Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Ohia Lodge

“For a number of years prior to the beginning of [WWII], home building was curtailed, and such materials as might normally be needed to meet the housing requirements of a growing population were diverted to national defense … these materials were actually frozen.”  (DOI Annual Report, 1946)

Then, in post-WWII, “During the past year [1946] the problem has become even more serious. The Governor’s housing committee and a committee of the chamber of commerce of Honolulu, after a careful study, reported that 11,000 additional houses were needed”.

“A number of factors have militated against an adequate home-building program. The most important of these are: (a) scarcity of land even at an extremely high price, (b) unavailability of building materials, and (c) shortage and high cost of labor.” (DOI Annual Report, 1946)

“Two enterprising Honolulu business men, with faith in the future of Kona … have licked the building material shortage by using their brains and brawn.  The are Howard O Redfearn, the former Honolulu contractor, and Chester Horn …”

“About the first of the year they started to work to create the timber and other material necessary for the construction of their Ohia Lodge, on Redfearn’s 350-acre tract in South Kona …”

“They were unable to procure material at that time, so set about making their own. First Redfearn moved his sawmill to the site and set it up. Then the two men went to work with ax and saw cutting down ohia trees, which grow in abundance on the tract.  They selected uniform size and then trimmed off the bark and sawed the log in half.”

“With these halves, placed upright, they began the construction of the first lodge, which is 24 by 50 feet. … The interior of the building, including the bar, the tables, doors, bar stools and kitchen are built of koa and ohia.”

“The koa was obtained from a nearby forest but the ohia wood all came from the Redfearn ranch. … The floor is cement but is waxed for dancing. The foundation and all the masonry has been constructed from rocks gathered up on the place, as well as a great circular water tank, cemented inside …”

“A large parking space has been levelled off in front of the building and this will be paved.  Around it there will be special landscaping and flower gardens.”


“The lodge bar will be opened for business [on May 29, 1947]. A little later the dining room, which will specialize in charcoal cooked steaks and short orders, will be opened. And as soon as possible a general liquor dispensary will be opened.” (Hilo Tribune Herald May 10, 1947)

“Plans have been prepared for the construction of 40 cottages in the rear of the lodge similar to many types seen on the mainland. These cottages will be 12×16 feet, and each will contain two three-quarter size beds, adequately spaced for privacy.”

“After the cottages have been constructed a modern gas station will be built, carrying all kinds of motor supplies. The whole setup will stimulate a miniature California Palm Springs, with mild desert air included.”

“Horn will be general manager. Orchestra music will be supplied every Saturday night and on any other occasion required.”

“As a special added attraction for tourists there will be saddle trails all over the tract so that guests will be able to go horseback riding at all times and since the tract is but a short distance from the sea arrangements to conduct fishing parties will be an added feature in the line of sports.” (Hilo Tribune Herald May 10, 1947)

‘Ōhia Lodge, the half-way house on the main highway between Hilo and Kona was “a showplace. Howard Redfearn built it as a volcano country club resort and opened it in [1947].  The lodge, built of Ohia, a native hardwood similar to mahogany, had a dining room seating 200 people.” (Spokesman-Review, Jun 6, 1950)

“[P]eople came from far and near to see for themselves what two men, alone and unaided, had accomplished in such a short time. … [I]t is so located that it gives a clear view of both the mountains and the sea, and is on the main highway into the Kona district.”  (Hnl Adv, Aug 3, 1947)

“Mr Redfearn also revealed that he has begun the construction of another dwelling, to be occupied by Mr and Mrs William [and Helene] Hale, teachers at Konawaena school, and four tourist cabins …”

“… the first units of several to eventually be built for the convenience of tourists and others. Two dwellings have already been completed and occupied and a third is now under construction.”  (Hilo Tribune Herald, Feb 24, 1949)

“The first three units of the proposed auto court at Ohia Lodge Kona is partially completed by Howard O Redfearn, proprietor of the lodge.”

