Hawaii | Page 20 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

June 18, 2026 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Bull Pen

Betty Jean O’Hara was “born in Chicago, Illinois in 1913, the year preceding the 1st World War. The early years of (her) life were happy and normal. Being the only child of a physician, (she) was given the best schooling in preparation for a career.”

“(Her) parents were Catholic, and were strict in the regimentation of (her) life. (She) was permitted however to attend parties and movies with other children (her) age.”

At about the age of 16, she met a girl and her boyfriend at a party. The girl was covered in fine jewelry and nice clothes. Young, and easily led, she “agreed to their sordid plans and went into the business of the ‘oldest profession.’” A month later, she left home and headed to San Francisco. (O’Hara)

“Jean O’Hara was a pretty girl who became a handsome woman. She was ‘black Irish,’ fair-skinned with a clear complexion which set off her dark eyes, raven hair, and even her features. She stood about 5’4” and at 120 pounds was slender by that era’s standards. Her good looks and classy bearing would serve her well.” (Bailey & Farber)

“(O’Hara) got used to the fast money.”

“(She) started working in one of the better class houses, and (she) became definitely committed to the practice of prostitution. (Her) father and mother tried every means available to frighten (her) into going home …”

“… but being headstrong, and enticed by the seemingly fabulous earnings (she) resisted their every attempt. Although (she) actually loathed the life, (her) sense of shame and sin aroused in (her) a perverse independence.” (O’Hara)

In mid-1938, O’Hara arrived in Honolulu from San Francisco.

There was an unofficial system of regulated prostitution in the Islands, with the also unofficial sanction of the military. Army military police and the Navy shore patrol helped monitor it.

All girls had to live in the houses where they worked; no white girls were allowed on the other side of River Street. The Army, Navy, and civilian police picketed any house violating the rules, and no man could enter it. According to the agreement, the civil police regulated prostitution “with full cooperation by the Army and Navy.” (Greer)

“The business of procuring girls to work in the brothels, or “factories”, before the war (WWII,) was usually handled by the same … “procurer.” He handled nothing but the transportation of the girls. … The fee for procuring a girl from the mainland rage(d) from $500 to $1,000 depending on the looks and the capability of the girl.” (O’Hara)

A detective would meet the ships coming in and the girls were taken to the ‘receiving station.’ (In O’Hara’s case, that was the Blaisdell Hotel on Fort Street.) The girls were explained the rules – in no uncertain terms, the girls were told that any violation of the rules meant banishment from the Territory.

All of the girls have a Territorial tax book and a Territorial license (they were licensed as ‘entertainers,’) which cost each $1 per year. In addition, every month the Vice Squad would collect an unofficial tax of $30 per girl from the brothels.

The girls paid Federal income taxes, as well as state taxes. “It has been said that (the) girls and Madames are the heaviest tax payers in Honolulu. … Each girl in Honolulu can average from $4,000 per month to $5,000 per month. … Taxes are collected by the Madame of the house, who also files the returns for them.” (O’Hara)

Before WWII, the girls usually started to work around 1 pm, and ended around 5 am. The ‘blackout’ during the war meant they worked from 8 am to noon.

“Very few girls made under a $100 a day, some of these double that and some of them made over $300 a day. It all depends upon the girl. She can make as much as she wants.”

“The price charged is $3.00 per date. Of this, the Madame gets one dollar. Out of the remaining two dollars, the girl must pay the Madame for her room and board and laundry.” (O’Hara)

The Madames were women from the mainland. Although prostitution was not legal, they needed permission from the local Police before operating.

When WWII broke out, and martial law was in effect, the military called the shots (1941-1943.) A “substantial number” of prostitutes were brought to Honolulu from the mainland under military priorities – a common rumor – and that under military government prostitution “flourished.” (Greer)

Most brothels required girls to see at least 100 men a day and to work at least 20 days per month.

