![HawaiiIslandDistrict-Hamakua](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/HawaiiIslandDistrict-Hamakua.svg)
Hāmākua is a district on the northeast coast of
Hawaii's Big Island, administered by the
County of Hawaii
Hawaii County ( haw, Kalana o Hawaiʻi) (officially known as the County of Hawaii) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it fro ...
in the state of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. It is also the name given for the coastline in the region, the "Hāmākua Coast".
Description
Hāmākua's coast is approximately long, along the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
around , ending at
Waipio Valley
Waipio Valley is a valley located in the Hamakua District of the Big Island of Hawaii. "Waipio" means "curved water" in the Hawaiian language.
The valley was the capital and permanent residence of many early Hawaiian Aliʻi (chiefs/kings) up ...
and the uninhabited
Waimanu Valley Waimanu Valley is a remote valley on the northeast coast of Hawaii island. Besides the main Waimanu Stream, it includes Waihīlau Falls on a tributary.
Description
''Wai manu'' literally means "bird water" or "river of birds" in the Hawaiian langu ...
. The term Hāmākua Coast is used loosely to describe the region between
Hilo
Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Hawaii (island), Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 United ...
and Waipio, although the modern Hāmākua zoning district begins north of
Laupāhoehoe and west of
Ōōkala. The rainfall due to the prevailing northeasterly tropical
trade wind
The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...
s produces steep erosional valleys and cliffs, showing evidence of frequent landslides.
The lush vegetation and lack of sandy beaches contrasts sharply with other regions of the island.
![HamakuaCoast2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/HamakuaCoast2.JPG)
The dominating geographic feature in Hāmākua is the volcanic mountain
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is ...
. The district stretches south through the central plateau to the summit of
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa ( or ; Hawaiian: ; en, Long Mountain) is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano (as opposed to subaqueous volcanoes) in both mass and ...
. Hāmākua was one of the six traditional districts of the island in
ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...
(known as ''moku'').
To the north beyond Waipio Valley is the
Kohala district, with the older volcano
Kohala mountain. According t
Hui Mālama i ke Ala Ūlili Hāmākua is known for its "steep mountain trails."
History
In
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian religion refers to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of native Hawaiians, also known as the kapu system. Hawaiian religion is based largely on the tapu religion common in Polynesia and likely originated among the Tahitians ...
, Mauna Kea was the home of snow goddess
Poliʻahu
In Hawaiian mythology, Poliahu (Cloaked bosom or temple bosom) ihttps://keolamagazine.com/culture/myths-legends-mauna-kea/ Myths and Legends of Mauna Kea/ref> is one of the four goddesses of snow, all enemies of Pele. She was thought to reside on ...
, and the place of several other legends.
John Palmer Parker established the
Parker Ranch
Parker Ranch is a working cattle ranch on the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii, now run by a charitable trust.
History
The ranch was founded in 1847 and is one of the oldest ranches in the United States, pre-dating many mainland ra ...
on the high grasslands of Mauna Kea in 1847. Over the years (especially under manager
Alfred Wellington Carter
Alfred Wellington Carter (April 27, 1867 – April 27, 1949) was a lawyer and judge in the Republic of Hawaii and the Territory of Hawaii who managed the Parker Ranch.
Early life
His grandfather Joseph Oliver Carter (1802–1850) was a merc ...
) it was expanded to encompass much of the mountain's slopes.
Many small communities sprang up around
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
s which were operating along the Hāmākua Coast through most of the 20th century.
The demand for
sugar cane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...
rose after the
Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
The Treaty of reciprocity between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Kingdom ( Hawaiian: ''Kuʻikahi Pānaʻi Like'') was a free trade agreement signed and ratified in 1875 that is generally known as the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875.
T ...
reduced
tariff
A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and poli ...
s to the United States.
The first mill processed the crop planted in 1876. Early investors included
Claus Spreckels
Adolph Claus J. Spreckels (July 9, 1828 – December 26, 1908) (his last name has also been misspelled as Spreckles) was a major industrialist in Hawai'i during the kingdom, republican and territorial periods of the islands' history. He also in ...