“Work, however, has been temporarily suspended while Redfearn is engaged in the construction of a new … residence for Richard Penhallow at Waimea … This will be the fourth residence of the completed by Mr Redfearn of this unique design.” (Hilo Tribune Herald, Oct 1, 1949)

Then, disaster struck; Mauna Loa erupted … “Howard Redfearn’s handsome Ohia Lodge in South Kona was engulfed by lava between 8 and 9 last night. A fiery finger, separating from the main channel, moved steadily toward the lodge during the afternoon and finally reached the building, wiping out the Ohia and field stone structures.”

“It was the plan to expand Ohia lodge facilities with a group of tourist cabins.  It is reported that two such cabins had been constructed before the lodge was destroyed by the flowing lava.” (Star Bulletin, Jun 5, 1950)

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Six Active Volcanoes in Hawai‘i

The Hawaiian Islands are at the southeast end of a chain of volcanoes that began to form more than 70 million years ago. Each island is made of one or more volcanoes, which first erupted on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and emerged above sea level only after countless eruptions.

Hawaiʻi sits over a ‘hot spot,’ the Hawaiian hot spot.

It’s one hot spot, but lots of volcanoes have formed over it.  The Islands are above a moving sea floor of the North Pacific Ocean (the Pacific Ocean is mostly floored by a single tectonic plate known as the “Pacific Plate.”)

The Pacific Plate is moving over the layer in the Earth known as the Asthenosphere. This movement takes it to the northwest.  As the plate moves over a fixed spot deeper in the Earth where magma (molten lava) forms, a new volcano can punch through this plate and create an island.

As the plate moves away, the volcano stops erupting and a new one is formed in its place. With time, the volcanoes keep drifting westward and getting older relative to the one active volcano that is over the hot spot.

As they age, the crust that they sit on cools and subsides. This, combined with erosion of the islands, once active volcanism stops, leads to a shrinking of the islands with age and their eventual submergence below the ocean surface.

Each island is made up of at least one primary volcano, although many islands are composites of more than one. The Big Island, for instance, is constructed of 5 major volcanoes: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualālai and Kohala (the island is still growing, but is basically about 400,000-years old.)

About 40-million years ago, the Pacific Plate changed direction from north to northwest – so the Emperor Seamounts run more north-south, the Hawaiian Ridge north-westerly.

Midway Island is 27.7-million years old; Meiji Seamount the northern part of the Emperor Seamount (near the end of the Aleutian chain) is about 80-million years old.

All of these are still youngsters, when you look at the perspective, say, of the dinosaurs.  The Islands weren’t even a glimmer in anyone’s eyes when dinosaurs walked the Earth; sixty-five million years ago the last of the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct, after living on Earth for about 165-million years.  (USGS)

If all of Earth time from the very beginning of the dinosaurs to today were compressed into 365 days (1 calendar year), the dinosaurs appeared January 1 and became extinct the third week of September.

Using this same time scale, the Earth would have formed approximately 18.5-years earlier. By comparison, people have been on earth only since December 31 (New Year’s eve.)  (USGS)

While we typically think of and/or hear news reports of eruptions on Kilauea and Maunaloa, presently, the US Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory  (HVO) monitors the six currently active volcanoes in Hawai‘i.

The Island of Hawai‘i, with four active volcanoes, is liveliest. Between 1912 and 2012, there were nearly 50 Kīlauea eruptions, 12 Mauna Loa eruptions, and one Hualālai intrusion of magma.

Kīlauea, the youngest and most active volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i, erupted almost continuously from 1983 to 2018 at Pu‘u‘ō‘ō and other vents along the volcano’s East Rift Zone. Since then, there have been periodic eruptions in and nearby Halema‘uma‘u crater at the volcano’s summit.

In 2018, Kīlauea experienced the largest lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse in at least 200 years. Several summit eruptions since December 2020 have generated lava lakes that have been slowly filling in the collapsed area, including Halema‘uma‘u crater. About 90 percent of the volcano is covered with lava flows less than 1,100 years in age.

Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 34 times since 1843. An eruption 1984 lasted 22 days and produced lava flows which reached to within about 4.5 miles of Hilo, the largest population center on the Island of Hawai‘i.

The most recent eruption in 2022 lasted two weeks and erupted lava flows that came to within 1.7 miles of the Daniel K Inouye Highway (Saddle Road). Lava flows less than 4,000 years old cover about 90 percent of the volcano.

Hualālai, the third most active volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i, has erupted three times in the past 1,000 years and eight times in the past 1,500 years.

The most recent eruption in 1801 generated a lava flow that reached the ocean and now underlies the Kona International Airport. Lava flows less than 5,000 years old cover about 80 percent of the volcano.

Mauna Kea, the highest volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i, erupted most recently between about 6,000 and 4,500 years ago from at least seven separate summit-area vents, producing lava flows and cinder cones. Glaciers covered parts of the volcano’s summit area during the recent ice ages, the only Hawaiian volcano known to have been glaciated.

Kama‘ehuakanaloa (formerly Lō‘ihi Seamount), the only known active Hawaiian submarine volcano, erupted most recently in 1996 during an earthquake swarm of more than 4,000 events that were recorded by the HVO seismic network. The volcano’s summit is about 3,179 ft below sea level, located 22 miles southeast of the Island of Hawai‘i.

Haleakalā, the only active volcano on the Island of Maui, erupted most recently between about 600 and 400 years ago. In the past 1,000 years, at least 10 eruptions produced lava flows and tephra cones from the rift zone that crosses the volcano from southwest to east and through Haleakalā Crater. (All here is from the US Geological Survey (USGS.))

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Buffalo Soldiers Trail

In early 1911, geologist named Thomas A Jaggar convinced Frank A Perret, a world-famous American volcanologist he had met on Vesuvius Volcano in Italy, to travel to Hawai‘i to begin the observations of Kīlauea’s volcanic activity.

From July to October 1911, Perret conducted experiments and documented the lava lake activity within Kïlauea’s Halema‘uma‘u Crater, paving the way for Jaggar to pursue his life’s goal of using multiple scientific approaches and all available tools for the observation and measurement of volcanoes and earthquakes.

In 1911, the first scientific laboratory at Kilauea consisted of a crude wooden shack constructed on the edge of Halema‘uma‘u that was called the Technology Station. The next year saw the construction by Jaggar of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. 

When Jaggar came to the Islands, he joined the efforts of George Lycurgus (operator of the Volcano House) and newspaperman Lorrin Andrews Thurston who were working to have the Mauna Loa and Kilauea Volcanoes area made into a National Park. 

Jaggar had tried to lead several expeditions to the top of Mauna Loa in 1914 but was unsuccessful due to the elevation (13,678 feet) and the harsh conditions: rough lava, violent winds, noxious fumes, shifting weather, extreme temperatures and a lack of shelter, water and food.  (Takara)

In September 1915, Jaggar, Thurston and a US Army representative conducted a survey to determine a route for a trail up Mauna Loa.

The following month, a local paper noted, “Soldiers Building Mountain Trail.  Negro soldiers of the Twenty-fifth Infantry to the number of 150 are at work constructing a trail from near the Volcano House to the summit of Mauna Loa.”

“It is estimated that three or four weeks will be devoted to this work. The soldiers are doing the work as a part of their vacation exercises.”  (Maui News, October 29, 1915)

Immediately after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, many African Americans found themselves newly freed from bondage. In 1866, congress created four military regiments made up of Black troops, the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry – they were known colloquially as the Buffalo Soldiers. (NPS)

“Although Native Americans bestowed the name upon the troopers, there are differing accounts as to the reason. One account suggests the name was acquired during the 1871 campaign against the Comanches, when Indians referred to the cavalrymen as “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their rugged and tireless marching.”

