Nuuanu | Page 2 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

February 20, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kaniakapūpū

Kaniakapūpū (translated roughly as “sound (or song) of the land shells”) sits on land managed by the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, as the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve and a Restricted Watershed.

Located in the Luakaha area of Nu‘uanu Valley, O‘ahu, Kaniakapūpū is the ruins of the royal summer palace of King Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli) and Queen Kalama. Before that, it was the site of a heiau used for healing (heiau hoʻōla) since ancient times.

The structure at Kaniakapūpū (modeled on an Irish stone cottage) was completed in 1845 and is reportedly built on top or in the vicinity of an ancient heiau. It was a simple cottage, a square with four straight walls.

During the Battle of Nu‘uanu in 1795, the forces of King Kamehameha I engaged the warriors of Kalanikupule at Luakaha, some say this was a turning point of that great struggle.

In 1847, as part of an event observing an anniversary of Restoration Day or Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (celebrating sovereignty being returned to the Kingdom of Hawaii by the British,) Kaniakapūpū was the site of celebration hosted by the King and with guests in attendance in excess of 10,000 people (reportedly, the largest lūʻau ever recorded.)

It is rumored that Kamehameha III may have drafted the Great Mahele here, the land reforms implemented in 1848 that abolished the ahupua‘a system and allowed for private land ownership.

Today, stone ahu or mounds sit just across Lulumahu Stream, marking what many believe to be grave markers of fallen warriors.

The gravesites, the location of the original heiau known as Kaniakapūpū and the placement of the King’s summer palace all attest to the significance of this very special place.

Kaniakapūpū has been placed on both the National and State of Hawaii’s Register of Historic Places.

On November 13, 2002, the burial mounds were brought to the attention of the Oʻahu Island Burial Council. After full discussion, several motions were adopted which would assist in the preservation of Kaniakapūpū and the burial mounds.

When I was at DLNR, we presented and the Land Board unanimously approved (December 8, 2006) the establishment of a Kokua Partnership Agreement with Aha Hui Mālama O Kaniakapūpū.

Aha Hui Mālama O Kaniakapūpū is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Hawaiian cultural traditions through the conservation of native ecosystems.

Through this partnership, Aha Hui Mālama O Kaniakapūpū would take responsibility for the maintenance and ongoing stewardship of Kaniakapūpū, its immediate surrounding area and the burial mounds located across of Lulumahu Stream.

Aha Hui Mālama O Kaniakapūpū was charged with creating controlled access which would be obtained by permit consistent with the Restricted Watershed rules and would be supervised by a member of the Hui who could also act in a curator capacity.

A plaque placed at the site reads,”Kaniakapūpū – Summer Palace of King Kamehameha III and his Queen Kalama Completed in 1845, it was the scene of entertainment of foreign celebrities the feasting of chiefs and commoners.”

“The greatest of these occasions was a luau attended by an estimated ten thousand people celebrating Hawaiian Restoration Day in 1847.”

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July 3, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Nu‘uanu – 1842

“On the morning of the 3d of March, 1841, (Sir George Simpson) started from Euston Square, by railway, for Liverpool, at a quarter past nine o’clock.” He embarked on a ‘Journey Round the World,’ including a stop in the Hawaiian Islands.

“As we edged away towards the south, the heat became more oppressive from day to day. The skies were usually a little overcast, coming down upon us now and then, with a flying shower; so that, even when our breeze was at its freshest, the air felt close and sultry. …”

“On the evening of the ninth of February (1842), we felt tolerably certain that the next day’s sun would find us within the visual range of Hawai‘i, though, as nothing but the clearest atmosphere could serve our purpose, we were rather likely than otherwise to be prevented from actually seeing it. In the morning, however, this last anticipation was agreeably disappointed. …”

“I accompanied my friend Mr. Pelly to his rural retreat in the valley of Nuanau. The change of temperature within a distance of four miles of gentle ascent was very remarkable, so that, at our journey’s end, we found a change from light grass clothing to warm pea-jackets highly acceptable.”

