Category Archives: Biography

Ka Wahine Hele La o Kaiona!

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The Life of Pauahi

On the 19th of December, 1831, Bernice Pauahi Bishop was born, the one who established the Kamehameha School. She was the only child of Paki and Konia. When she was little, she was taken as hanai by Kinau. She was educated at the Royal School, the school for children of alii. At the school, she was a student of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Cooke and she was one of the smartest of the children of the school.

While she was going to school, she met Mr. Charles Reed Bishop. Her parents did not approve of this because they wanted their daughter to marry within the Kamehameha line. With this in mind, they built a home for Pauahi and called this home Haleakala.

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Kamehameha V as recalled by R. A. Lyman and W. D. Alexander, 1902.

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RECOLLECTIONS OF KAMEHAMEHA V.

Bold and Wise Sovereign as Remembered by R. A. Lyman.

Hawaii has not been known to the world very many years, but during that time a King of whom she may well be proud has reigned over the land, a King who would compare very favor­ably with the monarchs of more en­lightened nations. Kamehameha V., who ascended the throne of the Ha­waiian Islands upon the death of Ka­mehameha IV. in 1863.

Before ascending the throne Kameha­meha V. had acted as Minister of the Interior under Kamehameha IV. He had a very strong will, so that he was not Minister in name alone, but attended faithfully to the duties of his office. Continue reading →

Death of John P. Hale, 1935.

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FORMER JAILER AND KAMAAINA DIES, AGED 77

J. P. Hale Succumbs to Long Illness, Funeral Held Here Today

J. P. Hale, 77, a well-known kamaaina of Hilo who served as jailer at the Hilo county jail during Sheriff Sam Pua’s administration died at his home at 224 Lanikaula St. at 2:30 a. m. today. Death came as a result of a long illness which caused the deceased to be confined in his bed for  many months. Continue reading →

Pertaining to Levi Chamberlain, 1865.

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[Found under: “Ka Anesona Moolelo No Hawaii nei.”]

Pertaining to Levi Kamalena.

Chamberlain is a man famous for his work, and as someone who did not think much of the pleasures of this world. In 1821, he was a young merchant in Boston, and it is true, he gained prosperity as did the other young merchants. But he did not waiver in his belief in the Holy Ghost and to join in missionary work; as if it was his calling from God, and he left his pursuit of wealth. Continue reading →

Conclusion of the Interview of William E. Rowell, 1916.

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INTERVIEW WITH W. E. ROWELL
Dec. 6, 1915

(Continued from last issue.)

The shingles were imported and were boiled in whale oil before they were put on. They lasted a long, long time, 25 years, until they were fairly worn out, by explosure to the elements.

Yes, as you say, my father was a good mechanic. He had a lathe with which he litterally turned out four poster koa beds, and other articles of furniture, and up in the mountains he had a saw-pit where he whip-sawed out koa and kauwila lumber, one man above and one below with the log resting on skids. You say there is some of that koa lumber there in the house now?—yes very likely, we left a lot of it there.

We had kauwila posts I remember, for our front fence. I sent my brother, in New York, some of them, out of which he had furniture made, and this cane that I carry and which is so useful to me in my blindness, is made out of one of them. You say it ought to go to some historical society, [???] that first church table, well perhaps so.

My father was very much of a student as you say; yes he always read from the Greek Testament at family worship. Continue reading →

Recollections of Kauai boy, William E. Rowell, 1916.

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INTERVIEW WITH W. E. ROWELL
Dec. 6, 1915

The following interview with the late W. E. Rowell, who died recently in Honolulu, was read at the meeting of the Kauai Historical Society last week by J. M. Lydgate:

I was born at Hanalei in 1845. My father followed Alexander there for a couple of years. When I was about one year old were moved to Waimea. We came by canoe I believe, bag and baggage. No I don’t remember anything about it. Mr. Gulick I understand had built the house at Waimea. Mr. Whitney had died I think just before our arrival or soon after so that the whole work and responsibility of the station fell on my father. The Whitney house stood just about where the Hofgaard house is now, while ours stood near by. No, no, the Whitney house wasn’t built of adobie, but of stone coral sand stone. I remember very distinctly how it cracked because of imperfect foundation and the walls bulged out and had to be shoved up with heavy timber props. The house was demolished finally for the stone which was taken to build the Kekaha chimney. I think they paid $100 for it. Mother Whitney lived there for a good many years. In the division of the mission sands there was some difficulty about coming to an amicable decision, for, you know, these old missionaries were quite human in spite of the fact that they were missionaries. Mrs. Whitney wanted about everything that was any good.

We got a piece of pasture land on the east of the river called Mahai-hai: it was there we kept our stock, and in dry times they fairly grubbed up the roots of the manienie.

We had an old man who took the stock back and forth: he took them to the river and they swam across and when he wanted them he called them and they came across the river.

When Mrs. Whitney died she left her land to the native church. The minister was to live at the Whitney place, but that was inconvenient so an exchange was made for a kuleana in the valley, and I bought the balance of the land for $1800. That is the basis of the church fund to this day.

There was a grass church in those days down on the beach west of the river, where afterwards the school house stood and about where the Chinese church is now. There were two services on Sunday and a prayer meeting on Wednesday afternoon. No, the crowds were not very large and the church was not as big as the stone church built later. The church was built of pili grass, closed in, as I remember it, on the mauka and windward side, but open makai on the lee side. There were no windows, at least no glazed windows. The people sat on mats on the floor. The matter of windows, reminds me that I made quite a little money in my boyhood days, making window and door cases for Hawaiian grass houses. Yes, all the houses at that time were of grass. Continue reading →

Short biography of the great Joseph Mokuohai Poepoe, 1912.