“Other accounts state that Native Americans bestowed the nickname on the black troopers because they believed the hair of the black cavalrymen resembled the hair of the buffalo.”

“Another suggests that the name was given because of the buffalo-hide coats worn by the soldiers in cold weather. The troopers took the nickname as a sign of respect from Native Americans, who held great reverence for the buffalo, and eventually the Tenth Cavalry adopted the buffalo as part of its regimental crest.” (Plante)

“The generous cooperation of the United States Army has made the trail to the top of Mauna Loa and the rest houses at the top and midway thereto a certainty.” (Hawaiian Gazette, Sep 24, 1915)

“The overpowering feature of the landscape, however, is the immediate foreground to the north and east. The trail up to Red Crater is through ordinary and rather monotonous lava flows; but from the top of the hill there literally bursts into view a scene of most violent volcanic activity that I have seen anywhere.”

“It is similar to the interior of Haleakala crater; and the top of Hualalai, but while those are old and faded, this is fiery red and inky black.”  (Hawaiian Gazette, Nov 11, 1915)

“During the past summer [in 1915] the promotion committee and Research Association formulated and presented its plan to the authorities of the County of Hawaii and the newly created Hawaii Publicity Committee …”

“… proposing that these two organizations with the assistance of private subscriptions should furnish the money necessary for the material involved, the work to be done by the county prisoners.”

“The county authorities and the publicity committee each agreed to contribute $500 toward the enterprise.  Then the Governor came in with a contribution of $500 from the contingent fund and private subscriptions have been received in excess of $1000.”

“No decision had been arrived at concerning the availability of the county prisoners, however.” (Hawaiian Gazette, Sep 24, 1915)  (The practice in Hawai‘i and elsewhere was to use prison labor for public works projects, including road building.)

(Later Territorial law stated, “All prisoners sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor shall be constantly employed for the public benefit, on public roads or other public works or other wise, as the high sheriff, with the approval and subject to the control of the board of prison directors, may deem best.”)

Then the military offered aid in the form of a “tentative proposition that, if transportation was furnished from Honolulu to Hilo and return, Company E of the Twenty-fifth Infantry, consisting of between 140 and 150 men would volunteer to go to Volcano, and do the work of building the trail and erecting the rest houses without further expense to the promoters or enterprise.”  (Hawaiian Gazette, Sep 24, 1915)

Building the Buffalo Soldiers Trail (now called Mauna Loa Trail) from the 4,000-ft. summit of Kīlauea to the 13,677-ft. summit of Mauna Loa was no easy task. (NPS)

“The soldiers are constructing a trial three feet wide across the a-a, crushing it down with twelve pound hammers, filling in hollow, cutting down ridges and putting on a finish of fine a-a and earth, quarried along the line or parked in gunny sacks, carried on the men’s backs – in some places being carried as far as a quarter of a mile.”

“The Mauna Loa trail and rest house project is making steady and substantial progress. It must be remembered that it is through a section of territory never before inspected, much less traveled over, except the lower portion thereof, and that only by a few surveyors, cattle men and catchers of wild goats.”

“No one wants to run away with the idea that the job which the men of Company E of the Twenty-fifth Infantry have volunteered to do is all picnic. They are having a picnic all right; but incidentally they are doing a lot of good hard work in a pure pro bono publico spirit.”  (Hawaiian Gazette, Nov 11, 1915)

The Buffalo Soldiers built the 18-mile trail to the summit of Mauna Loa. They also built the ten-man Red Hill Cabin and a twelve-horse stable, so scientists could spend extended periods of time studying the volcano.

“[D]uring the period of 1915 to 1921, the trail was managed and maintained by a loose consortium consisting of Hawaii Volcano Research Association, Lorrin Thurston, Hilo businessmen, and Thomas Jaggar, then it was managed by the National Park Service.” (Tuggle)

Between 1930 and 1932, the National Park carried out major improvements and realignments of the Mauna Loa Trail to fall completely within the park boundary. Over the past century, the evolving needs of the National Park and changes in available

technology have resulted in ongoing modifications to the physical footprint of the trail.