“Mr. Pelly’s residence was a snug little cottage, surrounded by a great variety of tropical plants, particularly by beds of pine-apples and miniature plantations of coffee.”

“In fact, the gardens of the residents generally contain rich displays of almost every flower and shrub under the sun, orange, lemon, citron, lime, pomegranate, fig, olive, gooseberry, strawberry, squash, melon, grape, guava, tomata, batata or love apple, yams, sweet potatoes, with many other fruits and all sorts of esculent vegetables.”

“To notice one or two of the rarer specimens, a very large variety of melon produces a most gorgeous flower, far more beautiful and elaborate than even the passiflora in Europe, and the papia causes so rapid a decomposition in meats …”

“… that the toughest beef or the most venerable of old cocks, if steeped in an infusion of the fruit or the stem of the plant, becomes, in a few hours, perfectly tender.”

“In addition to all that I have just enumerated, may be mentioned, the prickly pear, the oriental lilac, the date palm, the camphor tree, in short nearly all the plants of all the groups of Polynesia …”

“… and, in order, if possible, to extend the catalogue, Mr. Hopkins left in the hands of one of the most persevering horticulturists some seeds of the cherry and apple, which he had brought from England.”

“At the head of the valley, distant but a few miles from the house, a pali of 1,100 feet in height overhangs the windward side of the island. I had intended to ride to this precipice in the course of the afternoon, but was prevented by the heavy rain …”

“… our time, however, was spent very agreeably in receiving visits from many of the neighboring natives. Next morning, though the rain continued to fall as heavily as ever, and the clouds and mist were driving down the gorge before the trade-wind, I was trotting away at dawn in the very teeth of the storm.”

“The scenery of Nuanau is strikingly picturesque and romantic.”

“On looking downwards, the placid ocean breaking on the coral reefs that gird the island, the white houses of the town glancing in the sun, the ships lying at anchor in the harbor, while canoes and boats are flitting …”

“… as if in play, among them, form together a view which, in addition to its physical beauty, overwhelms one who looks back to the past, with a flood of moral associations.”

“In the opposite direction you discover a rugged glen, with blackened and broken mountains on either side, which are partially covered with low trees, while from crag to crag there leaps and bubbles many a stream, as if glad and eager to drop its fatness through its dependent aqueducts, on the parched plain below.”

“Nor is the view in this direction destitute, any more than the view in the other, of historical interest.”

“It was up this very pass that Kamehameha, after gaining … his last and greatest battle, chased with ‘his red pursuing spear’ the forces of Woahoo, and his own recreant followers who had joined them …”

“… till he drove them headlong, to the number of three hundred, ‘death in their front, destruction in their rear,’ down the almost perpendicular wall that terminates the valley.”

“On arriving at the pali, I saw, as it were, at my feet a champagne country, prettily dotted with villages, groves and plantations, while in the distance there lay, screened, however, by a curtain of vapors, the same ocean which I had so lately left behind me.”

“Though the wind, as it entered the gorge, blew in such gusts as almost prevented me from standing, yet I resolved to attempt the descent, which was known to be practicable for those who had not Kamehameha to hurry them.”

“I accordingly scrambled down, having, of course, dismounted, for some distance; but as the path was slippery from the wet, I was fain to retrace my steps before reaching the bottom.”

“In all weathers, however, the natives, when they are coming to market with pigs, vegetables, &c., are in the habit of safely ascending and descending the precipice with their loads.”

“While I was drenched on this excursion, the good folks of Honolulu were as dry and dusty as usual, the showers having merely peeped out of the valley to tantalize them.” (Simpson)

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February 22, 2018 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Pali Saloon

“All visitors to Honolulu, even those who only have the few hours during which the Australian steamers remain in harbour, drive up the lovely Nuʻuanu valley to the Pali, a great precipice 1000 feet above the sea, over which all travellers must pass in crossing the island.”

