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July 18, 2019 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Lēʻahi

Lēʻahi, also known as Diamond Head, is a nearly circular crater of approximately two-thirds of a mile in diameter.

Diamond Head is different things to different people:
• Homes of Hawai‘i’s Kings, Queens and Royal Families were in its shadow
• It’s an internationally-recognized visitor industry icon
• It’s the backdrop to the famous Waikīkī Beach
• It served an integral role in the island military defenses
• It is present home and command center for State Civil Defense
• It’s an easy walk to the summit for spectacular views of the ocean and coastline
• It is a backdrop to a transformation of social, political and religious events

Diamond Head was given its name by British sailors who found natural calcite crystals on the slopes of the mountain and mistook them for diamonds. Hawaiians called the volcanic cone Lēʻahi, Laeʻahi or Lae-ahi. Translations include: “brow of the ʻahi” and “cape of fire.”

In the legend of Pele and Hi‘iaka, Hi‘iaka is said to have compared Diamond Head to the brow of the ‘ahi: Me he i‘a la ka Lae o Ahi; E kalali au ae nei i ke kai – Like a fish is the Brow-of-the-ahi Resting high above the sea.

Other names for Diamond Head include Point Rose (given to the geologic feature in 1786 by Captain Nathaniel Portlock in honor of the secretary of the British treasury), Diamond Hill and Conical Mountain.

Geologically speaking, Diamond Head is a dormant volcanic tuff cone, with a variable-height rim surrounding the recessed interior area; the eruption of Diamond Head took place well over 150,000-years ago.

The highest point (at 761-feet) on the southwest rim of Diamond Head is known as Lēʻahi Summit (most of the rim is between 400-500-feet.) The crater is on the southern coastline of Oʻahu, approximately one-and-a-half miles south of the Koʻolau range.

From at least the 15th century, chiefly residences lined the shore of Waikīkī, and cultivated fields spread across the Waikīkī plain to the foot of the crater and inland to the Ko‘olau valleys. There were several heiau in Waikīkī, of which several were located around Diamond Head.

One of Kamehameha’s main heiau (also suggested as a surfing heiau,) Papaʻenaʻena (also called Lēʻahi Heiau,) was situated at the base of the southern slopes.

Other heiau in the vicinity include Kupalaha Heiau, which may have been connected with Papaʻenaʻena, Pahu-a-Maui Heiau on the crater’s eastern cliffs overlooking the ocean (the site of the present Diamond Head lighthouse), Kapua Heiau near the present Kapiʻolani Park, and Ahi Heiau on the peak of Diamond Head.

In the early years of the 19th century, people tended gardens in the crater and one visitor described finding “an abundance of melons and watermelons growing wild, upon which we feasted”.

In 1831, the botanist, Dr. FJF Meyen, noted the crater contained a small pool of water “which was completely covered with plants”. (The crater pond was filled-in by military bulldozing; now, there is a seasonally-moist wetland where standing water can occasionally be seen.)

Some have suggested there is little likelihood for archaeological sites of pre-contact Hawaiian or early post-contact origin in the crater. The archival research suggests that the only Hawaiian activity that might have taken place in the crater was dryland farming (dating to 1822.)

In the Great Māhele division of lands between the king and his high chiefs, Diamond Head, which lies within the ¬ʻili of Kapahulu in the ahupua¬ʻa of Waikīkī, was awarded to William C. Lunalilo, the future king of Hawaiʻi (1873-1874).

In the early 1860s, Mark Twain commented, “On the seventh day out we saw a dim vast bulk standing up out of the wastes of the Pacific and knew that that spectral promontory was Diamond Head, a piece of this world which I had not seen before for twenty-nine years.”

“So we were nearing Honolulu, the capital city of the Sandwich Islands – those islands which to me were Paradise; a Paradise which I had been longing all those years to see again. Not any other thing in the world could have stirred me as the sight of that great rock did.”

In 1884, the Kapahulu portion of Lunalilo’s Māhele award was subdivided by the Lunalilo Estate. Diamond Head was transferred from the estate to the Hawaiian Government.