The uppermost portion of the original trail footprint has been nearly obliterated since the 1970s by a series of large lava flows in 1975, 1984, and 1985. (Tuggle)  (The inspiration and sources to information here came primarily from a study by Myra Tomonari-Tuggle.)

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St Peter’s Chapel

“There are a few, very small fishing villages, Alae, Alika and Papa, which are reached by poor trails from the mauka road. It is necessary to travel from Hookena mauka to the main road to Papa, and thence by either road or trail to Hoopuloa, the last steamship landing in Kona.”

“This is another village which is dwindling in population, only a few Hawaiians and a couple of Chinese storekeepers remaining. A fair road leads across a barren a-a flow to Miloli‘i, the largest and best specimen of an exclusively Hawaiian village on the Island, which is seldom visited.”

“It is splendidly situated by a sand beach, the sea coming right up to the yard wall, and is inhabited by a rather large population of Hawaiians, who prosper through the fishing which is almost phenomenally good…”

“This region is seldom visited. Its chief points of interest are the remains of a heiau, mauka of the Catholic church at Milolii, some fine papa konane at the south end of the same village a well preserved kuula (still used) where fishermen offer offerings of fruit to insure a good catch, by the beach south of Milolii, where the Honomalino Ranch fence crosses the trail; while all along the trail are smaller kuulas, and at many points the foundations of villages, where old implements may still be found.” (Kinney, 1913)

“Hoopuloa was one of the few typically Hawaiian villages remaining in Hawaii. It comprised of a cluster of 10 to 15 homes of old Hawaiian style and boasted a population of approximately 100 persons … The wharf was a port of call for the Inter-Island steamers”. (Honolulu Star Bulletin, April 19, 1926)

Then … “The number of earthquakes recorded for April [1926] was 671 (compared with monthly average of 52 for the preceding 3 months. … The maximum daily frequency of earthquakes in the 1926 eruption was on April 15 (86 shock), the first day of free-flowing flank eruption …” (Jaggar)

Edward G Wingate, USGS topographical engineer, was mapping the summit of Mauna Loa in 1926, changing campsites as the work progressed. On April 10 his camp was along the 11,400-foot elevation, well into the desolate upland above the Kau District.

An earthquake wakened the campers about 0145; as they drifted back to sleep, a further series of quakes had them sitting up, talking, and wondering. About 0330 Wingate braved the cold and wind; with a blanket wrapped around him, he went outside and stood bathed in reddish light.  (USGS)

There was a brief summit eruption, followed by 14 days of eruption on the southwest rift zone.  “About 3 am April 10 (1926,) glowing lava spouted along the upper 3 miles of cones and pits of the Mauna Loa rift belt, immediately south of Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit crater.  … The actual beginning shown at Kilauea by seismographic tremor was 1:36 am, followed by two pronounced earthquakes.”    (Jaggar)

For three days the HVO party surveyed the sources of the eruption; then they descended and moved into Kona District, where roads, houses, and other property were threatened by the flows. Wingate and his crew stayed behind. Much of the area already mapped was under fresh lava, and there was a lot of remapping to do.  (USGS)

“A crack only 1 to 3 feet wide opened southward from a point tangent to the ease edge of the bottom of the south pit of Mokuʻāweoweo, vomited out pumiceous silvery pāhoehoe froth lava, and extended itself S.30oW. past the next two pits and over the brow of the mountain down to an elevation of 12,400 feet.”  (Jaggar)

“Fortunately the main gushing of this first phase ceased about 5 am the same forenoon, after flowing 5 hours. … (Then,) The vent crack was splitting itself open downhill. The source pāhoehoe changed itself by stirring into scoriaceous aa half a mile from the vents”. (Jaggar)

“When it got close to the upland of Hoʻopuloa, the flow of lava separated into two, and one of the flows went straight for the village of Hoʻopuloa and the harbor, and the second flow went towards the village of Miloliʻi.”  (Hoku o Hawaii, April 20, 1926)  

“(T)he Honomalino flow to the west finally dominated, … This was also aa. … It crossed the belt road at 12:22 pm April 16, 3 miles above Hoʻopuloa village.” (Jaggar)

On April 16, Jaggar scratched marks about a foot apart across the rutted, gravel road (the only road) between the Kona and Kau Districts. A lava flow was approaching, and Jaggar wanted to measure the flow’s speed as it crossed the road.