To speed things along, O’Hara is credited with inventing the ‘bull pen’ system where a single prostitute would work three rooms in rotation (including maid service.)

In one room a man would be undressing, in a second room the prostitute would be having sex, and in the third room the man would be dressing. (The guy had three minutes to achieve release, after which she said ‘aloha’ and was off to the next room while he washed up and got dressed.) (McNeill)

After a few months’ work in a Hotel Street brothel, she had amassed a sizable bankroll. She leased a house near Waikiki Beach with a friend.

“The life of a prostitute is not an easy one, and the stringent rules of the Honolulu Police Department, headed by Chief of Police Gabrielson, left her no more freedom that a prisoner.”

O’Hara broke the rules (often) and ended up getting the regular attention of the Police, including Gabrielson. She was fined, imprisoned and beat black and blue, with two broken ribs.

O’Hara filed a $100,000 lawsuit in 1941 against the Police department for her two broken ribs and black eyes. The lawsuit was dropped, but conflicts with the Police continued.

O’Hara later married a ‘local boy’ and quit the business. She was a prostitute for 13-years, and temporarily was a Madame. She had homes in Waikiki and Pacific Heights.

After leaving the brothels, “(her) only desire (was) to live a useful family life, and help others to live and let live, as one resurrected from the sordid flesh mines of humanity.”

In 1944, she wrote a booklet, ‘My Life as a Honolulu Prostitute.’ She died in 1973. (Lots of information here is from that booklet.)

June 15, 2026 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

50-Star US Flag

At the time of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, there were no flags with any stars on them. The 13 Star Flag became the first official US Flag; it was adopted though an act of Congress on June 14, 1777.

Since 1818, a star for each new state has been added to the flag on the 4th of July the year immediately following each state’s admission. The blue background on the top left, where the stars are placed, represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice; the red stripes symbolize valor whereas the white means purity and innocence.

in the 1950s, it was assumed Alaska would be admitted to the Union; President Eisenhower signed the official proclamation on January 3, 1959. Upon learning this, designers began retooling the American flag to add a 49th star to the existing 48. Many expected that Hawai‘i would be added as the 50th state and 1953 was the earliest submission of a 50-star flag design.

The current design of the U.S. flag is its 27th. It was designed by Robert (Bob) Galen Heft. In the spring of 1958 while a 17-year-old junior at Lancaster High School, Ohio. Heft and his fellow classmates were given an assignment by US History teacher Stanley Pratt to prepare a history project of choice and report on it in class.

Heft was born on January 19, 1942, in Saginaw, Michigan to Maynard G. Heft and Viola C. Weaver; his parents separated when he was about one and Heft was raised by his grandparents Sheldon and Gladys Schromme in Lancaster (he referred to them as his parents). (Yuma Sun, Jun 14, 1995)

Heft had an interest in the Betsy Ross story and learned respect for the flag through his service in Boy Scouts. A flag project – an honorable and innocent task by most standards – seemed to be a natural choice for him. The idea of making a flag came to Heft at the time after seeing the flag flying at city hall. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

“I’d watch my mom sew, but I had never sewn … and since making the flag of our country, I’ve never sewn again,” said Heft. (West Point AOG)

Heft cut into the family flag with scissors, and with an additional $2.87 of new cloth and iron-on material he purchased from Wiseman’s Department Store, he then spent 12-½ hours over the course of the entire weekend at the family’s dining table constructing a new 50-star version of ‘Old Glory’ using a pattern of five rows of six stars with four alternating rows of five stars.

Pratt asked him, “What’s this on my desk?” Heft replied that it was a flag. Pratt pointed out to Heft that he had too many stars on the flag. “You don’t even know how many states we have,” Heft recollected Pratt’s response.

Pratt gave the young flag designer a grade of B-minus. Despite receiving a ‘decent grade,’ as Heft would later describe in speeches, he remained upset as he felt his grade did not match the effort he put into it – considering Tim and his level of effort.

