift belt, immediately south of Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit crater. “The actual beginning shown at Kilauea by seismographic tremor was 1:36 am, followed by two pronounced earthquakes.” (Jaggar)

For three days the HVO party surveyed the sources of the eruption; then they descended and moved into Kona District, where roads, houses, and other property were threatened by the flows. Wingate and his crew stayed behind. Much of the area already mapped was under fresh lava, and there was a lot of remapping to do. (USGS)

“A crack only 1 to 3 feet wide opened southward from a point tangent to the ease edge of the bottom of the south pit of Mokuʻāweoweo, vomited out pumiceous silvery pāhoehoe froth lava, and extended itself S.30oW. past the next two pits and over the brow of the mountain down to an elevation of 12,400 feet.” (Jaggar)

“Fortunately the main gushing of this first phase ceased about 5 am the same forenoon, after flowing 5 hours. … (Then,) The vent crack was splitting itself open downhill. The source pāhoehoe changed itself by stirring into scoriaceous aa half a mile from the vents”.

“(T)he Honomalino flow to the west finally dominated, … This was also aa. … It crossed the belt road at 12:22 pm April 16, 3 miles above Hoʻopuloa village.” (Jaggar)

“In 1926, there was a brief summit eruption, followed by 14 days of eruption on the southwest rift zone. A flow from this rift zone passed through a South Kona forest, crossed the main road on April 16, and pooled behind the coastal village of Hoʻopuloa.”

Perhaps a hundred people were waiting around the Hoʻopuloa Church, on the uphill side of the road, and at the Kana‘ana house opposite, on the downhill side of the road. They had seen and heard the flow, 15-20 feet high and more than 500 feet wide, as it moved through the forest uphill.

When it neared the road, people who lived on the Kona side of the flow moved off to the north, and those who lived on the Ka‘u side moved to the south, so they could go home after the road was closed. (USGS)

Tom Jaggar scratched marks about a foot apart across the rutted, gravel road (the only road) between the Kona and Ka‘u Districts. A lava flow was approaching, and Jaggar wanted to measure the flow’s speed as it crossed the road.

Jaggar recorded that it reached the uphill, inland side of the road at 12:22 at an estimated speed of about 7 feet/minute; within two minutes the road was crossed. Jaggar and his assistant, HS Palmer, stayed on the Ka‘u side. (USGS)

“When it got close to the upland of Hoʻopuloa, the flow of lava separated into two, and one of the flows went straight for the village of Hoʻopuloa and the harbor, and the second flow went towards the village of Miloliʻi. The fiery lava engulfed the harbor and village of Hoʻopuloa, and now they are but a heap of pāhoehoe lava.”

“According to eyewitnesses of this engulfing lava, it was frightening seeing the lava coming down, and others say that it was truly awesome watching the flowing lava and its sweeping aside of all obstructions in its path.”

“The last word heard before the Hoku went to the press was that this Wondrous Woman of Halemaʻumaʻu returned to her Palace at Kilauea, and she is bringing to life her fires at the famed crater of Halemaʻumaʻu.”

“Perhaps her rage has been quenched as the skin of that woman has touched the sea, but the memory of the tragedy which befell the people of that section of Kona is heartbreaking.” (Hoku o Hawaii, April 20, 1926)

One enterprising youth used his small truck to haul water from the Hoʻopuloa tanks to Miloliʻi, the end of the road.

When the flow reached the sea, he and his truck were cut off; he later took his truck apart and transported it piece by piece by outrigger canoe to the road on the Kona side of Hoʻopuloa. (USGS)

“Between 0400 and 0900 HST on April 18, the flow buried the village, wharf and harbor and entered the ocean. As soon as lava began falling into the sea, steam shot up in jets. Hundreds of dead fish floated along the edge of the turbulent water that spread out from the contact area of hot rock and cold ocean.”

