Oahu | Page 46 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

December 16, 2021 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Manō Kihikihi

They are easy to identify … and their name tells you what to look for (their body and head shape resemble a hammer, when viewed from above (or below.))

Marine organisms generate an electric field around their body; some believe the shape of the hammerhead’s head allows electro-receptive organs in the animal to have increased sensory abilities – a beneficial quality when searching for prey.

In addition, the head shape may aid in their movements, providing lift or possibly a smaller turning radius.

Since sharks are ‘apex predators’ at the top of their food chain, they may influence the population structure of species lower in that food chain.

The sharks are found in warm and tropical waters, worldwide from 46° north to 36° south. They can be found down to depths of over 1,600 feet, but is most often found above 80-feet. During the day they are more often found close to shore and at night they hunt further offshore.

The scalloped hammerhead, one of the most commonly seen hammerhead sharks in Hawaiʻi, generally reaches between 5 to 10-feet in length – adults are usually found in the open ocean, often around seamounts or outer reef slopes.

Most fish hatch from eggs outside the females’ bodies, but hammerheads, as well as other sharks, are born alive – the shark babies are called ‘pups.’ As the pups grow, they spread out, forming schools that feed on the bottom at night. At maturity, the young sharks head offshore. (Scott)

Kāneʻohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, is a pupping and nursery ground for the scalloped hammerhead shark and hammerhead shark pups are the most abundant top-level predator in the bay. (Lowe)

Females travel to shallow, protected waters in the spring and summer months to give birth.

Between April and October, adult hammerhead sharks enter Kāneʻohe Bay, deliver 15 to 30-pups about 20-inches long, mate and then leave. (Scott)

It is estimated that as many as 5,000-10,000-shark pups are born in Kāneʻohe Bay each year and that the pups remain in the bay only 3-4 months after being born. They eat small fish and crustaceans.

Young hammerheads graze along the bay floors, mostly at night. As the youngsters grow, they gradually move to the mouths of the bay and eventually join their relatives in the deep water. (Scott)

Adults occur singly, in pairs, and in small schools while young scalloped hammerhead sharks live in large schools. It is thought that male and female scalloped hammerheads may segregate during certain times of their life history. (ufl-edu)

Hammerheads are among the majority of sharks whose attacks on people, if they happen at all, are defensive in nature. Almost all sharks will show an aggressive display if cornered, as will most animals. (pbs)

Though hammerheads are not usually aggressive, they should be considered potentially dangerous.

December 10, 2021 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Kahuku Air Base

In the early-1900s, a young Italian named Guglielmo Marconi had a new invention: wireless radio. Global communications (using Morse Code) took a giant leap forward, with a two-pronged system of submarine cables and transoceanic wireless communication.

A Marconi station was set up at Kahuku, Oʻahu with a transmitter/receiver radio station & antenna farm. This put Hawaiʻi at the forefront in the use of this technology; it was the largest wireless telegraph station in the world in terms of capacity and power. By 1916, there was regular telegraphic communications between Hawaiʻi and Japan, a distance of 4,200 miles.

With the end of WWI, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) took over the facility; then, preparations and defense facilities, in anticipation of WWII, started popping up on the island.

The north-Oʻahu facility was under the overall command of the Hawaiian Air Force (HAF) headquartered at Hickam, Oʻahu. The HAF was activated on October 28, 1940, as the first air force outside the Continental US. (Bennett)

On November 25, 1941, Army Engineers took over the RCA facility and started constructing an Army Air Base in and around it. They also constructed two other North Shore airfields at Kawaihāpai (Mokuleʻia/Dillingham) and Haleiwa.

The old Marconi/RCA administration building was converted into air base headquarters and Commanding Officer’s quarters. The usual theater of operations support buildings were constructed (i.e., control tower, barracks for enlisted men, officer’s quarters, mess halls, chapel, dispensaries, cold storage, two fire stations, paint shop, Post Exchange, radio station, telephone exchange, etc.)

