Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Puaka‘ilima

Aia e ka nani i Puaka‘ilima
Kēlā ‘ailana noho i ke kai
(There is beauty in Puaka‘ilima
That island that nestles in the sea)

No kai ka makani la a he Kona
Haiha‘i lau la‘au o ka uka…
(From the sea comes the Kona wind
Tearing the leaves from the trees from the upland…)
(Hula dedicated to Queen Emma, Kimo Keaulana, Adv Mar 2, 2001)

“The name of the village Toeaigh [Kawaihae] was by us extended to the Bay, (which is the same that had been called by Captain King Toeayahha bay,) since the natives give no distinctive name to any part of the ocean that washes the shores of their islands.”

“Such bays, coves, &c. as are so distinguished, having been named by their European visitors from the contiguous villages or districts.”

“Toeaigh is situated in a grove of cocoa-nut trees, just behind a sandy beach. A reef of coral rocks, extending thence about three quarters of a mile into the sea, rendered it inaccessible to our boats in a direct line …”

“… but we landed very commodiously in a narrow channel, between the reef and the shore, near the morai [heiau], to the S.E. of the beach, from whence we had about two miles to walk to the habitation of Kahowmotoo [Ke‘eaumoku].” (Vancouver, Vol II)

“About two hundred huts compose the town of Toyai [Kawaihae]; they are low, small, and badly covered. Many of them are not more six or eight feet in length. The people who inhabit them will however bear no comparison with those whom we saw at Karakakooa [Kealakekua].” (Arago, letter CXV)

“The surf of Kapuailima is in Kawaihae, and Kahaleula is in Mahaiula. Honokohau has a surf, and there are others in the various districts of the island of Hawaii.” (John Papa ‘Ī’i)

“Mr. [Solomon] Akau describes Pua ka ‘Ilima as a wave which comes around the end of the year, November through March: ‘Pua ka ‘Ilima is a wave…a small wave that used to come over the reef, it used to come inside.’”

“‘It comes in from the west to the east. …We watch it really come slowly. It’s not the kine that [fast]; it is slow, because the Kawaihae reef at one time was enormous and then they dredged it out…Pua ka ‘Ilima is not there anymore; it’s gone.’” (Akau, Cultural Surveys)

“[A] small island in the bay fell victim to an April Fool’s Day tidal wave. This island was named Puaka‘ilima. According to Kimo Alama, ‘ilima was once grown there for the purpose of making lei for royalty – hence the island’s name.”

“‘The tidal wave of 1946 collapsed this island and it is said that the surf of the Ka‘ewa (the name of the surf at Kawaihae) resembles that of ‘ilima leis once strung for royalty there’”,

“Manu Boyd and Kawehi Lucas have told me that Puaka‘ilima is also remembered by their Kohala families as a favorite surfing spot of Kamehameha I.” (Kīhei de Silva; Kaʻiwakīloumoku, KSBE)

“The tsunami which devastated the shores of the Hawaiian Islands on April 1, 1946, was caused by a movement of the sea bottom on the northern slope of the Aleutian Trough, south of Unimak Island. … The movement also gave rise to a violent earthquake which was recorded on seismographs all over the world.”

“At the [Kawaihae] wharf the waves rose on shore to a height of 12 feet above sea level. The third wave is reported to have been the largest.  “Between the waves, and reportedly before the first wave, recession of the water uncovered the reef for 1,000 feet offshore, the lowering of water level being estimated by one observer as about 20 feet below normal sea level.”

“The old wharf was almost completely demolished, even pilings being carried away. However, the new wharf, which stood much higher above water, was unharmed. Many blocks of coral several feet across were thrown up onto the reef, and one about 3 feet in diameter was carried to the roadway 5 feet above sea level.”

“For half a mile south of the wharf, houses along the shore, inside a half-mile-broad reef, were damaged or destroyed. However, these houses were built less than 5 feet above sea level.”