Hawaiians from Miloliʻi came in their canoes and gathered the dead fish for salting and preserving. Jaggar collected some dead, floating fish and noted that they were perfectly fresh and in no sense cooked. (USGS)

Destruction of the village was gradual and complete. … This was Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s first real experience with property destruction by a lava flow. (USGS)

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Hoopuloa

Hoopuloa_lava_flow-1926

Hoopuloa lava flow

Monument to Catholic church engulfed by lava, Hoopuloa, So. Kona, Hawaii Island-PP-29-6-031

Hoopuloa Landing-taken from anchorage-1904

Hoopuloa Landing-PP-29-6-002-1916

Hoopuloa landing from Mauna Loa eruption, Hawaii Island – April 18, 1926-PP-29-6-013

Hoopuloa -June 21, 1926 (man by sign — 1926 flow)-HMCS

Hoopuloa — June 21, 1926 (lava entering sea)-HMCS

Hoopuloa — June 21, 1926 (large boulders in foreground)-HMCS

Hoopuloa — June 21, 1926 (five figures near boardwalk)-HMCS

Hoopuloa — June 21, 1926 (figure near low peak)-HMCS

Hoopuloa — June 21, 1926 (edge of lava flow)-HMCS

Hoopuloa – June 21, 1926 (canoe on sea)-HMCS

Hoopuloa — June 21, 1926 (brush in foreground — lava)-HMCS

Stamp with Hoopuloa postmark

Milolii_Beach Lots-Hoopuloa-Milolii-GoogleEarth

Hoopuloa-Milolii-USGS-1925

March 28, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Waikamoi

The kahakai (shoreline) and the lowlands were the Wao Kanaka (the realm of people,) where fishing, farming, and activities of daily life took place. Further inland was the Wao Kele (the inland forest region) and above this was the Wao Akua (the realm of the gods.)

In ancient Hawaii, the Wao Akua was accessed only by trained professionals for specific purposes (medicinal practitioners gathered specific plants and bird men caught birds for their vibrant feathers,) after respects were paid and permission was granted.

Even then, however, entry into the Wao Akua (a dense native cloud forest) was seldom. It was recognized that the health of the watershed in the Wao Akua was essential to the health of the Wao Kanaka. (Hana Pono)

Hawaiians did not as a matter of course penetrate the Wao Akua if the trees they needed could be gotten elsewhere, because of the priority of promoting new growth through non-disturbance of seed-producing forest areas.

Hawaiians realized the importance of the food source and the regenerative energy of the forest. Therefore it was necessary to leave some areas or groves of trees as they stood originally, thus the name Wao Akua. (DLNR)

Waikamoi takes its name from a variety of taro named for a variety of fish, the moi. The moi kalo (taro) is a very nice tasty variety good for wetland, flood style irrigation taken to great heights by the Hawaiians system of aqueducts and loʻi kalo.

The naming of Waikamoi indicates that at the lower elevations, the stream fed loʻi kalo, taro patches, of moi taro which was a favorite of the people living in the area. (Hana Pono)

Roaming ungulates (typically cattle and pigs) and non-native habitat-modifying weeds/plants, insects and other invasive species took their toll on the mauka forested resources.

In 1876, the Hawaiian legislature also passed ‘An Act for the Protection and Preservation of Woods and Forests; this was the first step in creating what would later become the forest reserve program.

Then, on April 25, 1903, the legislature created Hawaiʻi’s forest reserve, sparking the largest public-private conservation partnership in the history of the state. Ralph S. Hosmer was Hawaiʻi’s first Superintendent of Forestry. (Hosmer’s Grove in Haleakala National Park adjoins the Waikamoi Preserve.)

In 1983, Waikamoi Preserve on the slopes of Haleakala on Maui became a reality when the Haleakala Ranch granted a conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) over 5,230-acres (in 2014, Alexander & Baldwin conveyed a conservation easement over an additional 3,721-adjacent acres, bringing the total to 8,951-acres – the largest private nature preserve in the Islands.)