“It is a seven miles’ drive, and generally a delightfully cool one, as the trade winds blow down through the pass. In the early missionaries’ days, travellers had to lower themselves down into the valley below by means of iron rods, from hand to hand. Now, however, there is a good road.” (Owen, 1898)

Before the construction of the Pali Road, residents living on the windward side of Oahu would travel over the Ko‘olau Mountains by foot, along a treacherous path, to reach Honolulu.

In 1876, improvements were made to the trail to allow horses access to the trail as well. Regardless of these improvements, the trail was still quite dangerous, and took time to travel.

In 1897, plans for the construction of Pali Road were initiated. Engineered by Johnny Wilson and Lou Whitehouse, after its completion, it was considered one of Oahu’s major roadways. Pali Road, connecting with Nu‘uanu Avenue (the present Pali Highway,) officially connected the windward side of the island with downtown Honolulu. (NPS)

“Perhaps no better point could be found along the road from which to look back upon the town and harbor than the veranda of Mr (TB) Arcia’s Half-way House.”

“A pleasant hostelry and a genial host are just the proper accompaniments to such a view; they are garnishing of the feast, which being good in themselves make all the rest the more enjoyable.”

“From here is to be had a panoramic view of town and shipping, suburban villas and the deep blue sea, towering peaks and rich tropical forest, verdant meadow dotted with Taro patches, banana groves and the huts of Kanakas. From here to the seashore is but four miles, but the change was most delightful from the daily surroundings of town life, even in Honolulu”.

“The Halfway House is conducted by Mr. Arcia on temperance principles, so the traveler whose first sensation on seeing an hotel is a craving for ‘old Bourbon’ or ‘lager,’ will not find all that satisfies him in the place. But a good meal is always available there on short notice.”

“If the tourist is bound for the Pali only, and intends to return at once to Honolulu, he cannot do better than order his lunch or dinner to be ready for him here on his return. He will get what is good, and can indulge in a delightful view whilst he is eating it, which is something he cannot secure in the town.”

“From the Halfway House to the Pali is a distance of two miles. As it is at least four miles from the middle of the town to Arcia’s inviting resting place, it is evident that whoever christened it the Halfway House took into account the amount of exertion to be undergone rather than the mere lineal distance.”

“And now for the Pali, of which every one arriving here hears so much beforehand, that he may reasonably expect the reality to disappoint him. Before it is reached, the road breaks into sharp ascents, winding among the projecting masses of the hills. “

“Just as I round the last corner, the wind coming up from the sea and pressing through this narrow gorge, is something terrific. The beauty and interesting character of the view, however, compensate for the blow, and, so far as I am concerned, I do not find any exaggeration in what I have heard about it.” (Polk, 1880)

Then, “Emil Wery, a Belgian, arrived in Honolulu, on the Island of Oahu, in or about the year 1878. His trade was that of a bricklayer”

“Shortly after his arrival he married a Hawaiian woman whose given name was Hattie, who, at the time of her marriage, was working as a nurse-maid … (they) had three children – Emily (now Emily Hudson… born in 1882, William, born in 1884, and Julius, born in 1896 or 1897.”

“Soon after William’s birth the family moved to a place a few miles outside of the city and there conducted a wayside tavern locally known as the ‘Halfway House.’”

“Wery, while there, worked at his trade and was also employed as overseer and caretaker of the nearby Nuʻuanu Valley reservoir, and his wife Hattie ran the tavern, assisted by Wery when he was not otherwise engaged. The family in 1893 abandoned the Halfway House and moved back to Kalihi, Honolulu.” (US Circuit Court of Appeals, 1937)

Later it was noted, “AF (Adelino Ferreira) Franca (a salesman Hawaiian Wine Co) will open the Pali Saloon in the vicinity of the Government Electric Lights to∙morrow morning for the sale of light wines and beer under the now license system. A free lunch will be set and everything will be in first-class style.” (The Independent, November 30, 1898)