“At the park at the southern end of Kawaihae the water rose 10 feet, but it caused no damage there because all structures were on higher ground. Several waves were observed, the fourth being the largest. The water withdrew far out from shore between the waves.” (Shepard, Macdonald, & Cox: Tsunami of April 1, 1946)

“No lives were lost at Kawaihae. However, fishponds in the harbor area were filled with debris, which wiped out commercial fishing activity there. According to a synopsis of oral historic interviews in Hammatt et al. the tsunami ‘was the beginning of the end for the Kawaihae Fishing Village. People left.’” (Cultural Surveys)

Most historical mapping of Kawaihae does not show islands in and around Kawaihae; except one of those I found (but that one does not name the Islands).

Louis-Isidore Duperrey of the French Royal Navy was part of Louis de Freycinet’s second circumnavigation on the Uranie. Jacques Arago (quoted above) was on the same expedition.  Duperrey shows two Islands at Kawaihae; the southern one is offshore the vicinity of the Pu‘ukohola Heiau – and could very well be a representation of the referenced Islet of Puaka‘ilima.

But the Puaka‘ilima place name continues … “In 1992, Tiger Espere, a well-known surfer and water man created the ‘Tiger Espere Longboard Classic’ surfing contest. [I]t has brought together surfers from this island and other areas in the state to compete in an atmosphere of friendship and fun.”

“Additionally, it has given many of us the awareness of the importance of this area, both as a recreational reserve and an historical/cultural resource.”

“Through Tiger Espere’s efforts and leadership, the dream to create a cultural surf park at the breakwater site has become a reality. Senate Resolution No. 10, a ‘Senate Concurrent Resolution Urging That The Pua Ka ilima‘O Kawaihae Be Designated A Site For Recreational, Educational And Cultural Activities’ was passed in [1997].” (Barclay, Waimea Gazette)

Link to The Pua Ka ilima ‘O Kawaihae Video: https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/wp-content/uploads/Pua-Ka-Ilima-O-Kawaihae-Surf-Park.mp4

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Youth Developmental Enterprises

“There have been good years and bad years for hiring summer help to work the sprawling pineapple fields on [Lanai].”

“This happens to be a good year.  In fact, the past few years have been good, because Castle & Cooke Inc which owns Lanai, finally found some good summer workers. Mormon boys from the Mainland.” (Hnl Adv-Jul 15, 1976)

During the first two years the Pineapple picking program was a joint venture between the LDS Church and the Boy Scouts of America. Then, it was decided to hand off the program to a newly created independent corporation. Ross Olsen was the founder and primary leader of the new corporation. Ross called this new corporation Youth Developmental Enterprises. (Alchetron)

Youth Developmental Enterprises was a program that ran from about 1971 to 1993. During the first two years the program was a joint venture between the LDS Church and the Boy Scouts of America; then Youth Developmental Enterprises (YDE) ran the program. (Alchetron)

The primary activity of YDE was taking men and slightly older supervisors to Hawaii to work in the pineapple fields of Lanai and Maui. YDE took around 18,000 young men to Hawaii to accomplish this work; the stated goal of the organization was not pineapple production, but rather building the character of young men. (Alchetron)

“Offered by Youth Developmental Enterprises of Salt Lake City, the program boasts 800 job openings for young men between the ages of 16 and 18 desiring work such as truck drivers, cafeteria workers and general field workers.” (The Newspaper, Park City, Utah, Dec 15, 1976)

Participants pay $1,300 in advance to cover round-trip air fare to Hawaii, accident insurance, equipment (a backpack and a T-shirt), and project development (maintenance on the buildings where they live, etc).

They work five days a week, eight hours a day and gross $6 an hour; $4.25/day is taken out of their wages for room and board. Transportation to various places on the island for leisure-time activities, where the boys go as a group, is provided. (Deseret News)

“Students can opt to work from March 10 through August 27, April 22 through September 31 or June 3 through August 27. According to Youth Development Enterprises, youths can expect to save between $1,300 and $2,000 during the five month programs and $300 to $700 during the June-August stay.” (The Newspaper, Park City, Utah, Dec 15, 1976)

“While working in Hawaii, the young men from the intermountain area agree to uphold the standards of the LDS Church. Youth Developmental Enterprises, however, is not an LDS program.” (American Fork Citizen, April 1, 1976)

“‘The program is not for every young man,’ said Ross Olsen, founder and president of YDE. ‘It’s very structured. The purpose is an opportunity to work in a structured environment free of alcohol, drugs and tobacco. These young men get a sense of belonging and that they’re of value. It builds self-esteem.’