The summit of Lēʻahi affords an excellent and unobstructed view of the ocean from Koko Head in the east, to beyond the ʻEwa Plain to Wai‘anae in the west. The utility of Diamond Head did not go unnoticed by the U.S. Army.

In 1906, the US government acquired the 729-acres of Lunalilo’s property from the Hawaiian Government, as well as other adjacent lands (including Black Point), to create Fort Ruger Military Reservation, the easternmost of the coastal defense forts.

From 1963 to 2001, the FAA had its air traffic control facilities in Diamond Head crater, which guided Hawai‘i-bound aircraft from 250 miles outside the Islands to within 20 miles of their intended airport.

Diamond Head State Monument was first officially established under an Executive Order by Hawaiʻi’s Governor Quinn in 1962; nearly 500-acres of land now make up the Monument.

This early designation covered about 145-acres in a horseshoe configuration preserving the famous profile and the south and west exterior slopes from the crater rim down to Diamond Head Road. Subsequently, Executive Orders have added additional lands to the Monument.

The interior of the crater had been closed to the public from 1906 until 1968. (Remember the Sunshine Festivals back then?) In 1976, DLNR’s Division of State Parks became the agency responsible for the planning and management of the Monument – it is now open every day.

Two major tunnels (Kāhala Tunnel and Kapahulu Tunnel) provide pedestrian and vehicular access into the crater.

Two separate trail systems (interior and exterior) address different needs and purposes. The exterior trail system has a dual function as a jogging and bicycle path traversing the mauka end of the Monument and along the existing trail on the lower ʻEwa-makai slopes. The interior trail system leads to the summit of Lē¬ʻahi (1.6-mile round trip.)

Diamond Head is open daily 6 am to 6 pm, every day of the year including holidays, with entrance Fees of $5.00 per car or $1 per person for pedestrians (the money goes to State Parks.) Mountain Biking is not allowed on this trail. No dogs allowed in Diamond Head State Monument.

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Overlooking Waikiki-1929
Overlooking Waikiki-1929
Waikiki-Diamond_Head-1940
Waikiki-Diamond_Head-1940
1935 Chevrolet convertible with Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach in the background
1935 Chevrolet convertible with Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach in the background
Waikiki_Beach-Boats-1935
Waikiki_Beach-Boats-1935
Waikiki with Diamond Head in the background-hawaii-gov-1934
Waikiki with Diamond Head in the background-hawaii-gov-1934
Joseph_Dwight_Strong_-_'View_of_Diamond_Head',_oil_on_canvas-1880s
Joseph_Dwight_Strong_-_’View_of_Diamond_Head’,_oil_on_canvas-1880s
Joseph_Dwight_Strong_-_'Hawaiians_at_Rest,_Waikiki',_oil_on_canvas,_c._1884
Joseph_Dwight_Strong_-_’Hawaiians_at_Rest,_Waikiki’,_oil_on_canvas,_c._1884
From_Mccully_to_Diamond_Head-1900
From_Mccully_to_Diamond_Head-1900
Diamond_Head-LOC-aep-his180
Diamond_Head-LOC-aep-his180
'Diamond_Head_from_Waikiki',_oil_on_canvas_painting_by_Enoch_Wood_Perry,_Jr.,_c._1865
‘Diamond_Head_from_Waikiki’,_oil_on_canvas_painting_by_Enoch_Wood_Perry,_Jr.,_c._1865
Diamond Head & Honolulu from the Punchbowl-(vic&becky)-1953
Diamond Head & Honolulu from the Punchbowl-(vic&becky)-1953
Automobile with Diamond Head and Waikiki in background, 1933
Automobile with Diamond Head and Waikiki in background, 1933
Alexander_Scott_-_Diamond_Head_from_Tantalus',_oil_on_canvas,_c.1906-8
Alexander_Scott_-_Diamond_Head_from_Tantalus’,_oil_on_canvas,_c.1906-8
Clipper plane passes Diamond Head-1935
Clipper plane passes Diamond Head-1935
Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-Transpac_Finish
Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-Transpac_Finish
Diamond Head

 

Filed Under: Place Names Tagged With: Crater Festival, Hawaii, Waikiki, Leahi, Diamond Head, Fort Ruger, Sunshine Festival

July 12, 2019 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

La Pietra

Papaʻenaʻena heiau was situated on the side of Lēʻahi, Diamond Head. It was referred to by early writers as “Lēʻahi heiau.”