And then, “AF Franca announces his Pali resort ready for business. It is half way between Honolulu and the Pali, and will prove a great accommodation to travelers.” (Hawaiian Star, December 1, 1898)

Although advertised as “Light Wines and Beers Served except Sundays,” Franca was “charged with selling on Sunday.” (The Independent, June 17, 1904)

Later, “Judge Geer began the hearing of the case of AF Franca, charged with selling liquor without a license at the Halfway House on the Nuʻuanu Pali road.” Franca was acquitted of the charges by the jury. (Hawaiian Star, September 20, 1904)

The property appears to have had different owners/operators and was identified under several names – Halfway House, Pali, Saloon, Pali Resort.

It was situated near Nuʻuanu Reservoir #2. As far as where that is today – it was about where the Old Pali Road ends (at a fence and gate.) (Old Pali Road and Nuʻuanu Pali Drive generally parallel the Pali Highway.) On Nuʻuanu Pali Drive there is a small hairpin turn with a small waterfall and pool – the way house would have been above that to the left (in the direction of Pali Highway.)

There are four dam-impounded reservoirs in Nuʻuanu Valley. They are numbered from 1 to 4 as one travels mauka. No. 1 is located near the O‘ahu Country Club on the ‘Ewa side of Pali Highway and No. 4 is to the right of the highway (it’s now known as Nuʻuanu Reservoir.)

“The construction of storage reservoirs in Nuʻuanu, and in connection therewith the utilization of the water power for the purpose of lighting the city” was among the topics that the Superintendent of Public Works WE Rowell discussed in his 1890 biennial report to Lorrin A Thurston, Minister of the Interior of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.

He also said that “two reservoirs have been completed and the third is nearly so. In each case the same general plan of construction is followed viz: a dam of earth compactly rolled.”

“Reservoir No. 1 is located at the Electric Light Works, was completed in August 1889 … capacity of 23,240,000 gallons. Reservoir No. 2, located at the half way bridge, was completed in June, 1889, … with a capacity of about 7,959,000 U.S. gallons (and) Reservoir No. 3 is located about one-fourth mile mauka than No. 2.” (Papacosta)

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April 5, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Kaleleakeʻanae

Nuʻuanu Valley is romantic ground!
Here every knoll and dingle hath its talc.
Woven from legends stark of lonely swale
And Pali steep! Aye, long ago, to sound
Of savage warfare waged by Chiefs renowned.
Th’ historic Vale was scarred with bloody trail.
E’en now the bent ear hears the wild death-wail
Of warriors, in the winds which still rebound
The cliffs along: or, in the depths the eye
Doth catch the twinkling of spry Epas’ feet
Where, ‘neath the trailing clouds which not half hide
The tropic moon, they dance in circles nigh
To sound of falling waters—requiem meet,
Where mouldering heroes dim for aye abide!
(Johnstone; Thrum)

The battle was the last stand of Kalanikūpule and 9,000-warriors of O‘ahu against Kamehameha and his invading army of 12,000-warriors from Hawai‘i. (Dukas)

Kamehameha’s fleet landed at Waikiki where it covered the beaches from Waiʻalae to Waikiki. Kalanikūpule and his chiefs were stationed at strategic points in Nuʻuanu at Kanoneakapueo, Kahapaʻakai, Luakaha, Kawananakoa, Kaukahoku, Kapaʻeli, Kaumuʻohena, and Puʻiwa (where the fighting began.) (Kamakau)

Outnumbered and outgunned, the O‘ahu defenders were already weakened by the Battle of ‘Aiea (Kukiʻiahu) and a failed attempt to seize two well-armed foreign merchant vessels. (Dukas)

The landings were unopposed, and Kamehameha’s forces had four days to gather food and scout out enemy positions. The army began to move west and first clashed with Kalanikūpule’s men near Punchbowl Crater.