“The youthful employees start out on equal footing. The youths board in groups of about 18, with a home leader and a team leader (the team leader is in charge at work). They do everything together, including planning leisure activities.”

“The leaders are at least 21 and have proven track records as decent, law-abiding men, Olsen said. Most of them are returned missionaries for the LDS Church. But religion is never an issue, although participants are required to attend a Sunday church service of their choice.”  (Deseret News, Lois M Collins)

The program also had a school program that was linked to the local high school. Correspondence courses were also accredited through Salt Lake City’s Granite High School.

One-fourth of participants come back for more than one session. More return for schooling than for the money, according to Olsen. The program participates in an individual, self-paced learning program. Tutors, who are under the direction of certified teachers, work with the students.

The tutors don’t grade assignments; that’s done by an individual who will “probably never even meet the students but will grade him on his own merits.” Students earn credits through the Hawaii Department of Education.  (Deseret News, Lois M Collins)

“The boys from the U.S. were flown to Hawaii on a chartered aircraft and will work for 11 weeks. During the last eight days of their stay they will be taken on a tour of three of the islands and then flown back to the mainland.” (Greeley Daily Tribune, July 28, 1976)

The teens arrived with who knows what on their mind about an experience in far away Hawaii, and found themselves on a remote island, living in dorms, and out in the fields doing hoe hana (weeding with a hoe), picking and all manner of work.

Team leaders with the Mormon youth crew kept the teens organized, rising for work in the early a.m., getting to the cafeteria for meals, to the labor yard for transportation to the work sites, and made sure that the youth got down to the island beaches and swimming spots.  (Lanai Culture & Heritage)

“For several years, Dole had depended mainly on Mainland boys for most of its summer labor on Lanai and the Mainlanders had performed well, compared with ‘not so good’ experience with local youths in the 1960s”. (Hnl Adv, Sep 17, 1981)

“The Isle teenagers accounted for 21 of the 28 non-Lanai ‘gangs,’ the rest coming from the Mainland. A gang has 17 pickers who move through the field behind a truck-mounted boom, picking the fruit,  breaking off the crowns and placing both on a conveyor belt.” (Hnl Adv, Sep 17, 1981)

“For the first time ever, Dole hired non-Lanai girls – 50 in all.  The girls ‘added something we never had – a sense of stability,’ says Sakamoto, a Big Island native.  ‘During off hours, it was like a big high school, with boys and girls sitting under coconut trees talking story’ he says. A bonus for the boys: ‘The girls would teach them how to w ash their clothes.” (Hnl Adv, Sep 17, 1981)

Maui Land & Pineapple also hired through YDE.  … “Until five years ago Maui Pine recruited 100 per cent of its labor from the island. With the rapid increase in hotels and the resulting decrease in local agricultural labor the company was forced into recruiting from the off islands and finally from the Mainland.” (Hnl Adv-Jun 14, 1973)

“At 5 a.m. dawn just begins to break over the peaks on West Maui. The tourists slumber soundly in their cozy nests from Lahaina to Napili. Only the birds and crowing roosters stir in the dim light.”

“Off the coast and up a narrow, red dirt road lined by tall Norfolk pines, the pastoral scene is shattered by the crash of heavy boots and the sleepy cries of, ‘I’m hungry.’  The season has started for the summer pickers at Maui Land & Pineapple’s Honolua Plantation just outside of Napili.”

“Tumbling out of dormitories wearing clothes of all descriptions, the seasonal workers come to breakfast before heading out to the fields for a long day of picking. Hours later the scene is repeated when the night shift comes to life.”

