Hilo | Page 11 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

Haili Church Choir-Winner Singing Contest 1929

Haili Choir-2011

Haili Church – interior

Haili Award-Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame

Haili_Church,_Hilo

November 21, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kaiwiki Milling Company

“Hilo district is to have an Independent sugar mill. Capital sufficient to establish a company, which is to be known as the Kaiwiki Milling Company, has already been paid in, and the promoters expect to begin operations in March, 1916. The 150 stockholders holders are all Portuguese.”

“More than 500 acres of cane are now being cultivated by Hilo ranchers for the first crop. The factory is to be located on the old Correa property in Kaiwiki, several miles from the town. The corporation will not cultivate any cane of its own at the present time.”

“The mill will be able to produce 12 tons of sugar daily and will cost, with complete equipment, $50,000. The Honolulu Iron Works is to be the builder.” (Star-Bulletin, August 4, 1915)

“Work on the erection of the sugar mill now being constructed by the Kaiwiki Milling Company, just adjacent to Hilo, is proceeding apace and within another six weeks the mill should be grinding cane.”

“This is the mill which is being built by the home-steaders, who have heretofore sent their cane to the Hilo Sugar Company’s plant, and the progress which has been made is considered very satisfactory considering the weather conditions which have prevailed.”

“Almost all of the foundations are now in; the two boilers are installed and a great deal of the milling equipment is up at the mill site. This site is approximately one thousand feet above sea level and considerable difficulty is experienced in hauling the material up, everything having to be brought up in an auto truck and placed into position by manual labor.”

“For the past five months the erection of the mill has been slowly progressing, but better progress is now being made. The mill is situated close to the head of the spring which supplies the surrounding land with water and in this respect there should be nothing wanting in future, as there is a plentiful supply of water at all times.”

“When the mill is operating, which is expected to be by the end of June, it is hoped to crush approximately one hundred and fifteen tons of cane per day of twelve hours.”

“For the season it is expected to derive between three hundred and fifty and four hundred tons of sugar, which, at the present price of sugar, will go a long way towards recompensing the homesteaders for the amount expended in the erection of the mill.”

“Peter Silva, president of the Kaiwiki Milling Company, is in personal charge of the erection of the mill.” (Planter and Sugar Manufacturer, June 17, 1916)

However, the opening of the mill ended is disaster … “This company had erected a mill … for the purpose of manufacturing sugar from cane to be grown by the homesteaders and independent land-holders in the vicinity of the mill.”

“The mill had just been completed, and … the mill machinery was to be started up for the first time and it was decided by the manager, after consultation with several of the directors of the company, who approved of the plan, that this occasion, which was of great interest to the company as well as to the community, should be duly celebrated.”

“On the day mentioned the mill machinery was started in operation, a bottle of champagne was broken over the rollers, speeches were made and a general feast was indulged in.” (Supreme Court)

“As so many Japanese were taking part in the celebration it was determined to have one part of the ceremonies devoted to them and for this purpose a small platform had been built upon the top of the mill tower … who would throw small ceremonial (rice) cakes to the crowd.”

“Before the eyes of two or three hundred men, women and children, four men tumbled from a lofty platform on the top of the tower of the Kaiwiki Sugar mill … falling forty or more feet to a shed roof and thence to the ground.”

“All four were rushed to the Hilo Hospital, where it was thought at first that two at least were fatally injured”. (Hawaiian Gazette, July 21, 1916)

Later, the future of the company looked promising, “According to the estimate of AM Cabrinha, president and manager of the Kaiwiki Milling Company, of Hawaii, this season crop of cane ground at the mill will amount to 1000 tons of raw sugar. … ‘The prospects of the company are very good.’” (Hawaiian Gazette, March 6, 1917)

Then, bad news, “A Kaiwiki Milling Company warehouse was destroyed by fire last night.” (Folks were on alert for arson.) (Star-Bulletin, March 20, 1917) Kaiwiki Milling eventually was absorbed into Hilo Sugar, then Mauna Kea Sugar/Hilo Coast Processing.

Kaiwiki Milling Company should not be confused with Kaiwiki Sugar Company; the latter started in the 1860s and later became O‘okala Sugar (1869,) then owned by the Hitchcock brothers (1875.)

The latter declared bankruptcy in 1909 and the plantation was bought out by Theo H Davies & Co (and renamed Kaiwiki Sugar Company,) then it merged with Laupāhoehoe Sugar Co. in 1957 and then ended up as part of Hāmākua Sugar. (HSPA)

Kaiwiki-DAGS-HTS_HSS-0755-1915

November 9, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Waiolama

Ke one ‘anapa o Waiolama
The sparkling sand of Waiolama

This is an expression much used in chants of Hilo, Hawai’i. Waiolama is a place between Waiakea and the town of Hilo. It was said to have sand that sparkled in the sunlight. (Pukui, #1773)

The Waiolama marsh was just inland from the Hilo shoreline. This river/marsh area was also developed into a fishpond and was used for a unique type of kalo cultivation (kipikipi).