Both armies used traditional Hawaiian weapons, augmented with Western firearms. Kamehameha, however, used European-style flanking tactics and sited cannons on the Papakōlea ridgeline, routing similar positions held by Kalanikūpule’s cannoneers. (James)

“Kalanikūpule’s men were also supplied with these foreign weapons, however, not as well because they had lost those foreign weapons on board Captain Brown’s ships which the foreigners had taken at that time Kalanikūpule had first thought of attacking Kamehameha.” …

“In the beginning of this battle, the female aliʻi on Kamehameha’s side used their muskets, firing their bullets amongst the warriors on Kalanikūpule’s side.”

“Those on Kamehameha’s side were better skilled with the muskets, and perhaps these warriors furnished with the foreign weapons were electrified (ho‘ouwila ‘ia paha) by seeing the fearlessness of these aliʻi wahine.” (Desha)

Just a little above the Queen Emma’s property was a decisive point of the battle. There a well-directed shot from John Young’s cannon brought death to the restless and ambitious Kaʻiana; Kaʻiana had landed with Kamehameha but defected to the side of Kalanikupule.

With his death, Kalanikūpule’s forces scattered – some to the hills and valleys beyond, and drove the rest to a swift destruction over the famous pali. (Thrum)

Kamehameha’s cannon’s rained fire down on Kalanikūpule’s forces, which disorganized under the assault from above. From that point on, it was a running fight, a desperate rear-guard action as Oʻahu’s defenders were herded up Nuʻuanu Valley.

A number of them did escape. Some went up Pacific Heights, but primarily they went up Alewa and over into Kalihi and escaped to Aiea and through there.

Others went up over the pali or went up to Kalihi and then went over into Kāne’ohe. A lot of them went down the old trails on the pali. (Pacific Worlds)

But the actions of some gave the battle another name …

The name of the Battle of Nuʻuanu is also referred to as Kaleleakeʻanae, which means “the leaping of the mullet fish.” With their backs to the sheer cliff of the Nuʻuanu Pali, many chose to fall to their deaths than submit to Kamehameha.

In 1897, while improving the Pali road, workers found an estimated 800-skulls along with other bones, at the foot of the precipice. They believed these to be the remains of Oʻahu warriors defeated by Kamehameha a hundred years earlier. (Island Call, October 1953; Mitchell)

Kalanikūpule survived the battle, but was later captured and sacrificed by Kamehameha at the Diamond Head heiau of Papaʻenaʻena. (Dukas)

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October 3, 2016 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Dowsett Tract

Honolulu, by the end of the 19th century, was densely populated. Overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions were of great concern.

In part because of the 1900 plague and the Chinatown fire, residents began moving away from the city and into the surrounding valleys, wanting to escape from the overcrowded city into the quiet and serene rural areas.

With the introduction of the railway, trolley system, and the construction of new roads into the Honolulu area, transportation and accessibility into the city was made easier, thus affording residents with an easier commute.

There was a trolley that traveled from Waikiki into Manoa Valley along Oahu Avenue, and another that traveled along Nu‘uanu Avenue from town into the Nuuanu Valley. The introduction of automobiles, and construction of finished roadways also made travel easier.

Before the construction of the Pali Road, residents living on the windward side of Oahu would travel over the Ko‘olau Mountains by foot, along a treacherous path, to reach Honolulu.

In 1876, improvements were made to the trail to allow horses access to the trail as well. Regardless of these improvements, the trail was still quite dangerous, and took time to travel.

In 1897, plans for the construction of Pali Road were initiated. Engineered by Johnny Wilson and Lou Whitehouse, after its completion, it was considered one of Oahu’s major roadways.

Pali Road, connecting with Nuʻuanu Avenue (the present Pali Highway), officially connected the windward side of the island with downtown Honolulu. The development of this road allowed for greater accessibility into the valley.

In order to support the growing populations in dense areas in Honolulu, reservoirs and sophisticated systems were developed to collect and transport water to these areas.

By 1890, there were already two reservoirs in place in Nuʻuanu Valley, and a third one was under construction. Plans for a fourth reservoir was underway after the 1891 drought, and construction on this reservoir began in 1905.