St Peter’s Chapel, sometimes referred to as Ho‘opuloa Catholic Church, was on the makai side of the road.  Perhaps a hundred people were waiting around the Hoʻopuloa Church, on the uphill side of the road, and at the Kana‘ana house opposite, on the downhill side of the road.

They had seen and heard the flow, 15-20 feet high and more than 500 feet wide, as it moved through the forest uphill.  When it neared the road, people who lived on the Kona side of the flow moved off to the north, and those who lived on the Ka‘u side moved to the south, so they could go home after the road was closed.  (USGS)

Jaggar recorded that it reached the uphill, inland side of the road at 12:22 at an estimated speed of about 7 feet/minute; within two minutes the road was crossed. Jaggar and his assistant, HS Palmer, stayed on the Ka‘u side.  (USGS)  St Peter’s Chapel, sometimes referred to as Ho‘opuloa Catholic Church, was on the makai side of the road.

“The Catholic church, where many Hawaiians worshipped, was one of the first building to be destroyed in the flow which buried Hoopuloa.”  (The Star, NZ, May 21, 1926)

“It is true that I saw the church destroyed by the lava tide, which moved onward with irrevocable majesty, entering the house of worship by way of the open front door.”

“Through the windows I observed the red mass proceed to the alter as the whole structure, capable of seating 20 worshipers, burst into flames.”

“Most dramatic of all was the moment when the slow moving red-hot deluge, pressed on by the mass of lava from the rear, tipped the church from its foundations and set it careening upon the molten river.”

“Straightaway, the bell, which hung in an open steeple, began ringing. It pealed above the roar of the flames and the grinding of the blazing substance surging onward.”

“A dozen doleful strokes of the iron tongue echoed farewell before it fell from the cross beam ringing its own requiem.”  (Father Eugene Oehman, Honolulu Advertiser, July 31, 1932)

A memorial to the church was erected; the plaque on the monument reads “1926 Hoopuloa Catholic Church.” “Under the cross, 25 feet below the surface is all that remains of a small Catholic church, over which the lava flowed without a moment’s halt.” (Honolulu Advertiser, July 31, 1932)

“The fiery lava engulfed the harbor and village of Hoʻopuloa, and now they are but a heap of pāhoehoe lava.” (Hoku o Hawaii, April 20, 1926)

“Families of Ho‘opuloa were forced out of their homes by the flow, and many eventually settles in Miloli‘i on state land.  The displace families remained on the land although they had no legal title to the property.” (Hawaii Tribune Herald, July 10, 1985)

In 1932, St. Peter’s Catholic Church at Miloli‘i was built by Father Steffen to replace an earlier St. Peterʻs destroyed by the 1926 lava flow. (PaaPonoMilolii)

In 1982, the State Legislature passed Act 62 which designated 52.6 acres of state land to be leased to the refugees and the descendants of the Ho‘opuloa lava flow.”

The Act also created the criteria by which people could qualify fo5 65-year leases”  Initial implementation of the Act took place July 12, 1985 with the signing of 12 long-term leases for families living on the designated property.  (Hawaii Tribune Herald, July 10, 1985)

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Gardens of the World Highway

“In 1945 Governor Ingram Stainback requested that Director of Institutions, Thomas B. Vance, concentrate his efforts on developing self-supporting prison industries.”

“The industries established had to be almost entirely in noncompetitive fields and organized such that specific responsibilities, in the nature of long or short term contracts, could be given to the prisoners.”

