Hawaii | Page 244 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

February 8, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Cyclomere

The lead line, “Bicycle racing in Honolulu has come to stay,” in the February 8, 1898 issue of the Hawaiian Gazette was more wishful thinking than reality.

Charles Desky opened the track in 1897, and it closed the following year; it was located on the makai side of what we now call Kapiʻolani Boulevard, between Cooke Street and Ward Avenue.

“The Cyclomere track at Honolulu is three laps to the mile, scientifically constructed, and the surface is of decomposed coral, the finish being somewhat similar to merit.”

“Mr. Desky says that the people there are very enthusiastic over cycle racing, and at previous meets held on a poor track and with inferior accommodations for the people the attendance has been immense.” (San Francisco Call, October 14, 1897)

Races were held at night, with illumination from 23 arc lights on poles. A spectator grandstand was 150-feet long by 34-feet wide, 11 tiers of seats and 12 private boxes in front. (Krauss)

“The opening of the new cycle racing track at Honolulu next month has attracted the attention of California riders, and three of the most prominent will leave for there this afternoon on the steamer Moana, accompanied by a trick rider.” (San Francisco Call, October 14, 1897)

“The races at the islands will be conducted under special sanction from the California Associated Cycling Clubs, which was necessary before the racing board would let the men go from here.” (San Francisco Call, October 14, 1897)

“Cyclomere Bicycle Track was opened most auspiciously on Saturday. Although the elements wore an ominous aspect at times, the worst they gave was an occasional sprinkle. Between 800 and 1000 people were in the grand stand in the afternoon, and half as many more in the evening. “

“The circle of arc and incandescent electric lights surrounding the tract, reflected in Cyclomere Lake around which the track is built, made a wonderfully beautiful night scene. (Evening Bulletin, October 25, 1897)

“It had been a hope of mine from the time I started operations in Kewalo that Cyclomere could be kept as a place of resort. There is nothing finer of the kind in any country. The people to a large extent seemed to think the same,” said Charles Desky. (Hawaiian Gazette – April 8, 1898)

Desky initially looked to a hui of five to take a long-term lease on the facility and keep it going. However, a newspaper account in May, 1898 noted there would be no more racing at Cyclomere, so far as the hui of town boys was concerned.

“They are now filling the lake of the Cyclomere Park which comprises about 10 acres and when completed will be laid out in lots, and lies mauka of the Queen street car line. This tract is part of the original Kewalo purchase.”

“Mr. Desky is manager of Bruce Waring & Company, who control the real estate business on the Island. Their offices are located in the Progress block.” (Pacific Commercial, August 13, 1898)

In 1900, the pond that surrounded the racing bicycle track at Cyclomere in the Kewalo area was filled. Desky dumped the banks of the track into the lake, piled more dirt in and set out to sell lots for residences.

Desky saw that as more financially lucrative, particularly since it is became known that the Iron Works was going to that neighborhood.

However, Desky didn’t fare as well with the former Cyclomere site. Facing foreclosure, “Sensational developments have transpired in connection with one of the earliest land operations by Charles Desky in Honolulu.”

After selling 29 lots, it was learned that Desky did not pay the underlying mortgage down from the sale proceeds, saying he needed the money for other purposes. It eventually was cleared up in court.

Selling lots was nothing new for Charles Desky. In 1899 the Pacific Heights road was laid out by Mr. Wall, and sold by Hawaii’s first subdivider, a Mr. Desky. (One historian has called Desky “Hawaii’s first subdivider,” and noted that “Desky pulled several shady land transactions.”)

By 1900, Honolulu had a population of more than 39,000 and was in the midst of a development boom, creating tremendous need for more housing.

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February 6, 2020 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Baked Fresh In Hawaiʻi

“The American missionaries of 1820 appear to have been the first to bake bread in Hawaii. Flour which they had brought with them around the Horn, and that which replenished their supplies at irregular intervals, was invariably caked solid so that the barrels had to be sawed apart into blocks for distribution to various mission families.”

“The flour was then pounded into a powder and sifted to eliminate the inevitable weevils. The stone cook house which adjoins the old mission house in Honolulu still stands as a reminder of primitive cooking and baking.” (Love’s)

Then came Robert Love, a baker and a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who arrived in the Islands and his wife and family on June 19, 1851.