Early attempts at building a single runway on the limestone, sand dunes and wetlands at Kahuku Point were hindered by poor drainage, which necessitated that the runway being relocated three times before a suitable location was found. To mitigate drainage problems at the location, a system of canals, subterranean drain pipes and culverts were built.

Eventually, two runways were built at Oʻahu’s northern-most point (the runways followed the original line of Marconi towers) – the military reservation was named the “Kahuku Airfield Military Reservation;” also known as “Kahuku Air Base.”

Thirty-two earthen revetments were constructed between both runways to provided minimal protection of aircraft and ground maintenance crews during any aerial or sea bombardment. The typical revetment was trapezoidal in cross section about 14-feet high.

The air base had been planned as a stopover point for the planes on their way to the Western Pacific; the length and width of the runways were a clear indication they were designed to accommodate heavy bombers, i.e., B-17 and B-24, as well as cargo transports ranging from C-47 to C-54. The absence of hangers attested to the airfield being in operation for the duration of the war. (Bennett)

Kahuku Army Air Base (AAB) was activated on June 26, 1942, and became an important training facility for pilots assigned to Wheeler in central Oʻahu adjacent to the large Army post of Schofield Barracks.

The runways were ideal for training flights as they possessed good approaches, appropriate length, and fine takeoff clearance. The base accommodated various air groups and squadrons that flew an assortment of aircraft, i.e., B-24, B-25, F-7, P-47 and C-47, which flew out of Kahuku for various periods of time, either pending deployment to the Central Pacific war zone, or rotated back to Oahu for reassignment, or deactivation.

Then “(t)he large Tsunami that hit the Hawaiian Islands on 4/1/46, caused extensive damage to the air base, the NE/SW runaway was within 100 yards of the shoreline and the NW/SE runway, 200 yards.”

According to an Army Corps of Engineers report, “The wave washed over the protecting sand dunes, rushing inland in some places to a half mile, smashing buildings, uprooting parking areas, and bringing tons of sand & debris onto the runways. Army personnel verbally informed the Estate that their previous fear that the field was too close to the water was amply borne out.”

A portion of the former facility is now part of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. It was established in 1976 to provide habitat for Hawai‘i’s four endangered waterbirds: aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt,) ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot,) ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian moorhen) and koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck.)

As part of the O‘ahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex, the refuge consists of both natural and artificially maintained wetlands. Two wetland units are included within the James Campbell Refuge, the Kiʻi Unit and the Punamano Unit.

Likewise, a portion of the former facility is within the Turtle Bay Resort area. The Airfield, revetments and barracks occupied approximately 195-acres (23%) of the Resort property.

December 9, 2021 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Honolulu’s First Mayor

The Organic Act (enacted April 30, 1900) established the territorial status of the Islands; with it, the legislature was authorized to create towns, cities and counties within the Territory.

In 1905, the Territorial Legislature passed “The County Act” (Act 39) which formed the basis of modern local government in Hawaiʻi. It established five counties: Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i and Kalawao.

Hawai‘i’s 5th County (encompassing the Kalaupapa Peninsula and surrounding land) remains under the jurisdiction of the state’s Health Department; the other four counties were governed by elected Boards of Supervisors.

Contrary to the suggestion in the name of the enabling “County Act,” State government retained many traditional county government functions and over the next many decades took on even more, making Hawai‘i the most centralized state government.

The state continued to administer the court system, public health, welfare, correctional and school systems in addition to all harbors, airports and major highways.

The County of Oʻahu began operating on July 1, 1905, and two years later was renamed the City and County of Honolulu; it was governed by a Board of Supervisors. Later, a mayor was added to the Board of Supervisors.

Honolulu’s first campaign for Mayor had two principal candidates: John Carey Lane, Republican; and James Joseph Fern, Democrat.