“In flat swampy ground earth is heaped up into long mounds 3 or 4 feet high and about 3 feet broad on top, each mound surrounded by water left standing in the ditches created by digging out and heaping up the earth.”

“The taro is planted around the lower margins of the mounds near the water; sweet potatoes are planted on top. This method of swamp-land planting finds its counterpart in the old style of mounding”. (Handy)

The ali‘i Ruth Ke‘elikolani had a house near the bay at Waiolama, and spent time there during her well-known 1880-81 visit to Pele, at which it was said she successfully stopped an advancing lava flow just over a mile above Hilo Bay.

In 1889, a small canal was dredged to divert some of the water from the Waiolama Marsh into the Wailoa River. The drainage canal was enlarged and paved between 1915 and 1917.

Then, in the early 1900s, the Territory of Hawai‘i saw the opportunity to drain and fill the land that “was valueless” to be “available for the growth of the business district of the city” and attain “a valuation greatly in excess of the cost of the filling and draining.”

In Hilo, the Waiolama Reclamation Project included the draining and filling of approximately 40-acres in the area between the Hilo Railway tract, Wailoa River, and Baker and Front Streets. It included diversion of the Alenaio Stream. (1914-1919)

“One of the most important undertakings on Hawaii has been the Waiolama Reclamation Project. The Lord-Young Engineering Company, Ltd., was awarded the contract for the reclamation of about forty acres of swamp land in the district between the Hilo Railway tract, Waioloa River, and Baker and Front streets, Hilo.”

“(T)here was a total flow of 36,000,000 gallons of water into the swamp, exclusive of storm water from the Alenaio Stream, and that the estimated cost of diverting this flow before it enters the swamp would be $33,800.00.” (Superintendent of Public Works Report, 1916)

“Over 215,000 cubic yards (CY) of fill material were needed. Of this, 207,000 CY of black sand were obtained from the nearby Bayfront Beach. The remaining 8,000 CY or so of fill material were obtained from the dredging spoils of the Waiolama Canal which was also a part of the project.”

The nearby Ponahawai Reclamation Project required another 32,000 cubic yards of fill material, all of which was obtained from the Bayfront Beach.

“In all, about 247,000 CY of fill material were required for the two projects. Approximately 239,000 CY of this total came from the Bayfront Beach.”

“Apparently, sand mining along the ocean side was also occurring at about this period. This was accomplished by the railroad company by using a rail-mounted crane with a clamshell to load gondola cars. The sand was used for bedding and a variety of construction purposes in East Hawaii.”

“On 16 December 1921, high waves undermined the railway and deposited sand at various areas. All of Mo‘oheau Park was inundated except for the inland-most 100 feet. Opposition was raised by the Hilo Railroad Company over the dredging of sand from the beach for the Ponahawai Reclamation Project.”

“They claimed that the dredging of sand from the earlier Waiolama project had compounded the heavy surf and had contributed to the undermining of the tracks through the removal of beach frontage.”

“It was at about this time that the railroad company began dumping stone to form a crude revetment at the western portion of the bayfront shoreline. After some delay, the railroad relented their objections to further dredging of beach sand. Then on 3 February 1923, a tsunami (again damaged the railroad tracks along Hilo’s bayfront shoreline.” (Army Corps)

Later, the Army Corps implemented the Alenaio Stream Flood Control project here. Completed in 1997, the project consists of a levee; channel, floodwall structures and other improvements.

Today, what was once a river and marshland … and unique kalo cultivation area is now open space and soccer fields at Hilo’s Bayfront area.

Waiolama River-1910s

Hilo-Waiolama Marsh Area noted near shoreline-center

Waiolama_(Hilo)_Reclamation-suction_dredge

Waiolama_(Hilo)_Reclamation

Waiolama Stream-1905

Alenaio Stream-Waiolama Marsh-1891-over Google Earth

October 24, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Onomea Sugar

Onomea Plantation was started in 1863 by Judge Stafford L Austin and EH Allen. Austin “was the eldest of three sons of an attorney who was a self-made man, and who rose from the ranks of the laboring men, of Buffalo, New York.” (Judd, Supreme Court)

“Two brothers followed him to this country and left honorable records on the pages of Island history. Benjamin Hale Austin … was one of the Associate Judges of the Supreme Court, and Jonathan Austin was for a short time one of the Ministers of State under the late monarchy.” (Friend, October 1, 1896)

“(Austin) came to this country in 1852, he being then only 27 years of age, and was admitted to the Bar of the highest Court here.” He later became a Circuit Court Judge.