Less than a month later, on July 12, 1851, the Ministry of the Interior issued Robert Love a retail store license permitting him to operate a bakery and sell its products. In 1853 Robert Love purchased property on Nuʻuanu and Pauahi Streets and opened the first Love’s bakery there.

During the 1850s, the principal income of the bakers of Honolulu – including Love’s Bakery – came from re-baking ships’ bread which had become unfit for use during long voyages, and from re-provisioning ships’ stores with hard biscuits known as hardtack, pilot bread or navy bread.

A decade later, Love developed the Saloon Pilot cracker by adding shortening to the hardtack recipe. And, as the name suggests, this new delicacy could be served in the captain’s mess. It remains a crowd favorite.

Robert died July 11, 1858; sons Robert Love Jr. and James Love were the administrators of the Estate of Robert Love. The family continued to run the business, with Robert Jr, following his father’s training, taking the lead. (Robert Jr also served on the Fire Department’s Engine Company No. 2.) William died on December 12, 1878 and the remaining brothers split his share in the company.

James retired from the business and sold his interest to his brother in 1883. Robert Jr. died later that year and his wife, Fanny, took over responsibilities of the bakery and their eldest son, James Henry, was working and learning the business, occasionally under the name Fanny Love’s Bakery.

August 23, 1884, fire destroyed the bakery and by the end of the year it was “restored in handsome, substantial form … brick building.” (Daily Bulletin, February 5, 1885)

Tragedy nearly struck again in 1886. The Chinatown Fire of that year started just down the road from them on the corner of Hotel Street and Smith’s Lane. While the 1886 blaze destroyed eight blocks of Chinatown, their property was saved.

“A vacant lot between this (burning buildings) and the bakery proved a valuable neighbor to that establishment, the bakery suffering but little damage, being at work again next morning.” (Daily Bulletin, April 30, 1886) It was spared in the 1900 bubonic plague Chinatown fires, as well.

In 1900, Love’s purchased L Andrade Bakery. After the turn of the century, the operation was organized under a corporation, Robert Love Estate, Limited, and the family continued to run the business known as “Love’s Bakery.”

Since 1915, the company was known as “Love’s Biscuit and Bread Company” (which became its legal name in 1941.)

On March 19, 1924, Love’s built a new bakery in the Iwilei district, on what was known as the Oʻahu Prison property. The formal opening of the new bread-making plant was held on March 19. While the original Nuʻuanu site continued to produce all types of baked goods, the new Iwilei plant produced only bread and rolls.

When Robert Love founded his bakery in 1851, commercial yeast was unknown. In fact, the manufacture of yeast in the United States on a commercial scale did not occur until nearly twenty years later. Love’s Bakery, alert to the newest and best developments in the baking industry, was an early user of commercial yeast and in October of 1926, Fleischmann’s Yeast selected Love’s as their Honolulu representative. (Love’s)

In 1929 the decision was made to concentrate the company’s entire efforts on the wholesale business and three years later all operations were consolidated at the Iwilei plant (January 28, 1932.)

In July, 1943 the company opened a new plant at 836 Kapahulu Avenue. (This is now the site of the Kapahulu Shopping Center – anchored by Safeway.) Their 144-foot-long oven baked bread at the rate of more than 8,000-loaves an hour.

In 1968, the company was purchased by ITT Continental Baking Company. In 1981 Love’s Bakery was purchased again, this time by First Baking Co., Ltd. of Japan and the company’s name became Daiichiya-Love’s Bakery.

In 1990 the bakery moved from its Kapahulu site to its present site on Middle Street. And in 2008 ownership of the bakery returned home to Hawaiʻi when local management purchased the company from First Baking Co – the name changed back to Love’s Bakery.

Loves Bakery produces 206 varieties of bread, 70 varieties of buns and rolls, and 14 varieties of cakes; the company’s brands include Love’s and Roman Meal.

Love’s distributes about 400,000 loaves of bread each week; Bread brands include Love’s, Roman Meal and Country Hearth; Pastry brands include Little Debbies, Mrs. Freshleys, Mary Ann’s Danishes, Bon Appetit, Cloverhill Snack Cakes, Bubba’s Bagels and Bubba’s English Muffins.

Love’s sends about 36,000 pounds of bread products daily to the Neighbor Islands, which represents about 40 percent of the company’s business.