“With that in mind, Kulani Prison Camp opened in 1945 as the successor to Waiakea Prison Camp, operated a lumbering enterprise producing logs and milled lumber of native hardwoods as materials to be processed and sold from Oahu Prison’s industrial area.”   (Department of Institutions Summary 1939-1958)

The development of Kulani Camp and its means of access, the Stainback Highway, fell under the management of Vance. (Maly)

“Also established were agricultural, horticultural, and floricultural programs built around temperate zone crops, with the emphasis on crops not grown locally (apples, plums, dahlias, etc.).”

“Kulani … provided a reservoir of manpower for the construction of public roads on Hawaii …. – roads that would have been economically prohibitive if built under contract.”  (Department of Institutions Summary 1939-1958)

Vance wanted to build a road to the top of Mauna Loa.  (The reason Mr. Vance gave for choosing Mauna Loa was the resources of the Kulani area.)

A road like that didn’t command the funds necessary for ordinary people to do the job.  Territorial law did not authorize appropriations for building roads by prison labor, but after some cajoling by Mr. Vance, the legislature allowed him to make labor available to nonprofit community service organizations.

In 1949, Vance went to the Lions Clubs of Hawaii and the Hilo Lions was specifically chartered to build a road to the summit of Mauna Loa.  The Lions held their convention in Honolulu in the spring and came up with $300 for the project.

With this amount and other Lions Clubs’ money and some Mr. Vance had collected by selling small lava rocks from the slopes of Mauna Loa for a dollar apiece to anyone coming into his office.

He made nine miles of road above Kulani which became a show place.  Contractors kept in contact to find out when a machine operator might be up for release so that they could hire him.

Funds were finally appropriated for building roads on most of the islands by Mr. Vance’s people.  Actually, the inmates began to thin out with so many projects and civil service employees of the group, called instructors, not guards, did most of the work, helping with unemployment problems.

The US Secretary of Interior visited Hilo that year.  Vance so enthralled him with another scheme he had that it was agreed to.  This was the double idea of having short ski runs scrapped out on the lava fields up near the summit and having some of the “wayward boys” brought out of the institutions and given Park Service shirts and hats and have them act as ski guides and teachers when the snow came.

This, he said would restore a sense of purpose to these youths.  The ski runs were just leveled off places at about 10,000 feet where one could use anything to slide on the snow like an old piece of roofing metal which was stacked for this purpose nearby. (Ellis)

In 1951, a weather station was set up by the Weather Bureau near the summit of Mauna Loa mountain on the island of Hawaii.  An instrumented building was dedicated there as the Mauna Loa Observatory on December 12. (Ellis)

Also in 1951, members of the East Hawaiʻi business community approached Vance with a proposal meant to draw visitors to the Island of Hawaiʻi. The proposal was for the development of the “Gardens of the World Highway.”

As proposed, the highway would ascend the slopes of Mauna Loa, ending at the summit, near Mokuʻāweoweo. The idea was enthusiastically adopted by Vance, and supported by Governor Stainback. (Maly)

“When completed it will enable motorists to travel rapidly from a tropical wonderland through the projected Gardens of the World planned by the Hilo Women’s club, up to the 13,000 foot reaches of Mauna Loa into the atmosphere reminiscent of Lake Placid, NY.”

“Mr Vance said this road will serve two major purposes, each of which encompasses other secondary values. Running to the rim of Mokuaweoweo crater, it will, first of all, open up a winter sports area for the territory.  From this would emerge an advertising and promotional value that would add to Hawaii’s fame as a resort area.”

“Ice skaters in grass skirts or snowball fights amid the palms are just fantastic enough to grip the public imagination.”

“But even though they sound unreal, they are in the process of coming to reality.”

“Not that such frivolous activities would in themselves justify the road now being pushed up the side of Mauna Loa on the Big Island.”

“But they will be a couple of the many by-products of the project to heighten tourist interest in the territory.”