The preserve protects part of the 100,000-acre East Maui Watershed, which provides 60-billion gallons of clean water annually to Maui’s residents, businesses and agricultural community.

It is a sanctuary for native Hawaiian species, many of them endangered or rare (including several native birds: the rare ‘akohekohe, the scarlet ‘i‘iwi, the crimson ‘apapane, the bright green ‘amakihi, the yellow-green Maui creeper, the pueo (Hawaiian owl,) nene (Hawaiian goose) and the native ‘ua‘u (dark-rumped petrel.))

The preserve also shelters a large variety of native ferns, herbs, shrubs and trees that reflect the biodiversity of Maui; many are rare plants unique to East Maui.

The Nature Conservancy protects the native species that live in Waikamoi by managing this koa and ʻohi‘a forest against threats to this diverse forest ecosystem. Like other Hawai‘i rain forests, invasive species and feral predators threaten Waikamoi’s delicate ecosystem.

Waikamoi Preserve is managed in partnership with the State Department of Land & Natural Resources through the Natural Area Partnership Program. (TNC)

The National Park Service leads hikes through Waikamoi on Mondays and Thursdays; the hike focuses on the unique history, plants and animals of the area. Reservations are accepted up to one week in advance. Call (808) 572-4400. Please call early since there is limited space available.

While I was Director at DLNR, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to walk the boardwalk in the Waikamoi Preserve. The trail led to a deck in the middle of the forest … waaay cool.

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Waikamoi Preserve Boardwalk

Deck at the end of the boardwalk-TNC-DLNR-2003

Waikamoi-TNC

Waikamoi-Maui

Waikamoi_Preserve

Waikamoi-‘amakihi feeds from the tubular flowers of the koli’i-TNC

Waikamoi-A juvenile ‘i’iwi, a native honeycreeper, feeds on the nectar of the blue ‘opelu-TNC

Waikamoi-‘Apapane feed on the nectar of the ‘ohi‘a lehua_TNC

Waikamoi- ‘alauahio, or Maui creeper-TNC

Waikamoi- ‘akohekohe, a bird found only in East Maui-TNC

TNC OGG, East Maui, Waikamoi, Aerial

Boardwalk, Waikamoi Preserve, East Maui

Waikamoi-Sign

Waikamoi_Mgmt_Units-Map

March 18, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Manokalanipō

Poetically Kauai is reportedly called, “Manokalanipō”, or “Kauaʻi a Mano” after the ancient chief who was largely responsible for elevating Kauaʻi’s ancient society to sophisticated heights of advancement and productivity. (NativeKauai)

Independent chiefdoms were ruled by a supreme chief, or aliʻi ʻaimoku (chief possessing an island or district); at times referred to as aliʻi-nui (great chief) to distinguish him from lesser chiefs.

Typically this position was attained by inheritance, as holder of highest rank among the nobility; however it could also be gained by force by a relative, lesser chief or outside invader.

The aliʻi-nui had complete control over his lands and production, as well as the lives of his subjects. He derived these rights from his familial relationship with the Hawaiian gods.

Poʻipū, Kauai was a Royal Center for the southern shoreline of Kauai. Here resided high chiefs Kukona (7th aliʻi ʻaimoku) and Manokalanipō (8th) when on the south-side; and they were kept in paramount chiefly control until the last Prince Keliiahonui, son of Kaumualiʻi (23rd) in the 1830s.

Manokalanipō has the characteristic honor of having had his name as a nickname to the island over which he ruled, and in epical and diplomatic language it was ever after known as “Kauai-a-Manokalanipō.”

Manokalanipō was noted for the energy and wisdom with which he encouraged agriculture and industry, executed long and difficult works of irrigation, and thus brought fields of wilderness under cultivation. The wife of Manokalanipō was Naekapulani. He was son of Kukona.