Love’s also has seven thrift store outlets throughout the islands. For more than 160 years, generations of Hawaii families have loved Love’s baked fresh in Hawaii products.

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An old paper wrapper for Love's Bakery Cream-note-4-digit-phone_number-(Love's)

Downtown and Vicinity-Dakin-Fire Insurance- 5-Map-1891-noting_Love's_Bakery

Honolulu and Vicinity-Dakin-Fire Insurance- 05-Map-1906-noting_Love's_Bakery

Hawaii Token - Love's Biscuit & Bread Co. Honolulu TH - Good For 6 Cents-eBay

Honolulu Territory Of Hawaii ‘Loves Biscuit & Bread Co’ 6c-eBay-1900

Love's_Bakery_Ad-Hawaiian_Star-December_17,_1897

Love's_Bakery_Ad-Hawaiian_Star-December_19,_1907

Love's_Bakery_Bread_for_Punahou-Daily_Bulletin-February_5,_1885

Love's_Bakery_Risen_from_the_Ashes-Daily_Bulletin-February_5,_1885

February 5, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Before The Stone Church

By the time the first company of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) Protestant missionaries arrived in 1820, Kamehameha I had died and the centuries-old kapu system had been abolished.

Through the actions of King Kamehameha II (Liholiho,) with encouragement by former Queens Kaʻahumanu and Keōpūolani (Liholiho’s mother,) the Hawaiian people had already dismantled their heiau and had rejected their religious beliefs.

The missionaries first lived in the traditional Hawaiian house, the hale pili. These were constructed of native woods lashed together with cordage most often made from olonā. Pili grass was a preferred thatching that added a pleasant odor to a new hale. Lauhala (pandanus leaves) or ti leaf bundles called peʻa, were other covering materials used.

In addition to their homes, the missionaries had grass meeting places, and later, churches. One of the first was on the same site as the present Kawaiahaʻo Church.

On April 28, 1820, the Protestant missionaries held a church service for chiefs, the general population, ship’s officers and sailors in the larger room in Reverend Hiram Bingham’s house. This room was used as a school room during the weekdays and on Sunday the room was Honolulu’s first church auditorium. (Damon)

It was the fore-runner to what we know today as Kawaiahaʻo Church (and the first foreign church on Oʻahu.) There were several other earlier buildings that served as a Honolulu church/meeting house, until the present “Stone Church” (Kawaiahaʻo) was completed in 1842.

On December 31, 1820, Levi Sartwell Loomis, son of Elisha and Maria Loomis (the first white child born in the Sandwich Islands) and Sophia Moseley Bingham, daughter of Hiram and Sybil Bingham (the first white girl born on Oʻahu) were baptized.

In July, 1821, the missionaries had raised enough money and started to plan a church; the site was just makai of the existing Kawaiahaʻo Church. A month later, they began to build a 22 by 54 foot building, large enough to seat 300.

This first church building was built of thatch and lined with mats; however, it had glass windows, doors, a wooden pulpit and 2-rows of seats, separated by an aisle. In August of that year, Captain Templeton presented a bell from his ship to be used at the church.

Within a year, Hiram Bingham began to preach in the Hawaiian language. 4-services a week were conducted (3 in Hawaiian and 1 in English.) Congregations ranged from 100 – 400; by the end of the year, the church was expanded.

The church conducted its first funeral in January 1823 for Levi Parson Bingham, infant (16-days) son on Hiram and Sybil Bingham. Three days later, a Hawaiian chief requested similar services on the death of a royal child. (Damon)

On May 30, 1824, the church burned to the ground. “Sabbath evening, May 30, nine o’clock. About an hour since, we were alarmed by the ringing of the chapel bell, and, on reaching the door, discovered the south end of the building in one entire blaze. … In five minutes the whole was on fire.” (Stewart – Damon)

Within a couple of days after the fire, Kalanimōkū ordered a new church to be built at public expense. A new thatched building (25 by 70 feet) was placed a short distance from the old; it was dedicated July 18, 1824.

1825 saw another sad funeral when the bodies of Liholiho (King Kamehameha II) and his wife Queen Kamāmalu were brought home from England. The church was draped in black.

Interest in the mission’s message outgrew the church and services were held outside with 3,000 in attendance; efforts were underway to build a larger facility to accommodate 4,000.