Pratt then presented young Bob with a challenge to have his flag submitted to Congress and if they accept his 50-star flag design he would consider changing the grade. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

Ultimately, Executive Order 10834 notes, “Section 1. The flag of the United States shall have thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white, and a union consisting of white stars on a field of blue.”

“Sec. 2. The positions of the stars in the union of the flag and in the union jack shall be as indicated on the attachment to this order, which is hereby made a part of this order. Sec. 3. The dimensions of the constituent parts of the flag shall conform to the proportions set forth in the attachment referred to in section 2 of this order.” (EO 10834, Signed: August 21, 1959 Published: August 25, 1959)

Heft would make contact with the new Congressman of Ohio’s 10th District, Representative Walter H. Moeller, to inform him of his 50-star design. He eventually sent the flag to Representative Moeller with a note that in the event both Alaska and Hawaii become states that the Congressman submit the 50-star design on his behalf.

Over time, Heft would make numerous phone calls to Representative Moeller’s office, as well as 21 letters and 18 phone calls to the White House to check on the status of his flag submission. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

Eventually, Congress approved and the states ratified, Alaska, which officially became a state on January 3, 1959, and was acknowledged on a new 49-star flag at a flag-raising ceremony at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD on July 4, 1959.

The 49-star flag, however, would be short-lived – the shortest in U.S. history at only one year. While Hawaii also earned statehood in 1959, it did not occur until later in the year, August 21, after the 49-star flag had already been adopted. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

Following statehood of Hawaiʻi, the new flag of the United States of America (Heft’s design containing a union of 50 stars) flew for the first time at 12:01 am, July 4, 1960, when it was raised at the Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland.

Heft traveled the world extensively telling countless people of his unique story. He retired after 30 years as a high school and college history teacher. He was a seven-term Mayor of Napoleon, Ohio and past state president of the Ohio Mayor’s Association. He died on December 12, 2009 in Saginaw, Michigan at the age of 67. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

June 13, 2026 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kaname Yonamine

A shy young man, he was Nisei (second generation) born on June 24, 1925, in Olowalu, Maui, where his father Matsusai, an Okinawan, had moved to find work in the sugar cane fields and met his mother Kikue, whose family was from Hiroshima. He is considered one of the greatest athletes to come out of Hawaii. (Weber)

He starred at Lahainaluna before he attracted the attention of Honolulu’s football coaches and transferred to Farrington, starring on the baseball and football teams – and led the Governors to their first football championship in 1944.

It was there when Kaname Yonamine changed his first name to Wallace – he was then known as Wally.

Yonamine graduated from Farrington in 1945 and was drafted into the US Army the next morning. Stationed at Schofield Barracks, he was supposed to be shipped to Europe to support the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. However, within two months, World War II was over. (Hawai‘i Tribune Herald)

He never went to college, though he turned down at least one football scholarship, to Ohio State. In the period after the war, Yonamine remained at Schofield, where he joined the Lei-Alumns, a football team comprised of former Leilehua High School players.

During a fateful game against Portland University, he scored several touchdowns and caught the eye of a San Francisco 49ers scout, who was there to evaluate Portland’s quarterback.

In 1947, Yonamine signed with the San Francisco 49ers of the All-America Football Conference, a post-World War II rival to the National Football League. This was the 49ers’ second season, three years before the team joined the NFL. Yonamine inked a two-year deal worth $14,000. (AP)

He was the first Asian-American to play professional football. This was at a time in San Francisco when emotions were still raw as thousands of Japanese – most of them American citizens – who had been rounded up and forced from their homes and businesses in The City’s thriving Japantown returned from desolate internment camps. (Chapman)

Therefore, Yonamine’s signing with the 49ers took on special significance in the Asian American community. In 12 games (three starts), he rushed for 74 yards on 19 carries, caught three passes for 40 yards and recorded one interception for a 20-yard return. (49ers)

Yonamine’s football career was cut short after fracturing his wrist playing baseball in 1948. He then turned his sole focus to baseball. (49ers)

His baseball talents were immediately noticed by the legendary Lefty O’Doul, a former National League batting champion, who had been instrumental in promoting the professional game in Japan. He signed Yonamine and sent him to the Salt Lake City Bees, where Wally did well.