On January 4, 1909, in the McIntyre building at Fort and King Streets, the City and County of Honolulu inaugurated its new municipal government and its first Mayor, Joseph “Joe” James Fern (who had won the election by just seven votes (Lane did not want a recount.))

Joseph Fern was born in Kohala on the Big Island in 1872, to James and Kaipo Fern, a Hawaiian family of modest means.

His schooling was rudimentary, and he was commonly referred to as being self-taught. At the age of twelve he went to work for the Union Mill Plantation of Kohala, driving a bullock cart loaded with fire wood from the forests on the upper slopes down to the mill.

He left the Big Island in 1892 and headed to Honolulu. In the city, his first job was as a mule-car driver for the Hawaiian Tramways. He eventually worked as shipping master for the Inter Island Steamship Company.

Fern was thrice-married, his first bride, Julia Natua, presenting him with two children, Julia and James, before her death, and his second wife, Sheba Alapai, giving birth to twelve, Joseph Jr., Mary K., Nancy, George, Kaipo, Elizabeth, Marion, Mary, Keo, Santa Clara, Henry and Esta. Sheba died in April 1910. His third wife, Emma Silva, married Fern in August 1910 in Honolulu, when he was already mayor of the city, they had one child, Victoria. (Johnson)

In 1907, Joe Fern was elected to the Board of Supervisors of the County of Oʻahu as a Democrat, one of a minority of three on the seven-man board.

Warm-hearted, welcoming, with a sense of humor, Fern brought his personal style to City Hall. He built a city government and proposed acquiring land for parks and playgrounds. A devout Catholic twice widowed, he lived modestly on Alapa‘i Lane and reared fourteen children. (Chapin)

In 1915, he lost a reelection bid against John Lane. That year, for the first time, Honolulu’s budget passed the million-dollar mark, the increase reflecting a general growth in property valuations in the city.

After leaving office, Fern was appointed City Jailer. When Lane tried to run for reelection, Fern challenged his successor again and won by 300 votes; he retook the Mayor’s office on July 2, 1917.

Fern died February 20, 1920 from complications with diabetes, while still in office.

Evidence of his popularity among the people he served, Fern was granted a state funeral and was laid in the throne room of ʻIolani Palace. During the burial rites at the Catholic Cemetery, the United States Army Air Corps presented a fly-over ceremony in a V-formation. Fern Elementary School and Playground are named in his honor.

The newspaper, often vehemently opposed to Fern, wrote the following: “Mr. Fern stood in the relation of a father to his people. He was one of the old school of Hawaiians, open handed, sympathetic and always ready to help his people. Daily there was a stream of Hawaiian poor crowding his waiting room and corning to him for assistance in family rows, for legal advice or a loan or to straighten out trouble with their children.”

“While the supervisors at times fought him tooth and nail and criticized him in no uncertain terms in open meeting, he nevertheless had the respect of all of them. He is sincerely mourned by the board, by all the city employees and the people of the city generally.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, February 21, 1920)

December 4, 2021 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Evacuation Camps and War-time Housing

In pre-war preparations, a May 23, 1941 article in the Honolulu Advertiser titled “Army Maps Areas to Be Evacuated in Event of Emergency” informed civilians that 86,000 persons living in Honolulu resided in danger zones, and that half would have to evacuate in the event of a war.

“The Hawaiian Department has worked out a comprehensive plan for moving and caring for those who would have to leave their home. Preparation of the plan was directed by Col. Albert B. K. Lyman department engineer.”

“Much of the responsibility for the actual mechanics of the process would devolve upon the civilian government unless it was necessary to invoke martial law …”

“… but it is hoped that the people of Honolulu would be sufficiently aware of the necessities of the evacuation process to act voluntarily and cooperate with the government and the army, both in caring for themselves and in helping to care for others.”

“Areas to be evacuated are those places surrounding and in the vicinity of legitimate targets for an enemy. They extend practically without a break along the waterfront from Middle street to Waialae golf course.”