Kukona (7th aliʻi ʻaimoku (high chief or king) of Kauai), whose name in Hawaiʻi became a symbol of the very highest ideals of chivalry in battle, was born in Kōloa and fought his defining battle at Poʻipū. His year of birth is estimated at around 1405.

In the first part of the 15th century, Kalaunuiohua, the ambitious chief of Hawaiʻi who had already conquered three other islands, tried to seize Kauai. He was accompanied into battle by the combined armies and chiefs of Maui, Molokai and Oʻahu. The war is known as the War of Ka-welewele.

When the armada of Kalaunuiohua, touched the shores of Kauaʻi, they were met by an army of only 500 men who were the defenders of Kauaʻi.

Kukona had not even bothered to attend; he sent Manokalanipō. A small and greatly outnumbered force of Kaua`i warriors had decisively beaten the combined armies of all of the other islands. (Fornander)

Kukona captured all four chiefs of Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Maui and Molokai.

He had the opportunity to kill them all and assume leadership over the islands. However, he preferred peace and allowed them to return safely home with a promise that they never again make war on Kauai.

As noted by Fornander: “The war with the Hawaiʻi chief, and the terrible defeat and capture of the latter, as well as Kukona’s generous conduct towards the four chiefs who fell into his hands after the battle, brought Kauai back into the family circle of the other islands, and with an éclat and superiority which it maintained to the last of its independence.”

This peace lasted for four hundred years; the peace was called ka lai loa ia Kamaluohua (The Long Peace of Kamaluohua – named for the captured Maui chief who, while Kukona was sleeping, stated to the others, “Let us do no hurt to Kukona, because he has been kind to us. Here we are in his hands, but he has not put us to death. Let us then treat him kindly.” (Malo))

No foreign wars disturbed Kukona’s nor Manokalanipō’s reign, and it is remembered in the legends as the golden age of that island. (Fornander)

Today, people of Kauai proudly proclaim that their island was never conquered over the centuries, even when larger armies attempted to do so.

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Kauai-Wilkes-map-1845

March 14, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Waihou Spring

Under the reign of Kaka‘alaneo, Maui was divided into twelve moku (districts.) These included Ka‘anapali, Lahaina, Hāmākuapoko, Hāmākualoa, Koʻolau, Hana, Kīpahulu, Kaupo, Kahikinui, Honua‘ula, Wailuku and Kula.

The twelve ancient districts of Maui were later reduced to four under the Civil Code of 1859, which consolidated all East Maui districts into one.

Later the Session Laws of 1909 regained two districts, which established a total of six districts. Under the Session Laws of 1909, Hāmākualoa and Hāmākuapoko were joined to make the modern district of Makawao (‘forest beginning.’)

Makawao consists of four traditional Hawaiian political districts: Honua’ula to the south, along the leeward slopes of Haleakala; Kula, which overlooks the Wailuku District and the Isthmus lands; and Hāmākuapoko and Hāmākualoa along the windward slopes of Haleakalā. (Cultural Surveys)

In traditional times, the area would have been covered in native forest including koa, ʻōhiʻa lehua, ti and kukui. Logging in the mid- to late-1800s resulted in the elimination of majority of the forest trees, which was later followed by cattle.

Clearing of the forest trees for sugarcane by Europeans in the mid- to late-1800s had altered the environment. Ranching was to eventually dominate all land use in the upland slopes of Haleakala.

Clear cutting and burning of sandalwood continued well into the mid-1800s, which greatly impacted the landscaping of the area.

By the 1870s, the Waihou Springs (‘new water’) area was probably cleared pasture land, with little to no native vegetation. The only tree indicated in the vicinity of Waihou is a ‘lone koa tree.’

The Makawao Forest Reserve was established in 1908. The forest reserve was sanctioned off for watershed protection and included approximately 2,093 acres.