One of O’Doul’s contacts was Matsutaro Shoriki, owner of the Yomiuri Giants, the premier professional franchise in Japan. A deal was worked out, and, in 1951, Wally Yonamine found himself the starting center fielder of the Giants (or, “Kyojin,” as they are called in Japan.) (Gillespie)

In 1951, he arrived in Japan as the first American to play baseball after World War II. At first he was met with much adversity for being American, but also for his hard hitting style of baseball. This proved to be the introduction of a new style of baseball in Japan. (Fitts)

In his debut for the Giants, he bunted for a hit in his first at-bat, a show of daredevilry that became his trademark. To the orderly and respectful game as the Japanese played it, Yonamine brought what was considered bad behavior: beating out a sacrifice bunt, sliding hard to take out the pivot man on a double play, expressing outrage at the umpire. (Weber)

Without speaking the language, he helped introduce a hustling style of base running, shaking up the game for both Japanese players and fans. Along the way, Yonamine endured insults, dodged rocks thrown by fans, initiated riots, and was threatened by yakuza (the Japanese mafia). (Fitts)

Yonamine was a gifted athlete. He was a great left-handed contact hitter and was a Gold Glove-level defender, and a very aggressive base runner. In fact, Yonamine changed Japanese pro baseball forever, when he started thrilling crowds by stealing third base and home.

Before Wally, this was not a part of the Japanese style of play. Yonamine stole home 11 times in his career, a record for Japan’s major leagues. (Gillespie)

He also won batting titles, was named the 1957 MVP, coached and managed for twenty-five years, and was honored by the emperor of Japan. Overcoming bigotry and hardship on and off the field, Yonamine became a true national hero and a member of Japan’s Baseball Hall of Fame. (Fitts)

In 1957 he received the MVP award and led the Tokyo Giants to the Japan World Series title. Today, he still holds the highest batting average ever for a Giant.

Wally went on to play for and manage the Chunichi Dragons, and succeeded as the first foreign manager to win the Central League title (beating the Giants.) (Yonamine Pearls)

Yonamine went on to coach or manage various professional teams in Japan for 26 years. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

In 2002, the San Francisco 49ers honored Yonamine’s football legacy during an exhibition game on August 3 at Japan’s Osaka Dome. Serving as an honorary team captain, Yonamine was greeted with a standing ovation. (49ers) Wally Yonamine died February 28, 2011.

Here’s a short video on Wally Yonamine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lp5j1upTWw

June 12, 2026 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Moon Nights

Reasoning from observations has been important to modern scientific practice at least since the time of Aristotle (384–322 BC.) A scientific process or scientific method requires observations of nature and formulating and testing the hypothesis. It consists of following four steps.

Scientists observe something and ask questions about a natural phenomenon (scientific observation,) make hypothesis, make predictions about logical consequences of the hypothesis, test the predictions by observational study and create a conclusion on the basis of the information gathered. (Stanford)

Hawaiians in traditional times also made observations of the world around them. Most of the makaʻāinana (common people) were farmers, a few were fishermen. Tenants cultivated smaller crops for family consumption, to supply the needs of chiefs and provide tributes.

They followed a systematic and careful regimentation of planting in accordance with what had been observed over time, noting the influence of the stages of the moon had on farming and fishing.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Lunar_libration_with_phase2.gif

Following is a summary noted in Handy & Handy with Pukui for planting according to moon phases, together with the names of the ‘Moon Nights,’ are compiled by them from notes derived from a variety of sources:

Hilo (first ‘night.’) The new moon appears ‘slender and twisted’ (hilo.) Fish ‘hide’ in the lagoons on this night, but it is good for deep-sea fishing; food maturing underground will ‘hide,’ but some recommend the day following Hilo for planting, especially sweet potatoes and taro, although they will be small when mature as the new moon is small. This was the first night of the kapu period of Ku.