“The mauka boundary is School street to Kapiolani street, then Kapiolani boulevard and the Ala Wai to the fair grounds, along Kapahulu to Waialae avenue, and along the ewa boundary of the golf course to Kahala avenue.”

“This portion of the city that would be evacuated contains several artillery posts, the docks, the oil tanks, railroad yards, Hawaiian Electric Company, Honolulu Gas Company, Mutual Telephone Company, the newspaper plants and the major traffic arteries – all legitimate targets.”

“Because any air raid on Honolulu that might ever occur would most probably be at night, consequently not of the precision variety, bombs might land at some distance from the actual targets. That is the reason so large an area would have to be evacuated.”

“There are two classes of evacuees: those who will voluntarily or with slight persuasion leave, and those who must be forced to leave … Persons who cannot be used in any manner in the defense and who are unwilling to leave Honolulu but who can be used directly and indirectly in the defense constitute the seconds class.’”

“In discussing the evacuation program General Short regretted, that Honolulu does not possess one of the most favorable facilities that could be utilized as a camp. That is a large recreation center away from the ocean. The beaches, he said, do not offer enough foliage for protection from observation.” (Honolulu Advertiser, May 23, 1941)

During the Fall of 1941 diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan, which had been steadily deteriorating, took a sudden turn for the worse. December 7, 1941 Japan attacked the US at Pearl Harbor.

Shelters for evacuees were built in the valleys of Palolo, Kalihi and Mānoa; however, they were “held in readiness for evacuees in connection with [another] attack.”

Neither Kalihi Valley Camp nor Palolo Valley Camp ever accommodated Islanders displaced after the initial attack on December 7th. A memorandum written in February 1942 confirmed that both Palolo and Kalihi Camps remained unoccupied.

With the coming of World War II Hawaii was confronted with a serious housing shortage, as Honolulu saw an influx of over 100,000 civilian defense workers, while a lack of building materials and laborers brought residential construction to a virtual halt.

Four evacuation camps, which the Office of Civilian Defense had erected in Palolo and Kalihi valleys in case of another Japanese attack, were turned over to the HHA and converted into wartime public housing for several hundred families.

The housing situation became more acute in 1943, as workers continued to come to the islands, and in 1944 the military further compounded the problem by permitting families to join war workers.

The HHA developed public housing areas in Palolo, Kapalama, and Lanikila during 1944 and 1945, and the Federal Public Housing Authority opened Kalihi War Homes with its 248 units in February 1945.

Members of a Congressional subcommittee, which came to investigate Honolulu’s housing situation (in Pālolo and elsewhere) in March 1945, learned of “hot bed apartments” where as many as eighteen men occupied one room in three shifts.

The subcommittee found that adequate housing had not been provided for approximately 60,000 of the 107,679 civilian newcomers who came to Hawaii during the war.

With the conclusion of World War II, the Pālolo School Camp was closed as they were deemed unsatisfactory for occupancy. The Pālolo Evacuation Camp adjacent to the 362-unit emergency housing project in Pālolo remained in operation.

The Federal Public Housing Authority started to build another 1,000 dwelling units in Manoa, but these were not completed until 1946, after the war was over.

With the conclusion of World War II, three of the evacuation camps, Kalihi Evacuation Camp, Kalihi School Camp, and Palolo School Camp, were closed as they were deemed unsatisfactory for occupancy.

The Palolo Evacuation Camp adjacent to the 362 unit emergency housing project in Palolo remained in operation. (HHF)

November 24, 2021 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Books by Land, Sea and Air

The earliest libraries in Hawaiʻi appear to have been reading rooms provided for ships’ officers and crews. In Lāhainā, the Seamen’s Chapel and Reading Room was built in 1834 following an appeal by William Richards and Ephraim Spaulding.

In Honolulu, the Sandwich Islands Institute, organized in November 1837, fitted up a room at the Seamen’s Bethel in downtown Honolulu as a library and a museum of natural history and Pacific artifacts.