“Several of this year’s gang are returnees from Hawaii and the Mainland. But 60 of the 110 ‘imported’ workers are 16 to 18 year olds from Utah, the home state of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.”  (Deseret News, Lois M Collins)

When Hawai‘i programs eventually ended, various negotiations were begun to work for the LDS Church Farms in Bradenton, Florida, picking tomatoes and oranges, some independent tomato and squash growers in Beaufort, South Carolina and a tree-planting effort in Mississippi. None of these programs really got off the ground and the entire YDE program ended. (Alchetron)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Snakes

Before humans came to the Islands, Hawai‛i was a bird paradise, lacking many of the types of animals found elsewhere in the world.

Due to the remote nature of these volcanic islands, organisms had to travel over 2,000 miles by wind or sea to reach these shores, and then survive and reproduce in a strange and sometimes harsh new environment.

The establishment of a species was a rare event, estimated to happen only once every 10,000-100,000 years.

Land-dwelling reptiles were among those excluded by the perilous journey (and their physiology) from starting new lives in Hawai‛i.  The geckos and lizards that are common visitors to our windows and rock walls arrived with the assistance of humans.

Fortunately, their legless cousins (snakes) didn’t make the trip, and laws were eventually put into place to prevent the introduction of snakes, recognizing the threat to our native birds.  (Big Island Invasive Species Council)

We repeatedly say, Hawai‘i doesn’t have snakes.

Then, Hawai‘i’s Department of Agriculture issued a news release stating, “A highly venomous yellow-bellied sea snake was found washed up on the shore at Honoli‘i Beach in Hilo”.

“While these sea snakes are rarely seen onshore in Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) strongly advises beach and ocean goers not to touch the venomous sea snakes which are often mistaken for eels. A sea snake is easily distinguished by the bright yellow markings on its underside.”

The yellow-bellied sea snake is the most widespread snake species on earth. It is found throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans and from the eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of Central America.

Unique among sea snakes, the yellow-bellied sea snake usually lives completely out at sea, criss-crossing the ocean by riding the ocean currents. While it is considered a pelagic (open ocean) species, it is occasionally carried into shallow water close to shore, or may even be beached during period of strong winds. (Waikiki Aquarium)

In the wild, the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake eats only fish. It hunts by stealthily approaching its prey or by waiting motionless at the surface and ambushing fish that come to shelter underneath it (small fish are often attracted to inanimate objects such as floating debris).

With its mouth agape the snake makes a rapid sideways swipe to snare any fish that comes too close. This snake can even ambush small fish behind its head by smoothly swimming backwards so that the prey then comes within range of its mouth. (Australian Museum)

“Sea snakes are distant relatives of cobras that have adapted to life in the ocean. These air-breathing marine reptiles can stay submerged for about two hours and can dive to about 300 feet.”

They catch their “prey with a sideways strike of the head. These predators quickly paralyze their prey by injecting a powerful venom through needlelike fangs. The snakes swallow their immobilized meal whole.”

“Unlike other species, they shun fresh and brackish water, and thus are not found in rivers or estuaries. Also, yellow-bellied sea snakes bear live young. Therefore, they don’t come ashore to lay eggs like other snakes.” (Susan Scott)

The yellow-bellied sea snake is reported to be among the more docile of sea snake species, but its venom is a potent nerve toxin that acts by blocking transmission of messages from nerves to muscles.

Apparently, however, sea snakes do not usually inject their toxin when biting defensively and two of three defensive bites involve no toxin. The greatest number of sea snake bites to humans are reported from the Philippines and southeastern Asia where snakes are accidentally caught in fishing nets.

Fatal bites result in death from respiratory, heart, or kidney failure. Less severe cases result in breakdown of muscle tissue and kidney damage, but victims recover without long-term effects if effective antivenom is received. (Waikiki Aquarium)

At least 52 species of sea snakes, all venomous, are found in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Of these, the yellow-bellied sea snake is the world’s most abundant and widespread, spanning the entire tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. (Susan Scott)

“Beaked sea snake venom, a species found in the South Pacific, is the most deadly of all: One drop can kill three adult men. The toxicity of yellow-bellied sea snake venom is about a quarter that of the beaked sea snake, meaning it is still potentially lethal.”