Hoaka (second ‘night.’) The name means ‘faint light’ or ‘casting a shadow.’ Ghosts cast shadows and frighten fish away. The second night of the Ku kapu.

Ku kahi, Ku lua, Ku kolu, Ku pau (third, fourth, fifth, and sixth ‘nights’.), The names mean ‘First Ku’ ‘Second Ku,’ ‘Third Ku,’ and ‘Last Ku.’ The kapu period of Ku ended with ‘First Ku,’ Recommended for planting sweet potato and taro, which will grow ‘upright’ (ku) in the soil. Recommended also for fishing.

Taros planted on this first night will have but one shoot (ku kahi ), second night will have two (ku lua), and third night will have three (ku kolu.), Bananas planted these nights will stand erect (ku.) The ocean currents change.

‘Ole ku kahi, ‘Ole ku lua, ‘Ole ku kolu, ‘Ole pau (First ‘Ole, Second, Third, Last; seventh to tenth ‘nights’). The tides run high and the sea is rough. Fishing is poor. Not recommended for planting or fishing, for ‘ole means ‘nothing, without, nonproductive.’ Recommended for weeding. However, planting at ‘Ole pau (‘end of non-productivity,’) especially for breadfruit.

Huna (eleventh ‘night’), The name means ‘hidden’ and is recommended for root plants which will flourish, hidden under dense foliage, and especially for gourds which will be hidden under their leaves. Recommended also for fishing, for the fish are hiding-in their holes.

Mohalu (twelfth ‘night.’) Good for planting flowers, which will be round and perfect like the moon all this night; and gourds, potatoes and taro will grow well. Fruits, fish, and seaweed were kapu, for this night was sacred to Kane the life-giver. This is a good ‘night,’ for fishing. ‘The sea is covered with fishing canoes’ (after abolition of kapu).

Hua (thirteenth ‘night’), The name means ‘fruit’ and ‘seed,’ hence it was fruitful on land and sea, especially for many-seeded gourds, The moon is egg-shaped (hua), This night is sacred to Lono, Good fishing.

Akua (fourteenth ‘night.’. All things reproduce abundantly (ho‘oakua.) Fishing is good. This is a kapu night when the gods (akua) are about, and offerings are made to them to increase food (ho‘oulu‘ai) and fish (ho‘oulu i‘a).

Hoku (fifteenth ‘night.’) Hoku kua means ‘lined up close together,’ hence root plants and bananas will be prolific, but fruit will be small. Good for trees in general. Good fishing.
Mahealani (sixteenth ‘night’: full moon.) Mahea means ‘whiter,’ and the plants are so prolific and large that they say ‘whither can we grow?’ Currents run strong, but fishing is good. Good for all work.

Kulu (seventeenth ‘night.’) Kulu means ‘to drop.’ The banana sheath drops off this day exposing the new bunch. Good for potatoes and melons. Currents are strong, but it is a good time for fishing. This was the time for offering first fruits to the gods.

La‘au ku kahi, La‘au ku lua, La‘au pau (First La‘au, Second, Last: eighteenth to twentieth ‘night’). Sweet potatoes, melons, and gourds will run to woody (la‘au) vines. For medicines (la‘au) this is a time favored for gathering herbs and for their preparation by the medical kahuna.

Good for planting banana and other trees (la‘au): the fruit will be so heavy that poles (la‘au) will be required to support them. Favorable for fishing. Breadfruit planted in these days will be hard and woody (la‘au.) Some say bananas will be hard and woody. Some say La‘au pau is a good day for all planting.