The introduction of gorse as hedging material in the early-1900s added to the rapidly declining native forest. Gorse is a spiny, evergreen exotic shrub which can grow up to 15-feet tall and 30-feet in diameter.

In a single gorse plant, there can be hundreds of pods which eventually burst and expel thousands of gorse seeds. By the mid-1950s, the gorse had spread uncontrollably, killing the majority of the remaining native plants.

In an effort to eliminate the gorse, a state territorial prison camp was also established in 1953 located near the present Olinda Homesteads. Low security prisoners were brought to Maui from overcrowded O’ahu prisons, with the primary purpose of clearing the overgrown gorse areas.

The Olinda prison facility was located on 114 acres of Haleakala land and initially housed approximately 30 prisoners. In addition to clearing the gorse, prisoners grew vegetables for shipment to Honolulu.

In the early-1950s, Olinda prisoners had also undertaken the job of linking the road to Kahakuloa with the highway that extends beyond Lahaina, making it possible to circle clear around the West Maui block of mountains.

By the mid-1950s, the majority of the gorse had been eliminated. (The old Olinda minimum-security prison was transformed in the late-1980s to a refuge for endangered endemic birds.)

Unlike most Forest Reserves established by Hawai‘i’s Territorial government in the early-20th century, the land that was set aside for Waihou Spring Forest Reserve in 1909 was open grazing land rather than forested land.

The Territorial Government initially set aside land for the Forest Reserve on June 5, 1909, the object of which was to protect the sources of Waihou Spring, cited at the time as “one of the very few permanent springs on the western slope of Mt. Haleakalā”.

Even though the Reserve was created to protect the source of the spring at Waihou, the spring had already been tunneled and its water was being piped to the lower reaches of the adjacent Haleakalā Ranch to water livestock.

Once bare pasture land and in response to the declining remnant forest, the State Forestry folks began a tree-planting program. Haleakalā Ranch was contracted to build cattle fencing for the Reserve in 1913 and the Maui Agricultural Company began tree planting in 1919.

Tree planting consisted primarily of eucalyptus, various pine and tropical ash. As a secondary measure, the tree planting also served to keep the gorse weed down by shading it out of existence. It is now well forested with both native and non-native tree species.

The ‘ōpe‘ape‘a (Hawaiian hoary bat) is commonly seen both within the boundaries of Waihou Spring Forest Reserve and also in the area surrounding the Reserve. This species roosts in trees and has often been associated with non-native.

Forest birds that may be seen in the area include the ‘amakihi, ʻapapane, ‘alauahio and occasionally ‘i‘iwi. Historical records of sightings within close proximity of the Forest Reserve include two endangered forest birds: ‘ākohekohe and ‘ō‘ū.

Today, the major agricultural activities in up country Maui and are livestock grazing, truck farming, flower production and orchard crops. The forest reserve has been used in recent time for recreation and hunting.

Pig hunting is still popular within the forest reserve, although the number of pigs have declined in recent years as a result of residential developments.

Additionally, changes in weather conditions over the last fifty years have affected the flow of water in the area and majority of the gulches and natural springs are dry.

At approximately 186 acres, Waihou Spring Forest Reserve is relatively small but is a popular day-use area. It is close to residential neighborhoods and has a well-used hiking trail. (Lots of information here is from Cultural Surveys and DLNR.)

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Waihou_Spring Trail

Waihou-Spring-Trail-plantation tree planting

Waihou_Spring_Trail

Waihou Spring Trail

Waihou_Spring-sign

waihou-spring-forestry sign

Waihou Spring Forest Reserve Map

Makawao-DAGS0603-1872-portion-Waihou_Spring

Makawao-Waihou_Spring-Google Earth

March 12, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kaluakoʻi

It was “a desolate land, a land of famine.” (Kamakau)

Aia ke ana ko‘i i Kaluako‘i
At Kaluako‘i is an adze quarry (Gon)

Kaluakoʻi (the adze pit) is the largest ahupuaʻa on Molokai, containing an area of 46,500 acres. It’s on the western portion of island.