“Fortunately, no sea snake bites have ever been recorded in Hawai‘i. Worldwide, the incidence of bites is unclear since most bites occur in areas with little health care and no medical records. One Malaysian study showed that of 120 sea snake bites, over 50 percent occurred to fishermen sorting fish and handling nets.” (Susan Scott)

Every now and then, there are reports of individual snakes in the Islands.  Most recent captures of snakes have been in residential or natural areas, far from ports and often at sizes indicating they escaped or were released after spending some time in captivity here.

A call from an alarmed Kea‘au homeowner in 2009 led to the discovery of a 6′ boa constrictor in a garage. In 2011, a 9′ boa constrictor was captured by hunters in Waipahu, O‛ahu, and in 2013 a pedestrian found a rainbow boa cruising through the streets of Chinatown.

A 4-foot ball python was captured on a coffee farm in Kā‘anapali, Maui, in 2016. In 2017, a jogger found the body of a 5′ boa near a nature preserve in Kauai, just months after a live 7′ boa was found in a Nu‛uanu driveway.  (BIISC)

Non-venomous boas and pythons are two of the most popular kinds of pet snakes and are among the most common showing up in Hawai‘i.  These animals are likely not accidental introductions but were intentionally smuggled or shipped to Hawai‘i in violation of state law.

While snakes can make great, low-maintenance pets for responsible pet owners in other places, the risk to Hawai‘i’s already threatened ecosystems is far too great to risk the chance of any snake species establishing in the wild. (BIISC)

To encourage misguided reptile enthusiasts to do the right thing, Hawai‘i has offered an ongoing amnesty program for anyone who turns in an illegal animal.

The no-questions-asked policy allows individuals to drop off any prohibited animal for free and without fear of punishment at any zoo, Humane Society, or HDOA office in the state. This is a good deal considering that importing or owning a snake can lead to up to 3 years of jail time and fines of $200,000.  (BIISC)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kamalō

“As agriculture developed, the landscape began to transform and has undergone alterations throughout its history of human settlement. Polynesian voyagers stocked their canoes with pigs, chickens, and dogs as well as crops needed for colonization.”

“The native lowland forests were cleared and replaced with taro, sweet potato, yam, banana, sugarcane, breadfruit, and coconut. The land was modified with advanced farming practices that included irrigation from streams, terracing, mulching, and use of green manure.”

“Slash and burn techniques were used to clear land for crops and to encourage the growth of pili grass used in house thatching.” (Kakahai‘a NWR, FWS)

The arrival of Europeans in the 1770s brought the introduction of goats, horses, cattle, and sheep.  The Duke of Edinburgh had deer transported from Japan to Molokai as a gift to Kamehameha V in 1870.

The growing herds quickly increased and endemic plants quickly declined, leaving vast areas barren due to soil compaction that increased runoff and accelerated erosion. (Kakahai‘a NWR, FWS)

“As foreign vessels began to visit the Islands the number of imported cultivated plants and domesticated animals increased rapidly. … Provisioning of ships gave the first foreign stimulus to Hawaiian agriculture.”

“Ships stopping at the Islands during the four decades following discovery were mainly engaged in fur and sandalwood trade

between the Pacific Northwest, China, and Hawaii. … “

“Provisioning of ships gave the first foreign stimulus to Hawaiian agriculture. Ships stopping at the Islands during the four decades following discovery were mainly engaged in fur and sandalwood trade between the Pacific Northwest, China, and Hawaii.”  (Philipp)

Sugar cultivation on Molokai began commercially with the founding of the Kamalō Sugar Plantation in 1873. John C. McColgan established the plantation, leasing land from the estate of King Kamehameha V.  Shortly thereafter came Moanui Sugar Mill and Plantation (established in 1875) and Kalae Sugar Plantation (established in 1876).