With the area’s water system development, it supported the lifestyles of those living in the valley area. This area was one of the first on O‘ahu to be developed as a residential subdivision. It was called the Dowsett Tract.

The Dowsett Tract was named after the family that once owned the land. James Isaac Dowsett was born to Samuel James Dowsett (born in Rochester, Kent, England 1794 – lost at sea in 1834) and Mary Bishop Dowsett (Rochester, Kent, England; 1808 – 1860) in Honolulu, December 15, 1829.

Samuel and Mary married in Australia. A ship captain, Samuel did shipping business in Australia and was into whaling. Samuel first arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1822 when he was first officer of the “Mermaid,” accompanying the “Prince Regent,” a gift-ship from King George IV of England to King Kamehameha I, promised to the King by George Vancouver.

Samuel returned with his wife on July 17, 1828, arriving on the brig Wellington; they set up their home in Hawaiʻi at that time. Samuel and Mary had 4 children, James, Samuel Henry, Elizabeth Jane and Deborah Melville. James Isaac Dowsett was the first non-missionary white child to be born in Hawai‘i.

With his father’s disappearance, James Dowsett started working from the young age of twelve, and had a strong work ethic that would help him become a successful businessman.

He was active in the whaling and lumber industry, owned a fleet of boats that operated between the islands, and had extensive ranching investments. In his youth, Dowsett was a playmate of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V and Lunalilo.

Dowsett married Annie Green Ragsdale of Honolulu, and together they had thirteen children. “He was a quick thinker and an excellent reasoner and while not a talkative man was always willing to supply any information from his great storehouse that might be useful to another or that might interest an inquirer.”

“He knew the town, the people and the country. He never left the Islands but once in his whole life and then four days in San Francisco was enough of life in foreign parts. He was a perfect encyclopedia of history and biography not only of Honolulu and Oahu, but of the entire group.”

“The common suggestion to one in search of obscure historical data was to go to Mr. Dowsett and he never failed. He could always supply day and date and all required details.” (Hawaiian Gazette, June 17, 1898)

Dowsett took on Chung Kun Ai as his protégé, allowing Ai to use a portion of his warehouse, and Ai started importing cigars, tea, peanut oil, shoe nails and other items. Ai and others later started City Mill, a rice milling and lumber importing business in Chinatown, Honolulu. The City Mill building on Nimitz was dedicated to Dowsett.

“Dowsett saw the grass hut replaced by the stone business block and the taro patch filled up for mansion site. He saw the little paths become fine streets and the broad and barren plains thickly populated districts. He saw the life of a nation change. … Through all this he was a close observer and always on the side of what was right and just.” (Hawaiian Gazette, June 17, 1898)

Dowsett died on June 14, 1898; “news of the death of Mr. Dowsett had been sent all over the Island and the Hawaiians in large numbers joined the throng of haoles calling to pay respects and offer consolation.”

“The older Hawaiians could not restrain themselves at all and gave vent to floods of tears and to strange wailings. They were overpowered and overcome by the thought that no more would they have the friendly greeting, the certain and reliable advice or the material assistance of the one who had been their reliance at all times and upon all occasions for so many years.” (Hawaiian Gazette, June 17, 1898)

After his death in 1899, James Dowsett’s heirs formed The Dowsett Company, Ltd. to help manage his extensive Hawaii property, including Dowsett Tract.

The Dowsett Tract was 273 acres of land in Nuʻuanu Valley. On October 4, 1912, the Dowsett Company subdivided the property into two lots (A and B). In June of 1916 – September 1916, the property was subdivided into 57 lots.

The Niniko ʻauwai runs through the development, providing fresh drinking water for virtually every land parcel contained within the triangular portion of land bounded by Nuʻuanu Avenue, Dowsett Avenue and Alika Avenue. Dowsett Avenue and Ragsdale Place in Dowsett Tract and Highlands in Nuʻuanu are named after James and Annie.

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