Location
| Place
| Movement
| Region
| H.E.I.
|
History
(Some words used in this web page are in the Hawaiian langauge)
Ancient
Times: In ancient
times Kane'ohe was one of the most productive areas on
O'ahu.Constantly flowing springs allowed for growing taro
easily. Out of the 100 fishponds on O'ahu, twenty-four
walled fishponds were found at in Kane'ohe Bay. These
fishponds provided fish for food. Kane'ohe was one of the
main populated areas on O'ahu. After Kamehameha I conquered
O'ahu, he took Kane'ohe as his personal property. Land
Issues: The Great
Mahele in 1848 had lands in this area redistributed by
Kauikeaouli , King Kamehameha III. Local residents were able
to retain plots of ground that were personally cultivated.
Rice was the major crop, with hundreds of acres under
cultivation. Historically taro, sweet potato, breadfruit,
and bananas were also grown in the area. Although sugar was
grown in the area, it was not as successful as other parts
of O'ahu. Rice: In 1880,
the first rice farmer came to the area. A rice mill was
built, and workers were brought in from China. With the
annexation of Hawai'i by the United States in 1898, few
Chinese laborers were allowed into Hawai'i. As a result,
there was not much demand for the Kane'ohe rice. In 1927,
the rice borer insect damaged crops, and the rice industry
in Kane'ohe died. Pineapple: For about
fifteen years, from 1910 to 1925, pineapple growing and
canning became a major industry in Kane'ohe. The pineapple,
like the rice, was shipped to Honolulu by boat using the
He'eia Kea Pier. In the 1950s, local growers found that
foreign and domestic competetion made them abandon and plant
sweet potatoes and pineapple. This eventually failed too.
Today there are local pineapple and other crops in the
stores from local gardens and plots. In order to grow
pineapples, at least five ancient Hawaiian sites were
damaged or destroyed. One of these sites was the Kukui O
Kane Heiau, which was considered the largest and most
important in the area. Cattle: During this
same time, 1910 to 1925, cattle was raised in the area. The
Kane'ohe Ranching Company was one of the largest ranches on
the windward side of O'ahu. More heiau were taken apart to
build cattle corrals and cattle pens. Over-grazing by the
cattle may have been one of the causes for the deforestation
and changes in Kane'ohe Bay. Because there weren't any
plants to hold the soil together, it eroded into the streams
which fed into Kane'ohe Bay. In response, the Waiahole
Forest Reserve was established in 1918 to protect the land
from the cattle. Tunnels: Between
1910 to 1960, a system of tunnels and wells were built in
the area for irrigation and home use. Kane'ohe was starting
to grow. In the 1960s two tunnels connected the Windward and
Northshores of Oahu to the Honolulu side of the island. On
December 12, 1997 a third tunnel, on the H3 interstae
freeway opened, after 37 years in the making.