Papaʻenaʻena was reportedly built by Maui King Kahekili to commemorate his conquest of Oʻahu. This heiau was destroyed in about 1856 and its stones were carted off to Waikīkī for use as rock walls and driveways.

During the Mahele this site was given by the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi to the future King Lunalilo. After the king’s death this site was sold to James Campbell, in 1883. Later, Walter F. Dillingham bought the land from Campbell.

In 1910, Walter Dillingham married Louise Gaylord. Bucking the current trend of wealthy families living in Mānoa, Mr. Dillingham chose to build his new bride a home on a dry and – at the time – remote area on the slopes of Diamond Head.

With the help of famed Chicago architect, David Adler, they built a home similar to the Villa La Pietra they admired in Tuscany while on their honeymoon.

Three elements compose the central structure. One is facing the northward toward the Koʻolau range, one westward to the Waianae range, and one southward to the sea.

All three face inward on a flagged courtyard surrounded by a pillared arcade. In the center of the courtyard is an Italianate fountain, which was used to cool the building when the breeze swept through the structure.

The building is a composite of villa, as noted by Grace Tower Warren, Island Hostess: An Italian Villa in Hawaii, Paradise of the Pacific, Vol. 63:
“Many people have had the idea that La Pietra is a copy of my aunt’s villa in Florence of the same name, the one In which Mr. Dillingham and I were married, but such is not the case”, said Mrs. Dillingham.

“It is a composite of several of the beautiful villas in Florence to which my aunt, Mrs. Acton, took me, The facade facing the Waianae Mountains and the town is copied from the Villa Cambreia, The facade facing the Koolau Mountains is a replica of the de Medici villa in Florence. Our architect was David Adler, and he beautifully combined and coordinated the designs and ideas we loved…”

Mr. Dillingham and Adler did not work together in person. At the time Adler was designing another residence in New York. So Mr. Dillingham sent Mr. Adler detailed measurements and contour maps of the site, and photographs showing the setting in which the villa would stand.

With that, La Pietra – meaning The Gem or The Rock – was born.

The Dillingham home was completed in 1922 and included 5 bedrooms, a swimming pool, a formal dining room, horse stables, servants’ quarters, tennis courts, and a game/pool table room.

Architecturally, the home is described as “An extensive two-story “Italian villa” in an imposing terraced setting overlooking Kapiʻolani Park, Waikiki Bay and Honolulu; an example of the “Mediterranean Revival” period which had some popularity in Honolulu, as on the mainland.”

For the next 40 years, La Pietra was a social center for Honolulu’s wealthy and famous, with visitors to the estate including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Walt Disney.

Upon Mr. Dillingham’s death in 1963, Punahou School gained ownership of La Pietra and used it for faculty housing; the property was eventually sold to the newly formed Hawaii School for Girls in 1969.

With its start at Central Union Church, Hawaii School for Girls then renamed and relocated to La Pietra – Hawaii School for Girls, an independent, college preparatory school for girls, which consisted of nine founding teachers, 210 girls and Head of School, Joseph Pynchon.

Over the years, various enhancements were made to the campus. A six classroom building named in honor of Mrs. Cooke was dedicated in January 1977.

The athletic complex, completed in 1987, was named in honor of Mrs. Anthony in 2008. Bachman Science Center was built in 1997. Most recently, the school renovated its library to create Hawaii’s first all-digital school library.

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La Pietra
La Pietra
La Pietra
La Pietra
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La Pietra
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Walter_Francis_Dillingham-(WC)
Walter_Francis_Dillingham-(WC)

Filed Under: Buildings, Prominent People, Schools Tagged With: Hawaii, Diamond Head, Dillingham, La Pietra, Papaenaena Heiau, Hawaii School for Girls

May 28, 2019 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Fort Ruger

In January 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt instructed Secretary of War William H. Taft to convene the National Coast Defense Board (Taft Board) “to consider and report upon the coast defenses of the United States and the insular possessions (including Hawai‘i.)”