‘Ole ku kahu, ‘Ole ku lua, ‘Ole ku pau (First ‘Ole, Seconds, Last: twenty-first to twenty-third ‘night.’) Not recommended for planting or fishing. It is windy and tides run high. A good time for weeding. ‘Lazy days for farmers.’ ‘Ole pau and kaloa ku kahi are the kapu periods of Kanaloa or Kaloa, when offerings are made with prayers.

Kaloa ku kahi, Koloa ku lua, Koloa pau (First kaloa, Second, Last: twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth ‘night.’) Good for fishing. Makaloa and ‘ole shellfish are plentiful. It is a good time to plant bamboo for braiding hats. Plants with long stems (banana, sugar cane, bamboo) will grow long. Potato and yam will run to long vines (ka loa.) Good for wauke, which will develop long stems (ka loa). Pandanus will develop long leaves. The first Kaloa is sacred to Kanaloa with mild kapu.

Kane (twenty-seventh ‘night’). This and the night following Lono, are sacred to Kane. This period was devoted to prayers to Kane and Lono for health and food. The Kane kapu was rigorous.

Lono (twenty-eighth ‘night.’) Prayers for rain. Recommended for melons and gourds (which were ‘bodies’ of Lono.)

Mauli (twenty-ninth ‘night.’) Uli (dark) implies rich, dark-green vegetation. Tides are low. Fishing is good, good day for marriages.

Muku (thirtieth ‘night.’) Bananas will bear bunches one muku long (from tip of fingers of one hand to opposite elbow.) Not recommended for sweet potatoes. Trees and sugar cane will prosper. Fishing is good. The moon is cut off, muku (vanishes.)

The planting calendar may be summarized as follows : On the Ku nights potatoes will grow erect (ku,) also taro. The ‘Ole nights are periods of scarcity (‘ole ) on land and sea. On Huna, roots and gourds will prosper, hidden (huna) under earth or dense foliage. Hua (fruit, seed) means plenty, Akua (deity) supernatural abundance.

In Hoku the fruits will be lined up (hoku hua.) In Mahealani roots will ask ‘ ‘whither can we grow (mahea, whither ; lani (under) heaven?’ Kulu (drop) implies dropping of the fruit sheath.

The la‘au are good for woody growth (la‘au means wood.) The second series of ‘Ole are again periods of dearth. Kaloa indicates long vines and stems. Kane and Lono, nights of prayer for plenty, health, and rain. Mauli implies dark green (uli) vegetation, and Muku long bunches of bananas.

During each month (moon, mahina) there are four kapu periods. Families who worshiped one of the major gods to whom the ‘nights’ were dedicated abstained from work and play and prayed to their gods at the altar (kuahu) in the men’s house (mua.)

The kapu periods were:
On Hila, Hoaka and Kukahi (1st-3rd,) the Ku kapu.
On Mohalu and Hua (12th-13th,) , the Hua (Lono) kapu.
On ‘Ole pau and Kalo aku kahi (23rd-24th,) the Kanaloa kapu.
On Kane and Lono (27th-28th), the Kane kapu.

June 11, 2026 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kamehameha Day

Kamehameha Day was first celebrated in 1871 by Kamehameha V as a day to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I (however, it was first celebrated on December 11 of that year.)

Here’s a little background on the celebration (Kepā Maly gave me information from SM Kamakau) and the reasoning why we now celebrate Kamehameha Day on June 11.

“The celebration of Kamehameha Day on June 11 came about in the following way.”

“On December 11, 1871, the birthday of Kamehameha V who was at that time ruling king, a public celebration was held with horse-riding and other sports.”

“It was agreed to make this celebration an annual event, but because of the uncertain weather in December to change the date to June.”

“Kamehameha V died soon after, and the holiday remained as a “Day in Commemoration of Kamehameha I,” (La Ho‘o-mana‘o o Kamehameha I.)”

