“Kōloa is, and always has been, a delightful place, with a natural situation that has made it a most charming spot. The line of hills against the skyline is broken only by the gap on the way to Lihue.”

“These hills, while protecting the lowlands from the trade winds that blow across the island, attract enough rain clouds to insure the water supply.”

“There are several interesting volcanic cones, three of which, at least, have a close connection with Kōloa’s past. On the slopes of Puu o Hewa, the hill on the Lawai side of the road to Līhu‘e, may be seen the marks of an ancient holua slide.”

“On the other side of the road almost opposite Puu o Hewa are two companion hills known as Mauna Kilika (apparently Kahoano and Kumanumanu). The name is all that survives of an attempt to cultivate silk on this site nearly a century ago.” (Judd)

“A number of attempts have been made to establish a silk industry in Hawaii at intervals … when the first mulberry plantings were made on the Island of Kauai.”

“The silkworm is a temperate-zone insect and although it can be successfully reared in the warmer portions of the islands, the cultivation is only uniformly successful in the cooler zone above 2,000 feet where climatic conditions approach those of more northern countries.”

“The food of the silkworm, the mulberry, thrives from sea level up to 4,000 feet. The experiment station has introduced and is propagating varieties of mulberries which are considered the best for silk production.” (Philippine Agricultural Review, 1908)

In 1835, Ladd & Company, secured tenancy rights to a tract of land near Kōloa on Kauai for silk and sugar culture. (Cultural Surveys)

“The success of Ladd & Co. drew other white men with independent capital to Kōloa to try their own efforts at making a profit in agriculture. The most ambitious attempt was made by Charles Titcomb and Sherman Peck.”

“In 1836 they leased about 300 acres from Ladd & Co. and proceeded to experiment in silk culture. Later they were joined by James Jackson Jarves and JFB Marshall, two men well-known in Hawaiian history.”

“The partners were all young, energetic men determined to spare no money or effort to make the enterprise a success. They planted thousands of mulberry trees, both native and foreign varieties, to be sure of a continuous supply of leaves as food for the silk worms, which were imported from China and America.”

“The mulberry trees were planted in rows ten feet apart and two feet separate in the row. It was found that the trees after being plucked took but a short six weeks to leaf out again so completely that they could not be told from the ones that had not been stripped.” (Judd)

Sereno Bishop wrote, that at the age of eleven, in 1838, he visited the home of Rev. PJ Gulick at Kōloa, Kauai, where he saw silkworms fed and silk reeled in Mr. Gulick’s own house.”

“At the same time. Mr. Titcomb had a considerable plantation of mulberry-trees in the vicinity, and was breeding silkworms and reeling silk on considerable scale. The missionary, Gulick, certainly favored the undertaking.”

“Mr. Hooper was at the same time conducting a small sugar plantation at the same place; and much was said about the immense advantage it was to the natives to be able to earn twelve and half cents a day by their labor, as they could do nowhere else in the Islands except in the sea-ports.” (SE Bishop; The Friend, July 1903)

“Mr. Peck spent the winter of 1838-39 in New England to learn more about the silk business. He also bought machinery for reeling by steam and engaged ‘a family of three persons’ to superintend the cocooneries and to teach the natives to reel silk.”

“At this time, because of the mild climate at Kōloa and the cheapness of labor and buildings, the outlook was so favorable that Mr. Peck could have sold the business at a two hundred per cent profit.”

“The preliminary experimentation had been so promising that ultimate success seemed certain. Another company was formed in 1839, by John Stetson who had as his associates Asa Rogers and James Lindsey. These men made an agreement with Ladd & Co. for a sub-lease of 150 acres bounded on the south by Waihohonu stream.”

“The next year, 1840, was expected to be a banner year and to show profits which would fully pay for the investments made.”

“But it proved otherwise. An extreme drought followed by continued high winds killed the mulberry trees. A heavy financial loss resulted. This reverse on top of previous set-backs was too much for Peck and Company, who had over-expanded.”

“Mr. Peck left for Lahaina in 1841, to enter business there. After five years of success, he went to the United States but returned to Hawaii in 1859 as senior partner of C. Brewer & Company.”

“Mr. Titcomb stayed on at Kōloa, for a number of months and did not abandon his efforts until his entire crop of silkworms was lost by a disease aggravated by wet weather.”

“He then moved to Hanalei, where he had been conducting experiments for some time. Later, after losing several thousand dollars, in the enterprise, he turned his attention to growing coffee. Stetson and Company continued at Kōloa, until the end of 1842 when they, also, were forced to admit failure.” (Judd)

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Silkworms and their favorite food, mulberry leaves