In 1906 the Taft Board recommended a system of Coast Artillery batteries to protect Pearl Harbor and Honolulu.

Between 1909-1921, the Hawaiian Coast Artillery Command had its headquarters at Fort Ruger and defenses included artillery regiments stationed at Fort Armstrong, Fort Barrette, Fort DeRussy, Diamond Head, Fort Kamehameha, Kuwa‘aohe Military Reservation (Fort Hase – later known as Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi) and Fort Weaver.

The forts and battery emplacements batteries were dispersed for concealment and to insure that a projectile striking one would not thereby endanger a neighbor.

Fort Ruger Military Reservation was established at Diamond Head (Lēʻahi) in 1906. The Reservation was named in honor of Major General Thomas H. Ruger, who served from 1871 to 1876 as the superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The fort included Battery Harlow (1910-1943); Battery Birkhimer (1916-1943); Battery Granger Adams (1935-1946); Battery Dodge (1915-1925); Battery Mills (1916-1925); Battery 407 (1944); Battery Hulings (1915-1925); and Battery Ruger (1937-1943).

According to the specifications called for by the Taft Board and subsequent updates, various guns and mortars were included at the various Batteries. These included 12″ Mortars, 8” on railway barbette carriages and other gun emplacements.

A network of tunnels was carved into the mountain and cannon emplacements were placed atop the crater rim along with observation posts and bunkers.

The fortifications within the Fort are all made of reinforced concrete and vary in size from the massive Battery Harlow and the four-story fire control station at the top of Leahi, to a dozen more modest six pound gun emplacements along the rim of the crater.

Battery Harlow is a massive reinforced concrete structure imbedded into the rear of Diamond Head. Built in 1910, it has three large bunkers which are separated by “courtyards” that served as platforms from which eight 12-inch mortars were fired.

Batteries Hulings and Dodge were completed in October 1915. These reinforced concrete structures tunnel through the wall of the crater and each contains one small room. The gun platforms with 4.7 inch guns are on the exterior wall of the crater.

Also dating from 1915 are a dozen 6 pound gun emplacements which are located along the rim of the crater. These are simple concrete slabs with eye rings which helped keep the weapons in place. These were installed to protect the batteries against ground attack.

Battery Birkhimer is located on the floor of the crater, near the rear. It also is made of reinforced concrete and primarily lies beneath the ground. Only its concrete portals are visible from the surface. Completed in 1916, this battery originally was armed with four 12-inch mortars.

Battery 407 was started in 1943 and completed near the end of World War II. Located on the front of Diamond Head, it has tunnels which go through the walls of the crater; it was armed with two 8-inch guns.

Battery Mills existed from 1916 to 1925 on the Kupikipikio Point Reservation on the lava point now known as Black Point and has long since been removed.

Battery Granger Adams (which replaced Battery Mills) was built there between 1933 and 1935, then decommissioned in 1946. Roads and houses now cover this area.

The four-story fire control tower located at the top of Leahi was built between 1908-1910. It is reached by a trail which terminates at the 560 foot elevation, then up a concrete stairway to a 225 foot long tunnel, finally a long concrete staircase of 99 steps leads to another tunnel which opens out on the south face of Diamond Head (with four levels of fire control stations.)

From this elaborate fire control station all the guns along the leeward coast could be commanded. The lowest level was for Battery Randolph at Fort DeRussy.

The next station above served both Randolph and Dudley at DeRussy. The third level commanded Battery Harlow at Fort Ruger and the top level was the battle commander’s station.

From this vantage point, 761 feet above sea level, the battle commander could view the coast from Koko Head to Waianae.

The conclusion of World War II and the advent of nuclear and missile warfare made the coastal batteries obsolete. Thus in December 1955 the majority of the land was turned over to the State of Hawai‘i.

Currently, Fort Ruger is down-scaled and part of the Diamond Head State Monument Park and is utilized for training and various administrative purposes by the Hawaii Army National Guard. Additionally, the installation is the presently home of the Joint Force Headquarters-Hawai‘i.

Battery Birkhimer has been recycled and presently serves as office space for the State Department of Defense. The other Batteries are generally used for storage.