A newspaper article in October 1840 referred to this as a “Public Library, three to four hundred volumes” and also listed a “Reading Room for Seamen,” presumably at a different location.

In 1879, a group of men founded the Honolulu Library and Reading Room Association. In the local newspaper, the Commercial Pacific Advertiser, editor JH Black wrote, “The library is not intended to be run for the benefit of any class, party, nationality, or sect.” From 1879 to 1912, library service was provided by the Honolulu Library and Reading-Room Association.

In 1909, Governor Frear helped pass the “Act to Provide for the Establishment of the Public Library of Hawaiʻi”. On May 15, 1909 the Honolulu Library and Reading Room and the Library of Hawaiʻi signed an agreement by which the former agreed to turn over all books, furnishings and remaining funds to the latter.

A few months later, the Honolulu Library and Reading Room, Library of Hawaiʻi and the Historical Society jointly signed and submitted a letter to Andrew Carnegie requesting a grant for the construction of the Library of Hawaiʻi.

Governor Frear made a parcel available on the corner of King and Punchbowl Streets; the site was the location of Hāliʻimaile, the residence of Boki and Liliha, and later Victoria Kamāmalu and her father and brothers (before they ascended to the throne as Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V.)

Ultimately, on February 1, 1913, the Library of Hawaiʻi was completed and its doors opened with free library services to the community. (After statehood in 1959, the Hawaiʻi State Legislature created the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, the only statewide system in the United States, with the Hawaiʻi State Library building as its flagship branch.)

In 1921, Laura Sutherland, Assistant Head Librarian in charge of the “Extension Department,” laid the groundwork for a legislative act that established separately-budgeted county libraries on the neighbor islands.

The County Library Law established separate libraries on the islands of Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi, under minimal supervision by the Library of Hawaiʻi (which focused its services to Oʻahu.) With the passage of the law, Sutherland’s duties included the expansion of the Library to the Neighbor Islands.

In addition, Sutherland administered a mobile book lending program, taking the books to the people (this eventually became known as the Bookmobile.) Initially, a travelling book car toured five-days-a-week (the Bookmobile is still in use, today.)

In 1926, the first bookmobile hit the road on Maui – a Ford roadster, complete with rumble seat. The bookmobile got upgraded in 1932 with a half-ton Ford delivery van with shelves and side panels that lifted up to make book-filled counters. By 1938, there was a fleet of bookmobiles delivering books throughout the Islands. (Honolulu Magazine)

Her work took the books beyond the Neighbor Islands – prior to the establishment of regular naval libraries (just before WWII,) Sutherland shipped out books for use by the construction crews on Palmyra, Johnson and Midway atolls. Reading rooms also served military posts and units.

Then, a new transportation service hit the islands and Pacific.

The China Clipper (four-engine flying boats built for Pan American Airways) flew the first commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila in November 1935 (a flying time of over 21-hours from the coast to the Islands.) From Honolulu it hopped to Midway, Wake and Guam, before arriving in the Philippines.

“The local press described the airplane as the newest and one of the most vital forces in the advancement of civilization. It was expected that Hawaiʻi was to be the hub of trans-Pacific flying, military and civilian.” (hawaii-gov)

Shortly after, Pan American initiated regular six-day weekly passenger and cargo service between San Francisco and Manila, via Honolulu, Midway, Wake and Guam.

Sutherland took advantage of these flights and expanded the reach of her “Extension Department” by supplying reading material to residents on Midway and Wake, with the cooperation of Pan Am.

Each week, a new supply of books was added to the flights in what is believed to be America’s only Flying Library Service. (Acme News Pictures)

This story has an interesting side note (at least for me and the rest of my family.) Laura Sutherland is my grandmother; her daughter, my mother, was a librarian; her daughter, my sister (Sandy,) has worked as a librarian.

The lead image shows Librarians Laura Sutherland (left) and Margaret Newland (center) handing over books to the Pan Am airplane transport employees for loading into the plane, June 1936.