So, while linked to Kamehameha V’s birth date (December 11,) because the weather is better in the summer, the decision was made to have the Kamehameha I celebration six months from the King Kamehameha V’s birthday (i.e. June 11 – the date has no direct significance to Kamehameha I.)

In 1882, the Hawaiian Legislature with concurrence from the King (Kalakaua) authorized a Kamehameha statue to serve as a “commemorative of the centennial of the discovery of this Archipelago by Cook”. (PCA, May 19, 1882)

“In 1878 the Kingdom of Hawaii, with King Kalakaua at its head, honored Captain Cook at the centenary celebration of discovery. The permanent memorial established in Honolulu at that time was the splendid statue of Kamehameha the Great which stands upon a high pedestal in front of the Judiciary Building.” (Taylor)

“A great many plans have been proposed and suggestions made whereby the memory of the great navigator might be suitably recognized and perpetuated by our residents.”

“On the eve of the day celebrated the glee troupes of Lahaina, who can boast of a preeminence in the sweet chorus singing peculiar to Hawaiians, with some commemorative of the coming of Captain Cook”. (PCA, Jan 26, 1878)

“January 18, 1878, was the anniversary of the landing of Captain Cook on these Islands – one hundred years ago. The event was commemorated by our people with becoming reverence.”

“The Hawaiian citizens, assisted by the English speaking residents, made such preparations for the event as they could, in order to testify their appreciation of a century of time in the history of the Hawaiian group with all its mutations, whether for good or otherwise in the history of the race.” (Hawaiian Gazette, Jan 23, 1878)

That statue that gets draped with lei on June 11, is “The centennial of the discovery of the Sandwich Islands by Captain Cook in 1778”; it is “a bronze statue, heroic size, of Kamehameha, the conqueror and organizer of the Islands.”

Then, in 1896 the legislature declared it a national holiday.

“Kamehameha Day was generally observed by the people. Elaborate preparations were made for the celebration of the day, with sumptuous feasts and sports, and every effort was brought to bear in order to insure the success of the occasion.”

“It might well be said that, in the language of the poet, its observance was usually attended with:

‘The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,

And all that beaut’, all that wealth e’er gave.’”

“The celebration itself was characterized by a cheerful spirit and good-fellowshlp. “Aloha,” the watchword that opened every heart and brightened every soul, was greeted on every side, and hospitality, unalloyed and unbounded, was displayed at every door. There was no distinction in race, color or creed.” (John C Lane, Mayor, 1916)

In 1939, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes under the Territorial Legislature of Hawai‘i created the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission – that law remains in effect, today.

State law notes: §8-5 King Kamehameha celebration commission … “The commission shall have charge of all arrangements for the celebration each year generally observed throughout Hawai‘i Nei on June 11, to commemorate the memory of the great Polynesian Hawaiian warrior and statesman King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands into the Kingdom of Hawai‘i”.

In 1978 the legislature renamed this holiday King Kamehameha I Day.

Almost from its first observance this day was celebrated chiefly by horse races in Kapi‘olani Park; but the races eventually gave way to today’s parades of floats and pāʻū riders.

On February 14, 1883, the Kamehameha statue was unveiled at Aliʻiōlani Hale during the coronation ceremonies for King Kalākaua.

The stance of the statue, with spear in left hand and right outstretched with open palm, showed the “successful warrior inviting the people … to accept the peace and order he had secured.”

There are now five different statues of Kamehameha:

The first replica stands prominently in front of Aliʻiolani Hale in Honolulu
The initial (repaired) casting of the statue is at Kapaʻau, North Kohala
Another replica is in US Capitol’s visitor center in Washington DC
Another statue is at the Wailoa River State Recreation Area in Hilo
A statute, created by Herb Kane, is at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui

The customary draping of the Kamehameha Statue with lei dates back to 1901. The image shows the lei-draped statue of Kamehameha in Honolulu. (wongsto)