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FortRuger-1932
FortRuger-1932
Encampment of the 3rd Balloon Company at Fort Ruger on back side of Diamond Head.
Encampment of the 3rd Balloon Company at Fort Ruger on back side of Diamond Head.
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Fort_tRuger-stone-art-planter
Mortar Courtyard Battery Harlow-(NPS)-1982
Mortar Courtyard Battery Harlow-(NPS)-1982
Fort_Ruger-Battery_Harlow-(NPS)-1982
Fort_Ruger-Battery_Harlow-(NPS)-1982
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Battery_Harlow
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Battery_Birkhimer-CD_Use-1950s
Battery_Birkhimer_entrance
Battery_Birkhimer_entrance
FtRuger-DiamondHead-Tunnel
FtRuger-DiamondHead-Tunnel
Ft_Ruger_1938
Ft_Ruger_1938
Fort Ruger, Kaimuki, Oahu-Wilhelmina Rise in background-(HSA)-PPWD-11-7-023-1914
Fort Ruger, Kaimuki, Oahu-Wilhelmina Rise in background-(HSA)-PPWD-11-7-023-1914
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Diamond_Head-Fort_Ruger-1934
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Diamond_Head-Fire_Control-Batteries_Cross_Section-1910
Leahi Summit-Fire Control-(NPS)-1982
Leahi Summit-Fire Control-(NPS)-1982
Battery_Granger_Adams-1938
Battery_Granger_Adams-1938
Battery_Dodge-Entrance-(NPS)-1982
Battery_Dodge-Entrance-(NPS)-1982
Battery 407-(NPS)-1982
Battery 407-(NPS)-1982
12-inch-Mortars-(not Fort Ruger)
12-inch-Mortars-(not Fort Ruger)
12-inch-Mortar-(not Fort Ruger)
12-inch-Mortar-(not Fort Ruger)
Oahu-Forts-Map
Oahu-Forts-Map

Filed Under: Military Tagged With: Hawaii, Leahi, Diamond Head, Fort Ruger

March 4, 2019 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Diamond Head Lighthouse

Diamond Head serves as a landmark as ships approach Honolulu Harbor from the west side of Oʻahu.

With the increase of commerce calling at the port of Honolulu, a lookout was established in 1878 on the seaward slopes of Diamond Head for spotting and reporting incoming vessels.

The first attendant, John Peterson from Sweden and known as “Lighthouse Charlie,” spotted incoming vessels through a telescope.

In 1893, ‘SS Miowera’ ran aground at Diamond Head prompting the Hawaiian legislature to recommend a lighthouse be established at Diamond Head. Then, ‘China’ ran aground, finally causing construction of an iron tower to begin.

A 40’ open frame tower was constructed at Honolulu Iron Works. In 1898, the Hawaiian legislature deemed the lighthouse tower should be masonry, not skeletal iron.

Its light was first lit on July 1, 1899. The light had a red sector to mark dangerous shoals and reefs. (As an aside, the first lighthouse in the Pacific was built on Maui in 1840; the first in Honolulu in 1869.)

In 1904, a floor was added to the tower, 14’ above ground level. Windows were placed in 2 existing openings in the tower walls and telephone lines were installed in the tower.

However, over a decade later, cracks were noted in the structure, compromising the tower’s integrity. In 1917, funds were allocated for constructing a fifty-five-foot tower of reinforced concrete on the original foundation.

The old tower was replaced with the modern concrete structure, which strongly resembles the original tower.

One notable difference is that the old tower had an external staircase that wrapped partway around the tower, whereas the new tower houses an internal, cast-iron, spiral stairway.

In 1921, a light keeper’s home was built nearby. A keeper occupied the dwelling for just three years, as the station was automated in 1924.

In 1939, the light station was turned over to the Coast Guard.

During World War II, a small structure was built on the seaward side of the tower and a Coast Guard radio station was housed in the keeper’s dwelling.

Following the war, in 1946, the radio station was moved to its present site in Wahiawa. The dwelling was remodeled and has since been home to the Commanders of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District.

The Diamond Head light was built 147 feet above sea level and can be seen as far away as 18 miles. It has the intensity of 60,000 candlepower. To warn vessels of the reefs off of Waikiki Beach, a red sector shows.