Kalanimōkū marked out the ground for the new meeting house “on the North side of the road, directly opposite the present house, whither they have commenced bringing coral rock formed on the shore and cut up in pieces of convenient size.” (Chamberlain – Damon) Timber frame and thatching completed the building.

In December, 1825, the third Meeting House building was opened for worship; however, shortly afterward a violent rain storm collapsed the structure.

In 1827 (after Kalanimōkū’s death,) Kaʻahumanu stepped forward and “caused a temporary house to be erected which is 86 feet by 30, with 2 wings each 12 feet wide extending the whole length of the building. … It is not large enough to accommodate all who attend the service on Sabbath mornings, many are obliged to sit without.” (Mission Journal – Damon)

Since that building was considered temporary, the next year, on July 1, 1828, “the natives commenced the erection of the new meeting house which will soon be built.” They were called to bring stones to set around the posts.

The last of the thatched churches served for 12-years. It measured 63 by 196 feet (larger than the present Kawaiahaʻo Church) – 4,500 people could assemble within it.

Then, between 1836 and 1842, Kawaiahaʻo Church was constructed. Revered as the Protestant “mother church” and often called “the Westminster Abbey of Hawai‘i” this structure is an outgrowth of the original Mission Church founded in Boston and is the first foreign church on O‘ahu (1820.)

The “Stone Church,” as it came to be known, is in fact not built of stone, but of giant slabs of coral hewn from ocean reefs. These slabs had to be quarried from under water; each weighed more than 1,000 pounds. Natives dove 10 to 20 feet to hand-chisel these pieces from the reef, then raised them to the surface, loaded some 14,000 of the slabs into canoes and ferried them to shore.

Following five years of construction, The Stone Church was ready for dedication ceremonies on July 21, 1842. The grounds of Kawaiahaʻo overflowed with 4,000 to 5,000 faithful worshippers. King Kamehameha III, who contributed generously to the fund to build the church, attended the service.

Kawaiaha‘o Church was designed and founded by its first pastor, Hiram Bingham. Hiram left the islands on August 3, 1840 and never saw the completed church. Kawaiahaʻo Church is listed on the state and national registers of historic sites.

Kawaiaha‘o Church continues to serve as a center of worship for Hawai‘i’s people, with services conducted every Sunday in Hawaiian and English. Approximately 85% of the services are in English; at least one song and the Lord’s Prayer (as a congregation) are in Hawaiian.

Over the course of 44-years (1820-1863) (the “Missionary Period”,) about 200 men and women in twelve Companies, independent missionaries, Tahitians and Hawaiians served in Hawaiʻi to carry out the mission of the ABCFM the Hawaiian Islands. (Lots of info here from Damon.)

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First Kawaiahao Church Building-TheFriend-Oct 1925

Bingham’s_Thatched_Home-(Damon)-1820

Small-Large_Thatched_Houses-(NPS)

First_Christian_Church-Honolulu-(Damon)-1822

Native_Chapel-Cottage_of_Ellis_and_Palace_of_Kalanimoku-(Stewart)-1828

Mission_House and First_Christian_Church-Honolulu-1822

ourth_Kawaiahao_Church-1840

Fourth_Kawaiahao_Church-1832

Kawaiahao_Church-2007

Kawaiahao_Church-1900

February 4, 2020 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Wailua Heritage Trail

From Kauai’s eastern shore to Mount Waiʻaleʻale. The sandy beaches, gentle Wailua River, verdant uplands and lofty mountains graced by waterfalls are warmed by the sun and cooled by easterly tradewinds. Discover Wailua’s beauty and history.

This interpretive project is sponsored by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority under a Heritage Corridor Program grant.

1-Wailua Bay
In ancient times, Wailua served as a main port of entry to Kauai—a gateway that also ushered and welcomed the daily rising of the sun.

Stories tell of the arrivals of famous voyagers, chiefs, and deities including, Moʻikeha, Kaweloleimakua and Hiʻiakaikapoliopele. The legendary surf sites of Makaiwa, Kaʻōhala and Kalehuawehe are also located here.

2-ʻOpaekaʻa Falls
ʻOpaekalaʻole are native fresh water shrimp that were once plentiful in the mountain streams throughout Kauai. Translated, “ʻOpaekaʻa” means “rolling shrimp” alluding to its one-time abundance and images of ʻopae tumbling over in the cascade of the waterfall.