“As regards the matter of the various improvements, transportation of the cane in flumes, which had its origin in Hilo, I think he may well be said to have been one of the most enterprising and intelligent of the planters.” Onomea Plantation had a reputation for being one of the most advanced and best-equipped estates in Hawaii during its time.

“He worked hard and intelligently to make his plantation, the Onomea plantation a success.” (Judd, Supreme Court) During the early days, Onomea’s crushing plant was water driven. A metal water wheel and boiler had been shipped from Glasgow, Scotland in 1862.

Water from the flumes provided the power to turn the wheel, which in turn moved the sugar cane crusher. The water-driven crushing plant was much larger and heavier than those of other mills. The mill was situated just below Pāpaʻikou at the foot of a gulch, which opened out to the ocean.

It was the first nine-roller mill erected on the island. The mill was connected by rail to one of the best landings and loading devices on the coast.

The sugar cars were hauled to the landing by a cable and sugar could be sent over the main cable to the hold of a ship without rehandling. By means of this device about 1,600 bags of sugar could be loaded in an hour.

In 1888, Onomea consolidated with Paukaʻa, and Pāpaʻikou plantations and was reorganized into the Onomea Sugar Company. (Pāpaʻikou Plantation was originally owned by Charles Whetmore and EG Hitchcock and Paukaʻa Plantation was owned by Jonathan Austin.)

Onomea Sugar Company was situated in the Hilo district on the Island of Hawaii. The plantation property extended along the ocean front a distance of six miles and was at one point three miles deep terminating at the forests.

The elevation ranged from 20 to 1,500 feet. The rainfall in the vicinity was extremely heavy, from 200-250 inches per year, so no irrigation was required.

Water from Honolii, Pahoihoe, Kapue, Kaieie, Hanawi, Kahalii, Kawai-Nui and Waiaama streams was used for fluming and electrical power. Onomea was probably one of the most beautiful plantations with its abundance of streams, waterfalls, forests, ferns, and tropical plants.

A distinctive feature of Onomea was its system of flumes, which spanned gorges and carried cane down the slopes to the mill. Fifty-five miles of stationary and portable flumes were constructed.

The trestle, which carried the main flume across Hanawainui Gulch, was the largest wooden bridge in the territory and the one spanning Kawainui Gulch was the highest, 176 feet.

Onomea’s location in a heavy rainfall belt made it difficult to mechanize cane harvesting and transportation easily. The heavy rainfall also tended to wash topsoil away and leach it out. Onomea was the first Hawaiian sugar plantation to use commercial fertilizer on its fields.

Later on efforts to protects Onomea’s topsoils resulted in the invention of a plow which was adapted to the peculiar topography of the county and the nature of the soil. The shallow, clay-like soils were subject to washing unless properly cultivated.

Onomea was one of the last plantations to stop hand cutting cane. However, progress was made and the extensive road building program begun in 1903 was finally completed in 1956.

Onomea developed into one of Hawaii’s major producers of sugar cane. By 1926, the plantation had grown from 300 acres to 27,427 acres. Since it owned most of the land, its future was not dependent on the favorable extension of leases.

Onomea employed workers who came from China, Japan, Portugal, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and other countries. By 1941, over 3,000 men, women and children were living in six villages on the plantation.

There were 450 company owned houses, which included garden space. Free medical services were also provided. The advent of the labor unions also helped to improve the working conditions of the workers.

After World War II, the company experienced financial problems due to labor scarcity and later to high wage raises. During the course of time, C. Brewer & Co. had acquired controlling interest in the company.

In May of 1965, a proposal was made to merge Onomea Sugar Co. and Hilo Sugar Co. into a single C. Brewer subsidiary to be called Mauna Kea Sugar Co. The goal was to achieve greater operating efficiency and cost savings.

On July 26, 1965, the two companies were merged and the new Mauna Kea Sugar Co. became the third largest in acreage (13,000 acres) on the Big Island. (Lots of information here is from HSPA Plantation Archives – UH.)

Onomea sugar plantation, Hamakua Coast, Hawaii Island-PP-28-11-008-1935

Onomea Bay-1920s

Onomea-Mill

Onomea Landing, Onomea, Hawaii Island-PP-30-5-018

Onomea Bay-PP-30-5-012-1930

Onomea Sugar Company Laborer’s Village Standard House-UH

Flume above Onomea, Hawaii island-PP-30-5-019

Onomea-Arch-with-flume-in-foreground-PP-30-5-030-1935

October 10, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Peter Lee Road

“The wonderful volcano of Kīlauea, on the island of Hawaii, is the great attractive of visitors. It is the only crater in the world that is constantly in action, and that can be safely approached at all times to the very edge of the precipice which encloses the boiling lava.”