It’s in the rain shadow of east Molokai making the area very arid (thus the first line.) The upland of Kaluakoʻi was well known for the fine grained basalts used for adze manufacture (thus the latter.)

“Kaluakoʻi was probably permanently occupied late in prehistory, and that its access to fishing grounds and adze quarries meant that it was integrated into island-wide society …”

“Presence of extensive occupations in the uplands and of major specialized features such as heiau (temples) and holua (sledding courses) in the lowlands holua provide evidence that the Kaluakoʻi area had permanent, perhaps socially stratified, occupants.”

“Traditional wisdom among archaeologist has also concluded that this region would have been settled only after sweet potato was available, and after population densities had risen in the wetter areas, probably no earlier than about ad 1500.” Cultivation of ʻuala (sweet potato) and offshore and deep sea fishing provided the primary sustenance. (Dye)

Kaluakoʻi was returned and retained by the Government at the Māhele. (Ulukau) Then, “Minister Gibson, read memorando from the records regarding the sale of certain lands in 1874-5, and that the sales had been made to meet current expenses of Government.”

“On March 5, 1874, there was a deficiency, and it was proposed to borrow $47,000. On May 15, 1874, it was proposed to meet the deficiency by selling the land of Kaluakoʻi, on Molokai. A resolution, however, was adopted, which read: ‘Resolved, Not to sell the land of Kaluakoʻi to Mr. Bishop at present.’”

“On May 26, 1874, the Cabinet approved of selling Kaluakoʻi to Mr. Bishop for $5,000, the King withholding his decision till next day.” The 46,500 acres was sold to Bishop, on January 26, 1875, by Royal patent 3,146. (Report of Hawaiian Legislative Assembly, 1886)

Bishop ranched the land; then in 1893, all the land, leaseholds and livestock were transferred by Charles Bishop to the Trustees of the Bernice P Bishop Estate and in 1897 Molokai Ranch was formed and bought Kaluakoʻi from the Estate.

Maunaloa is a former pineapple plantation town built in 1923 by Libby, McNeill and Libby (later a Dole corporation). After pineapple operations ended in 1976, the former pineapple fields surrounding the town became grazing land for Molokai ranch. (Dye)

In 1977, Molokai tourism was enhanced with the opening of the 198-room Kaluakoʻi Resort and condo complex on the West End. However, by the early 1980s it was virtually abandoned. (Brady)

Many hoped that the opening of the Beach Village in 1996 and the Lodge in 1999 would resuscitate Kaluakoʻi, attracting tourists and adding jobs. Later announcements of renovations provided further hope. (Brady)

The hotel and the golf course were permanently closed in January of 2001; the 149 privately owned condominium units continued to operate, some of them under the “The Villas” rental group and some rented by the individual owners.

In 2006, the company announced that it would renovate the hotel as part of a master development plan that included the sale of 200 homesites (at $600,000 each) along Laʻau Point on the southwestern tip.

Local reaction was negative, forceful, and immediate. The most visible display of residents’ opposition to the plan was the hand-painted signs reading ‘Save Laʻau’ that were posted across the Island. (Brady)

With that project failure, in May 2008, the Ranch reduced its operations on the island. Today, Molokaʻi Ranch encompasses about 53,000-acres which is roughly one-third of the island.

In 2012, under new management, Molokai Ranch announced plans to develop a new strategy focusing on four strategies: animal husbandry, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and green improvements to existing infrastructure.

In a statement related to this, a Ranch representative noted, “Our focus is currently on ensuring the success of our newly re-launched ranching operations and our efforts to re-open existing facilities, such as the Maunaloa Lodge, in an effort to create opportunities for the island.”

Their website notes, “Molokai Ranch is working toward responsible tourism, creating an authentic cultural experience of Molokai and building the foundation for a thriving local economy.”

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