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JOSEPH MOKUOHAI POEPOE

This candidate for the legislature in the Democratic party of Oahu nei was born at Honomakau, which is famous for the saying: “No youth of Kohala goes out unprepared” [“Aohe u’i hele wale o Kohala”]. This also is the birthplace of the Hon. H. M. Kaniho. He was born on the 27th of March, 1852. When he was small, he was brought to Honolulu. He entered into the districts schools [kula apana] here in Honolulu, and also in Kalauao, Ewa. And thereafter he attended the Royal School at Kehehuna, and its head Instructor was Mr. Beckwith. After two years there, he entered Ahuimanu College in Koolaupoko, under the instruction of the Fathers Elekenio, Remona, Livino, and the many other teachers. He was taught law in North Kohala under Judge P. Kamakaia. He returned here to Honolulu and studied law at the law school of W. R. Castle [W. R. Kakela], as well as at the law school of S. B. Dole. He studied law with lawyers Davidson and Lukela. In 1884, he received his full license to practice law in all Courts of Hawaii nei, and he still retains his law license. He was an editor for many of the Hawaiian-language newspapers in this town. Currently, he is the editor for KE ALOHA AINA. He was a teacher at the boarding school of Rev. E. Bond [Rev. E. Bona] in Kohala. He was the first to establish an English language school in North Kohala, Hawaii. He was an assistant teacher at the British Government School at Ainakea, under H. P. Wood, and thereafter under E. N. Dyer. For many years he tried to join the Legislature, so that the lahui would see him pass laws that would benefit the lahui in need; but the people did not assent. Now his hope is that it will be in the upcoming election that the voters will come through, making him a Representative, whereupon he will show his works for the good of the land and for the advancement of the lahui.

[Poepoe played a huge part in the history of the Hawaiian-Language Newspapers! I was happy to find this. Also, I just saw this morning more on the Catholic school at Ahuimanu on Nanea Armstrong-Wassel’s instagram page. Go check it out. There is a picture of the school as well!]

(Aloha Aina, 10/26/1912, p. 1)

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Ke Aloha Aina, Buke XVII, Helu 43, Aoao 1. Okatoba 26, 1912.

More information sought on Opukahaia and others by the pastor in Cornwall, Connecticut, 1895.

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[Found under: “NU HOU HAWAII”]

Who are these people:—The pastor at Cornwall, Conn, where the missionary school was built in 1817, dearly wants to know the personal stories of these students from Hawaii. 1, Opukahaia; 2, Honolii; 3, Kanui; 4, Kaumualii; 5, Hopu; 6, Alohekaa; 7, Kupalii; 8, Haia; 9, Ilipuaa; 10, Kaleiula; 11, Kamahoula [? Kamohoula]; 12, Kapoo; 13, Kapoli; 14, Komo [? Kemo]; 15, Kapali [? Kapuhi]. Those who know, could they please send the stories pertaining to these boys, or perhaps others, to C. M. Hyde, P. O. Box 67 [pahu leta 67], Honolulu.

(Kuokoa, 5/11/1895, p. 3)

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Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke XXXIV, Helu 19, Aoao 3. Mei 11, 1895.

Fount of knowledge, H. B. Nalimu, turns 96! 1931.

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GOOD NEWS

On the eleventh of November, 1835, Henry Benjamin Nalimu was born, at Papaaloa, North Hilo, Hawaii, the land of birth of his parents.

On November, he became ninety-six years old at “Kamaluokaohai,” at 1536 Alewa Drive, the home of his grandchildren.

Nalimu is a descendant of his ancestor I, who was a famed strategist of Kamehameha ka Na’i Aupuni.

The I, the Mahi, and the Palena, were famous troops of Kamehameha, and leaders of Kamehameha, and I commanded the troops of I.

In 1840, Nalimu left Papaaloa and lived in Pi’opi’o, Hilo, until 1847.

At that time, Kamehameha began to give land to the makaainana.

In 1852, Nalimu entered into the Hilo Boarding School.

D. B. Lyman was the principal at the time, and it was he who built that college on land given by the alii for that school.

In 1857, Nalimu became the assistant kahu of the church of Hilo, under the old Missionary Coan [Koana, Titus Coan].

He accompanied Coan to the cliffs of Hilo, climbing up and going down into the rivers. There were no bridges and no good roads at the time. The walked the trails until Kalapana. The shoes they wore were ti-leaf sandals [kamaa la’i], and pandanus root sandals [kamaa aahala], so that their feet would not be harmed by the rocks. Continue reading →

Sarai Hiwauli, 1856.

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BIOGRAPHY OF S. HIWAULI II.

Sarai Hiwauli was born in Kahaluu, Koolaupoko, after the great plague here on Oahu during the time of Kamehameha I, and she was taken to Hilo, Hawaii to be raised, along with her parents and her kupuna; from Hopuola and Kalimahauna came Hiwauli, from Kahili and Napolo came Hopuola, from Kahiko and Kuanuuanu came Kahili, from Keaweikekino and Iliholo came Kahiko, from Hoou and Kamaiki came Keaweikekino, from Mahiopupelea and Kapaiki came Hoau, from Kanaloauoo and Kapulaiolaa came Kapaihi, from Kahoanokapuokuihewa and Kapahimaiakea came Kapuleiolaa, from Loheakauakeiki and Kalaniheliikauhilonohonua came Kahoanokapuokuihewa, from Kauhealuikawaokalani and LonowahineikahaleIkiopapa came Kalaniheliikauhilonohonua, from Kaholipioku and Moihala came LonowahineikahaleIkiopapa, from Lonoapii and Piilaniwahine came Moihala, and so on. Continue reading →