Fully automatic, its 1,000-watt electric lamp continues to guide ships to O‘ahu and is among the best-known lighthouses in the world.

In 1980, the Diamond Head Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Besides continuing its nightly vigil noting the land and reefs off Diamond Head, the lighthouse also serves as one end of the finish line for the biennial Transpac Yacht Race, which starts 2,225 nautical miles away from Point Fermin, at the southern edge of Los Angeles, California.

While at DLNR, I had the opportunity to attend a reception hosted by Admiral Sally Brice-O’Hara, then-Commander of the 14th Coast Guard District at the Diamond Head Lighthouse. Yes, the location and view from this site is one of the best in Hawaiʻi.

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Diamond Head Lighthouse
Diamond Head Lighthouse
Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-steel_frame (temporary posting Ok’d by Lighthousefriends-com)
Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-steel_frame (temporary posting Ok’d by Lighthousefriends-com)
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Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-early (temporary posting Ok’d by Lighthousefriends-com)
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Diamond Head Lighthouse-Babcock
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Diamond Head Light, Oahu Island -1960
Diamond Head Light, Oahu Island -1960
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Diamond Head Light guards the south shore of Oahu at that noted landmark east of Waikiki Beach, guarding the approaches to Honolulu Harbor. The old keeper's house is the official residence of the Commandant of the Coast Guard's 14th District.
Diamond Head Light guards the south shore of Oahu at that noted landmark east of Waikiki Beach, guarding the approaches to Honolulu Harbor. The old keeper’s house is the official residence of the Commandant of the Coast Guard’s 14th District.
Diamond Head Light guards the south shore of Oahu at that noted landmark east of Waikiki Beach, guarding the approaches to Honolulu Harbor. The old keeper's house is the official residence of the Commandant of the Coast Guard's 14th District.
Diamond Head Light guards the south shore of Oahu at that noted landmark east of Waikiki Beach, guarding the approaches to Honolulu Harbor. The old keeper’s house is the official residence of the Commandant of the Coast Guard’s 14th District.
Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-Transpac_Finish
Diamond_Head_Lighthouse-Transpac_Finish

Filed Under: Economy, General, Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks Tagged With: Hawaii, Diamond Head, Diamond Head Lighthouse, Honolulu Harbor, Coast Guard

May 25, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Aqua Marine

The area along the coast at the foot of Leahi (Diamond Head) between Waikiki and Kupikipiki (commonly called Black Point) is an area known as Kaluahole (‘the āhole fish cavern.’) Kaluahole is a noted place in several legends associated with the area.

In one story of Aiai, son of Kūulakai (a god who controlled all the gods of the sea,) following his father’s instructions “… traveled about the islands establishing fishing stations (ko‘a) at fishing grounds (ko‘a aina) …”

“… where fish were accustomed to feed and setting up altars (ku‘ula) upon which to lay, as offerings to the fishing gods, two fish from the first catch one for the male, the other for the female aumakua. Some accounts give Aiai a son named Puniaiki who is a fish kupua and trickster and helps his father set up fishing stations.”

“On Oahu, Aiai lands at Makapu‘u and makes the stone Malei the fish stone for the uhu fish of that place. Other stones are set up at grounds for different kinds of fish. The uhu is the common fish as far as Hanauma.”

“At Ka-lua-hole the ahole fish run. The fish still spawn about a round sandstone (called Ponahakeone) which Aiai placed outside Kahuahui …” (Beckwith)

Ponahakeone is offshore of Kaluahole … “In 1834, during the time of Kaomi, a malihini shark came to Waikiki in search of food. When he reached Kaʻalawai and Kaluaahole, he was refused by the guardian sharks of that place (ka poʻe kamaʻaina kiaʻi o ia wahi)…”

“… and then he came to Kapua, where the guardians of Waikiki were, and argued with them. They decided to kill him and to leave visible proof of it, so they forced his head into a cleft in the rocks at Kukaʻiunahi, makai of Kupalaha.” (Kamakau; Maly)

This is where Sanford B Dole had a beach bungalow – he called it Aqua Marine. (It’s about where the Le‘ahi Beach Park is situated.)