“This was the substance if the report by Thomas B Vance, director of territorial institutions, yesterday.  Mr Vance appeared before the territorial affairs committee of the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce.” (Star-bulletin, October 18, 1951)

“A garden of the world, to stretch from Hilo to the summit of Mauna Loa, was discussed at the business meeting of the Hilo Woman’s club yesterday afternoon at YWCA activities building.”

“The highly imaginative plan with its practical basis as a big boost to the tourist industry was endorsed by the Woman’s club.”

“A group of citizens, including Mrs Leo Lycurgus, chairman of the Woman’s club outdoor committee, Thomas Vance, head of the department of institutions, and persons interested in both the Kulani project and the beautification of the Hilo area had met informally at Hilo hotel and formulated the idea, which was written for the presentation to the Woman’s club and will be sent to all other civic groups here.”

“The garden, according to the plan, would follow the path the new Mauna Loa highway.  Since the climate varies as the highway progresses up the mountain, the plan pointed out that ‘flowers from Argentine to the Arctic could flourish in the various sections of the area.’”

“The soon-to-be-completed Hilo waterfront area would be the base of the world garden while sectors near Hilo and the Panaewa forest reserve could be used for the long-talked-about botanical garden of island flowers.”

“Next would come an area of tropical trees, the flowering plumeria, the purple-budded jacquaranda, and the red African tulip.  All these would be interspersed with the lush native tropical jungles which now border the highway.  Flowers from temperate and cold climates would be planted at their proper growing levels.”

“Mrs. Lycurgus, who presented the plan to the Woman’s club, explained that ‘while it is a visionary idea which will take years of work before it can be completely realized, the plan for a garden of the world on the Big Island is a possibility.’”

“She said that the labor in planting and upkeep could be partially done by utilizing the prisoners at Kulani.  In addition, she pointed out that the Hawaii Vocational school is beginning landscape courses and the training of professional work and set up a new profession on the island.”

“‘The big thing is the impetus such a garden would give us to the tourist industry,” Mrs Lycurgus declared.”

“‘People have gone to visit beautiful gardens all over the world.  A great deal of interest would be generated by a long drive in which would be combined all the types of gardens throughout the world.’”

“‘We’ve always complained about the rains of Hilo,’ she continued.  ‘Yet this idea offers us an opportunity to harness the fain for our benefit, to make it produce some of the world’s best flowers in the world’s most varied and all-inclusive garden.’”  (Hawaii Tribune Herald, March 15, 1951)

Nina Lycurgus subsequently stated that the project was the work of many people and organization, and should not be solely attributed to her.

“I was not the originator of this wonderful Mauna Loa project.  For many years the women of Hilo. Always interested in plans for beautifying their city, have supported and sponsored projects for beautification, and this idea for the Mauna Loa gardens is the final result to which many people and organizations have contributed. “

“The Lions club in particular has already started with their silversword gardens on Mauna Loa.” (Nina (Mrs Leo) Lycurgus, Star-bulletin, March 24, 1951)

By 1954, the Territory had spent about $100,000 for the road above 10,000 feet and had not gotten very close to either the “Gardens of the World,” a “snow road,” or a drive in volcano, not to mention the employment opportunities that had been expected. (Ellis)

On June 28, 1956, a larger building at 11,150 feet was dedicated as the Mauna Loa Slope Observatory, which in time became known as the Mauna Loa Observatory.

Mr. Vance was administrator of the Hilo Hospital from 1960 through 1965.  He and the Hilo Lions Club were active in supporting the observatory from their strong political base during this period.  (Ellis)

They, ultimately, did rough grade a road from Kulani to the top of Mauna Loa; however, “the three-hour ride up the road was enough to shake out what little enthusiasm they might have had.”

A four-mile link to the Saddle Road was made and opened on April 27, 1963.  Thereafter, this was the route used to get to the observatory, with the road through Kulani not being used for this purpose anymore.

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