Kamokila and Kawelowai were giant moʻo or lizard ʻaumakua—spirit guardians that watched over the fresh water and land resources of Wailua.

3-Waiʻaleʻale
Steeped in Hawaiian oral traditions, Waiʻaleʻale mountain represents the piko or navel of Kauai. Its peak, Kawaikini is the highest point on the island at 5,243 feet.

Reputed as one of the world’s wettest spots, it averages 400- to 600-inches of annual rainfall. It is also home to Kauai’s main watershed, Alakaʻi.

4-Nounou
“Sleeping Giant” This celebrated mountain served as a prominent setting for the illustrious battle that was fought between the powerful warrior chiefs known as ʻAikanaka and Kaweloleimakua in the 17th century.

The popularized name, “Sleeping Giant” comes from the legend that tells of Puni who fell asleep upon the ridge and eventually turned to stone.

5-Maunakapu and Wailua River
The mountain ridges of Maunakapu and Nounou divided the Wailua ahupuaʻa into two sections. Wailua Kai, traditionally referred to as, “Wailuanuiahoʻano,” encompasses about 2,800-acres of land seaward. Wailua Uka is comprised of more than 17,455-acres.

Altogether, the valley provided all of the resources and necessities to support the chiefly retinues, along with the populace of makaʻāinana who cultivated the lands and provided labor for the ruling aliʻi.

6-Kuamoʻoloaakane
This is part of “the long spine of Kane,” an ancient pathway that once led to the summit of Waiʻaleʻale. Chiefly pilgrimages were taken to reach Kaʻawakoa heiau that was dedicated to the god, Kane.

Ceremonies were conducted there to ensure a continuous supply of fresh water to sustain the people and lands of Kauai. Other surrounding mountain landmarks here include Maunakapu to the south, Nounou to the north, and ʻAʻahoaka and Waiʻaleʻale to the west.

7-Holoholokū and the Royal Birthing Stones
Oral traditions tell of the sacred births of Kauainui and Wailuanuihoʻano and the establishment of this area as a birthing site reserved for royalty. It is still considered as one of Hawaiʻi’s most sacred sites. Kauai’s king, Kaumualiʻi was the last chief to be born here.

8-Hikinaakalā at Hauola
On the southern banks near the Wailua river mouth is Hauola —a place long associated with the traditional practices of health and healing.

The adjacent Hikinaakalā Heiau served as a place to worship the sun. It is said that the entirety of Wailuanuiahoʻano was a puʻuhonua or sanctuary of peace and safety.

9-Maʻamaʻakualono
“Fern Grotto” was known to the ancients as Maʻamaʻakualono, this area was dedicated to the akua nui or major god, Lono. Mostly associated with the occupations of agriculture and cultivation, Lono was also important in the practices of healing.

The popularized name, “Fern Grotto” comes from the long Boston Sword ferns which hang downward over the cave.

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Wailua_Heritage_Trail-map

1-wailua_bay

2-opaekaa_falls

3-waialeale

4-nounou

5-maunakapu_wailua

6-kuamooloaakane

7-holoholoku

8-hikinaaka_at_hauola

9-maamaakualono

February 3, 2020 by Peter T Young 3 Comments

The Sinclairs

The family dates back to early-Europe. They took the name of Saint Claire from the place, probably Normandy, where their estate was located. (Von Holt)

A senior Saint Claire married a daughter of Richard Duke of Normandy, father of William the Conqueror (their son fought in the Battle of Hastings, 1066.) By 1481, the spelling of their name started to appear as Sinclair. (Von Holt)

OK, let’s bring this closer to home.

Looking at genealogies and relationships between folks in Hawaiʻi, you tend to see a pretty tight group of people who are either related to each other, or the families had worked together for a long time.

On Kauai, you hear the names, but the relationships aren’t evident.

Sinclair – Gay – Robinson – Knudsen

Keeping track of these folks is best done with the family tree.

You’ll see that the gang above are all in the family. And, they link back to the Saint Claire clan of old.

It started in January 1824 when Captain Francis S Sinclair married Elizabeth (“Eliza”) McHutchison (sometimes spelled McHutcheson) – they were both from Glasgow, Scotland.