A portion of Royal Patent Grant 3219 was deeded in June 1879 to Kahololio. The grant consisted of all the land at Kaluahole and comprised 19 acres. In 1889 Kahololio sold +/- 15 acres of the grant lands to Sanford B. Dole.

Between 1892 and 1912, Dole deeded various parcels to George Beckley which eventually were subdivided into various lots and identified as portions of an estate known as “Aqua Marine” and the “Beckley Tract”. (Dye)

“Where the road leaves Kapiolani Park on the east, it passes a few houses and then comes out on an open space skirting the ocean. This is low and level at first, but further on rises to higher ground, whence the views seaward, south and west, are genuine Vistas of Hawaii.”

“The lapis-lazuli of the deep sea, starred with the sails of passing vessels, breaks into turbulent foam where it meets the outer reef, and ‘sliding its snow-white and swift avalanches’ into the inner lagoon …”

“… the waters, taking their tone from the corals below and the skies above, now break forth into an extravaganza of color as they hasten in subdued merriment to the shore of yellow sand.”

“‘In stillness far away, like phantoms, rise the bills of Waianae,’ while the bald-headed summit of Diamond Head looms up behind, almost over you, with startling distinct ness, but with a benignant and fatherly expression withal.”

“Besides this ideal environment, Aqua-Marine enjoys some substantial advantages as well. This strip of land between the road and the shore is divided into ten large lots, varying in size from half to three-quarters of an acre, each one fronting makai on the sea and mauka on the road for from 100 to 150 feet.”

“Government water is laid on along the fronts of these lots on the road. The sea-bathing is not very good as regards the footing on account of the coral, but can be improved by dynamite; as regards the sea-water it is first-class.”

“The trade winds are not shut out by Diamond Head, but, sweeping around the south east side of the bluff, blow freshly across these lots from the sea, the wind being perceptibly cooled by its passage over the water and carrying with it the tonic quality of the salt spray.”

“The reef is a famous fishing ground, and the fish are free to those who can circumvent them. Shellfish are abundant and ambrosial.”

“The road skirting these lots is being extended by the Park Association, and further on has been carried high up along the face of the bluff, giving a wide and beautiful outlook. It is to be continued around Diamond Head returning to the Park on its mauka side and when finished will be one of the most picturesque drives near Honolulu, abounding in a great variety of delicious views.”

“The tramway is to be extended through the Park, which will bring it within a live minutes’ walk from Aqua Marine. If the Oahu Railroad is extended in this direction according to its preliminary surveys, it will come within a few rods of these lots, which would bring them within fifteen minutes of Honolulu.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, February 5, 1892)

“‘Aqua Marine’ at Diamond Head is one of the prettiest places on the Island. Situated on high ground, one is enabled to command a magnificent view of the picturesque landscape and the lighthouse in the distance only adds fresh beauty to an entrancing spot.”

“The Doles are thinking of living at their bungalow all the year round, for the sea air agrees so well with the Judge’s health. The Emma street house is large and comfortable, but little ‘Aqua Marine’ is always occupied the greater part of the year.”

“If the family conclude to live there permanently many changes will be made to the home. The grounds are rapidly being improved and the large trees already planted by Judge Dole are making a fine showing.” (Evening Bulletin, January 14, 1905)

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Sanford Dole beach house at Kaluahole, Diamond Head-1905
Sanford Dole beach house at Kaluahole, Diamond Head-1905
Downtown_Honolulu-Map-1892-portion
Downtown_Honolulu-Map-1892-portion
Honolulu_Harbor_to_Diamond_Head-Wall-Reg1690 (1893) - Waikiki_portion-portion
Honolulu_Harbor_to_Diamond_Head-Wall-Reg1690 (1893) – Waikiki_portion-portion
Honolulu_Harbor-Diamond_Head-Monsarrat-Reg1910 (1897)-portion
Honolulu_Harbor-Diamond_Head-Monsarrat-Reg1910 (1897)-portion

Filed Under: Economy, General, Buildings, Hawaiian Traditions, Place Names, Prominent People Tagged With: Dole, Sanford Ballard Dole, Aqua Marine, Kaluahole, Hawaii, Leahi, Diamond Head, Sanford Dole

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