The Hawaiian Gazette ran a story in 1873, “New Sugar Plantation. The steamer, on her last trip to windward, landed at Molokai seventy head of bullock, belonging to Mr. J. McColgan, who proposes to start a sugar plantation on land which he has lately leased from the administrators of the late King’s estate.”

“The tract, which Is located between Kaunakakai and Kaluaaha, comprises about four thousand acres [Kamalo Sugar Company controlled the coast from Kamalō to Mapulehu (USGS)] …

“… stretching from the sea to the mountains, and is known as Kamaloo. Of this about one hundred and fitly acres are low land, and believed to be adapted to cane growing.”

“The cane will be cultivated by a farmer who has already gone to work. The mill is the same as that used on Mr McColgan’s Ewa plantation, and will be set up in time to take off the crop, which will be ground on shares. This system divides the risk and the

profit between the planter and manufacturer.” (Hawaiian Gazette, July 23, 1873)

John C McColgan (also known in the Islands as John Kamanoulu and sometimes referred to as John H McColgan) was born in Ireland on December 24, 1814. In 1849, McColgan moved to California to work in the gold mines and, on November 26, 1849, he sailed from San Francisco, California, aboard the American ship Elizabeth Ellen. He arrived in Honolulu on December 13, 1849.

Shortly after his arrival in the Hawaiian Islands, McColgan started work as a tailor. He is credited with bringing the first sewing machines to Hawai‘i on September 12, 1853, and his skill and expertise led to his becoming the personal tailor for King Kamehameha III & IV. (Lynn Kananiu Daue)

“He set up a household, part Hawaiian, part haole style. His wife was a handsome large Hawaiian woman named Kala‘iolele … [they] had 16 children in all. … The fourteenth of these hapa-haole (half white) children was Jennie, whom in Hawaiians called Kini. She grew up to be a famous hula dancer and to marry John H Wilson, mayor of Honolulu.” (Clarice Taylor)

As an infant, Ana Kini Kapahukulaokamāmalu Ku‘ululani McColgan Huhu (aka Kini Kapahu – Jennie Wilson) was adopted by Kapahukulaokamāmalu, who was an expert chanter, hula performer, and friend of Queen Kapi‘olani.  She and her adoptive mother lived on a property adjacent to the royal palace. (Imada)

By 1873, John McColgan owned a sugar cane plantation in ʻEwa on Oʻahu. Later that year, in July, he leased land from the late King Kamehameha V’s estate on Molokai to start a sugar cane plantation which would use the same milling technology employed at the ʻEwa plantation.

In about 1877, John moved to Kamalō on Molokai. His sugar cane plantation, the Kamalo Plantation, did well, producing “rattoons, six months old, from the same place, which measured eight feet in length and nine inches in circumference … “ and “stalks of cane … eleven months old, and measured 10 to 12 feet in length.” (Lynn Kananiu Daue)

In 1878 Kamalo Plantation harvested its first crop. Located on the southern slopes of the island, 44 laborers cultivated about 100 acres of cane. Its mill struggled to produce 250 tons of sugar in any one year.  (Dorrance)

By 1880, John’s cousin Daniel McCorriston (1840-1927) managed the Kamalo Plantation, and his cousin Hugh McCorriston (1836-1926) refined the sugar while John acted as the agent in Honolulu. (Lynn Kananiu Daue)

In the 1880s, nearby sugar planters would load sugarcane onto a small flatbed barge and tow the cargo by draft animals along the shallow shoreline to the mill at Kamalo. (Kakahai‘a NWR, FWS)

By 1884, the Kamalo Plantation was doing well enough to engage in the exportation of refined sugar to the United States, helping lay the foundation for the sugar partnership between California and Hawaii that exists today as C&H Sugar. (Lynn Kananiu Daue)

In 1891 the plantation harvested its last crop. (Dorrance) Kamalo Sugar Plantation, under manager Patrick McLane and Agent, Frank Hustace, started in 1899; it was short-lived and closed in 1900 – signaling the end of sugarcane plantations on Molokai. (Dorrance)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Saimin

“The word ‘saimin’ comes from the Chinese sai (thin) and mein (noodles). But trying to claim its name origin makes it a Chinese dish is perhaps too narrow a view.”