“To reach Kīlauea necessitates a passage of thirty hours from Honolulu in a fine steamer to Hilo or Punalu‘u, then a ride of thirty miles in coaches takes visitors to a fine hotel, which overlooks the molten lava lake. It is a sight that will repay the effort and expense incurred ten times over, and one that will never be forgotten.” (Whitney)

“The Interisland steamer W G Hall, 380 tons burthen, leaves Honolulu alternate Tuesdays and Fridays, at 10 A. M. She is one of the best sea boats plying in our waters, and tourists will find her accomodations and table equal to any, while her officers and stewards are ever on the alert to supply all their wants.”

“(T)he steamer at once proceeds to Punalu‘u, the terminus of the sea route. This is usually reached about 6 P. M. The passengers are landed in boats and will proceed to the Punalu‘u hotel, where they will find themselves comfortably taken care of.” (Whitney)

Lee set upon this venture with the idea of popularizing the Punalu‘u-Pahala route to Kilauea. In 1891, Peter Lee, an enterprising pioneer with an eye to the future, built a 24-mile wagon road from Pahala to Kilauea, following by seven years the construction of a hotel at Punalu‘u, which then became a third takeoff point. (NPS)

“The hotel is clean, the table good, and the proprietor will be found very obliging and ready to afford any information required.” (Whitney)

“Early in the morning the start for the Volcano is made. The first five miles are done by rail to Pahala, where the Hawaiian Agricultural Company have a large plantation and a fine mill. The fields extend far up the hillside and the constant moving of wagons, riders and gangs of men makes a busy scene.” (Whitney)

“At Pahala a coach will be found ready to convey the tourists to the Volcano. The road passes through a pleasant grassy country with the tree-clad slopes of Mauna Loa lying to the left, while to the right glimpses of the sea and the lower land are occasionally caught.” Whitney)

“The Half-way House is reached in about three hours. Here a lunch is prepared for the travelers, and a short rest is given to the animals. The air becomes cooler as the coach advances, and a pleasant ride of seven hours through a country abounding in pretty scenery brings the party to the vicinity of the Volcano House.”

“The smoke which forever overhangs this wonder of nature will have been pointed out by the guide, long before the crater is reached. About a mile from the Volcano House, a first view into the crater is obtained. By daylight the sight is by no means so striking as at night, but enough can be seen to excite wonder in the beholder.” (Whitney)

“For a number of years the Government road from Pahala in Kā‘u, to the Volcano has been practically abandoned, and a private road built and owned by Mr. Lee has been generally traveled.” (Minister of the Interior Report, 1894)

The best estimate for the date of completion of Peter Lee’s Road comes from a Volcano House register entry dated October 1888 by a guest who claimed to be the first visitor to travel by means of a wheeled conveyance the entire way from an ocean port to the volcano.

It is possible that the road was finished earlier, or that the segment that finally connected the two roads was completed before the entire road was fit for travel. (NPS)

In correspondence from Lee to Thurston, Lee notes, “I am just now making a carriage road to the Volcano on the Kā‘u side, which road will be completed in a few weeks, Several competent people have overlooked this road and are highly recommending it.”

“As I have been employed for several years in road building in Peru and California, I am thoroughly familiar with this kind of work, and am confident that I can make this road as good and cheap, and in as short a time as anybody in the country.” (Lee to Thurston, September 22, 1888; Maly)

However, the construction of the Volcano Road from Hilo had begun. With the completion of the Hilo to Volcano Road in 1894, four-horse stagecoaches came into the picture, reducing the travel time from Hilo from two days to six and one-half hours, and Hilo became the principal departure point for Kilauea. (NPS)

Back to Peter Lee’s road … “The Legislature of 1892 passed an appropriation for the purchase of this road, and practically it was turned over to the Government in December, 1892; but the formal transfer was only completed in January, 1894. The purchase price being $4,500.” (Minister of the Interior Report, 1894)

“This is the main road for travel between the districts of Hilo and Kau, and until last October was the only road by which carriages could go to the Volcano.”

“Nothing has been done on the road by way of repairs for a long time, and it is now a very uncomfortable carriage road. The Kau Road Board should be instructed to put it in order, and in addition, certain portions crossing the lava flows should be regraded and reconstructed, and finished with the traction engine now in use on the Volcano road.” (Minister of the Interior Report, 1894)

Peter Lee sold the Punalu‘u Hotel to the new buyers of the Volcano House; he managed both hotels for them.

From the early 1900s, prisoners at Namakanipaio worked on rebuilding the “Peter Lee Road” into Kaʻū, and on roads and trails around the Kilauea, and towards Puna. The prison site was closed shortly after 1915. (Maly)