In 1840, the Sinclairs and their three sons and three daughters – George, Jane, Helen, James, Francis and Anne – made the move to New Zealand. Exchanging their Scotland land, they established the farm ‘Craigforth’ in a cove on the western side of Pigeon Bay on South Island.

Craigforth was largely self-sufficient. There were no servants and the Sinclairs made their own shoes and clothes. The Sinclair girls “could manage a boat as well as their brothers, they were fearless riders…crack shots, and capable workers, so that the hardships and roughing of those early years were not too much for their buoyant spirits.” (TeAra-govt-nz)

In 1846, Eliza’s husband and her eldest son, George, set off for Wellington. The ship, loaded with produce and with all the family’s savings on board, was wrecked somewhere along the coast. There were no survivors.

Under the shadow of this tragedy, the widow and family persevered.

One of the captains of the whaling ships that regularly visited Pigeon Bay, Thomas Gay, married Jane Sinclair in 1848 and they built a house at the bay. Then, Helen Sinclair married Charles Barrington Robinson, the former magistrate at Akaroa and the owner of extensive land holdings in Canterbury.

Are you starting to see the connections? Wait, there’s more.

In 1863, the Sinclairs decided to sell the Pigeon Bay farm and settle in Canada. Eliza and 13 members of her family sailed for Canada via Tahiti (captained by her son-in-law, Thomas Gay.) California was considered as an alternative place to settle, but they were persuaded to try Hawaiʻi. They travelled to Honolulu via Los Angeles, arriving there in September 1863.

The family was anxious to find land on which to settle and they were offered several large tracts on Oʻahu (at Kahuku, Ford Island and ʻEwa.) When King Kamehameha IV heard the family might leave the Islands, the King offered to sell them the island of Niʻihau. (Joesting)

After inspecting the place, they offered $6,000. The government countered – $10,000 outright, or a lease at $750 per year. Brothers James and Francis Sinclair bought it for the government’s price, $10,000. (Joesting)

Kamehameha IV died on November 30 before the closing, so Land Grant No. 2944 shows his brother, Kamehameha V, completed the transaction in 1864.

As he signed the contract, the king said: ‘”Niihau is yours. But the day may come when Hawaiians are not as strong in Hawaii as they are now. When that day comes, please do what you can to help them.’” (New York Times)

“It is said that the transfer of the island involved some hardships, owing to a number of the natives having neglected to legalize their claims to their kuleanas, but the present possessors have made themselves thoroughly acquainted with the language, and take the warmest interest in the island population.” (Isabella Bird, 1894)

Sinclairs also bought land at Makaweli and Hanapepe on the adjoining Island of Kauai. Ownership was subsequently passed down through the family.

Eliza Sinclair’s daughter, Anne Sinclair, married Valdemar Knudsen on Niʻihau in 1867. Later, that family (with 5 children) lived in Waiawa and Halemanu in Kokeʻe (on Kauai.)

The connections of the family names got a bit tighter when Aubrey Robinson (son of Helen Sinclair and Charles Robinson) married his cousin, Alice Gay (daughter of Jane Sinclair and Thomas Gay.)

The legacy continues.

Francis Gay formed a company with his brother-in-law (and cousin) Aubrey Robinson – Gay & Robinson.

Today, although the state records list them separately, if you combined the Robinsons’ holdings of nearly 51,000 acres on Kauai and some 46,000 acres on Niʻihau, the family would be the sixth largest landowner in the state. (sfgate-com)

The 2011 report lists Aylmer Robinson as the owner of Niʻihau, although he left it to his brother’s family when he died in 1967, and nephews Bruce and Keith Robinson assumed control several years before the death of their mother, Helen, in 2002. (sfgate-com)

Eric Knudsen, son of Anne Sinclair and Valdemar Knudsen, established the Eric A Knudsen Trust with extensive land holdings on Kauai, as well.

Niʻihau isn’t the only island this extended clan owned in the Islands.

After methodically buying up individual parcels, by 1907, Charles Gay, youngest son of Captain Thomas Gay and Jane Sinclair Gay, acquired the island of Lānaʻi (except for about 100-acres.) He was the first to establish the single-ownership model for Lānaʻi (with roughly 89,000 acres.)

Around 1919, Gay experimented with planting pineapple on a small scale. He eventually sold his interest and James Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Ltd. began the subsequent establishment of its pineapple plantation.

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