“Saimin was born from the so-called ‘mix plate’ culture of Hawaii’s sugar plantations in the late-nineteenth century and draws influence from Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan, Portuguese and Filipino cuisine.” (life&thyme)

Saimin is basically three things: noodles, broth and toppings. (Avilla)

“As plantation laborers returned home to their families at night, each family would begin cooking dinner. Sometimes, such meals became communal as a means of saving money. Every family would offer an ingredient they were able to spare.”

“The Filipino family might have some extra green onions growing in their yard, the Portuguese family might have leftover sausage, the Hawaiian family’s chickens might have laid a couple extra eggs, the Korean family might have won bok unused from making kimchee.”  (Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha – Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu)

“They would all throw their ingredients into the pot and share. It was through these communal meals that ‘Pidgin’ was developed so they could all understand one another, borrowing words and phrases from each others’ language and piecing them together.”

“In some ways, saimin gave birth to Hawaii’s notoriety as a haven of multicultural harmony today.  Saimin was first popularized as a fast food dish at Honolulu Stadium on King and Isenberg streets.”

“As local residents watched Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio or their favorite high school football teams, fans rushed to the snack stands for a warm bag of boiled peanuts and a cup of hot saimin. For the first time, hot dogs and hamburgers were beat out at an American ballpark as the choice spectator snack.”  (Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha – Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu)

Saimin’s “popularity increased broadly after it became the specialty fast food at Honolulu Stadium. Barbecue sticks are another big Hawaiian favorite, with roots in both Filipino and Japanese cooking.” (Society of American Baseball Research)

“In the beginning, saimin was a cheap, simple dish just about anyone could throw together for a quick and easy bite. Boil some shrimp shells or kombu for the soup base, toss in a handful of noodles, and depending on what was growing in the garden, maybe seasonal garnishes as well.”

“The first places that started selling saimin were little snack stands that catered to busy plantation workers. In the mid-twentieth century, saimin restaurants became a pathway to entrepreneurship for the children and grandchildren of the original plantation workers.”

“Eventually, every neighborhood had at least one diner or fountain that featured saimin at the core of its menu.” (life&thyme)

“McDonald’s, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, became alerted of the saimin phenomenon in the islands in the late 1960s. Maurice Sullivan, legendary owner of Foodland Super Market purchased and opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in Hawaii in 1968 at his grocery store.”

“Sullivan wanted to serve his favorite meal, saimin, at his McDonald’s restaurants knowing all too well that his restaurants would boom with its introduction to the menu.”

“Sullivan invited owner Ray Kroc and executives from MacDonald’s corporation for dinner at Washington Saimin and Boulevard Saimin. “

“That night, Sullivan convinced Kroc to expand Macdonald’s menu for the first time in its corporate history to include an ethnic dish.” (Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha – Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu)

“Clarence Yutaka Shimoko … was an inventive and visionary entrepreneur … The most notable invention by Shimoko was developing the idea of freezing saimin noodles. In 1963, he and his Wife Masuzu, founded S&S Saimin.” (Adv, Mar 16, 2009)

In 2006, the James Beard Foundation honored the iconic Kauai restaurant, Hamura’s in the America’s Classics segment of its prestigious awards in New York City.

Hamura’s was one of eight eateries around the country honored for excellence and ‘preserving America’s culinary heritage and diversity’ at what many consider the Academy Awards for chefs. (SB, Apr 30, 2006)

“’Good food is not exclusive to fine dining,’ said James Beard spokesperson Melanie Young … A committee of educators and journalists select winners in the America’s Classics category …”

“… often small, family-owned restaurants ‘beloved in their communities for their food and ambiance.’ (Helena’s Hawaiian Foods in Kalihi was recognized in 2000 and Sam Choy’s Kaloko in Kailua-Kona in 2004.)” (SB, Apr 30, 2006)

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