,
Samuel Parker, and
Theophilus Harris Davies
Theophilus Harris Davies (4 January 1834 – 25 May 1898) was an English businessman. He was the founder of Theo H. Davies & Co., one of Hawaii's " Big Five" sugar firms.
Life
Davies was born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, England, the son ...
.
The Hāmākua Mill Company, Honokaa Sugar, Kaiwiki Sugar, Kukaiau Plantation Company, Laupāhoehoe Sugar, Paauhau Sugar Plantation and Pacific Sugar Mill were eventually consolidated into the Hāmākua Sugar Company.
The Hāmākua district was an endemic region of
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
in the early part of the 20th century. From 1910 to 1949, there were 112 confirmed cases of the disease, of which 109 were fatal. The Board of Health of the
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
, in combined efforts with the local sugar plantations, engaged in a vast
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...
extermination campaign. Despite these efforts, plague remained an
enzootic
Enzootic is the non-human equivalent of endemic and means, in a broad sense, "belonging to" or "native to", "characteristic of", or "prevalent in" a particular geography, race, field, area, or environment; native to an area or scope.
It also has t ...
disease in the region up until 1957. It is unclear why plague eventually left the area.
Sugar plantations declined and were consolidated in the latter half of the 20th century. About 10% of the population was lost each decade following 1970. The company was sold by
Theo H. Davies & Co. to Francis S. Morgan in 1984 who operated the property for ten years. The Hamakua Sugar Company had its final harvest in 1994. After years of high unemployment, the economy shifted to small diversified farms. Crops include
macadamia nuts
''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia, native to northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland specifically. Two species of the genus ...
,
papaya
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...
,
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
,
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
, and other tropical fruits.
Irrigation canals known as the Upper Hamakua Ditch and Lower Hamakua Ditch (not to be confused with the project of a similar name on
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
by
Henry Perrine Baldwin
Henry Perrine Baldwin (August 29, 1842 – July 8, 1911) was a businessman and politician on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. He supervised the construction of the East Maui Irrigation System and co-founded Alexander & Baldwin, one of the " Big Fiv ...
) had been built in 1910, and were repaired in 2001.
While virtually all of the pre-existing native forest below altitudes of several thousand feet was removed by sugarcane cultivation, several remnants of native forest can be found. Where the terrain of gulches such as Laupāhoehoe, Ka'awali'i, and Maulua was too steep for cultivation, for example, the original forest remains largely intact. There are also protected areas such as
Kalōpā State Recreation Area, which has preserved a small stand of native trees and their understory compatriots.
Other protected areas include the Hamakua, Hauola, Manowaialee, and Mauna Kea State Forest Reserves,
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of two units, along with the Kona Forest National Wildlife Refuge that is managed as part of the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. A ...
, and
Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve
The Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve is a Hawaii state natural reserve that includes the Mauna Kea Adz Quarry, on the southern slope of Mauna Kea on the island of the Hawaii.
Location
The reserve is accessed from the Saddle Road (Hawaii ...
, all on Mauna Kea, and the Mauna Loa Forest Preserve on Mauna Loa.
In 2009 the
Mauna Kea Observatory
The Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) are a group of independent astronomical research facilities and large telescope observatories that are located at the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, United States. The facilities are located ...
was selected as the site of a new
Thirty Meter Telescope
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a planned extremely large telescope (ELT) that has become controversial due to its location on Mauna Kea, on the island of Hawaiʻi. The TMT would become the largest visible-light telescope on Mauna Kea.
S ...
. Although the project encountered some local opposition, other members of the community welcomed the diversification of the economy. A comprehensive management plan was produced with local input.
Transportation
The
Hawaii Consolidated Railway
The Hawaii Consolidated Railway (HCR), originally named the Hilo Railroad Company, was a standard gauge common carrier railroad that served much of the east coast of the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii (The Big Island) from 1899 until 1946, wh ...
was extended to connect the Hāmākua sugarcane plantations to the harbor at
Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay is a large bay located on the eastern coast of the island of Hawaii.
Description
The modern town of Hilo, Hawaii overlooks Hilo Bay, located at .
North of the bay runs the Hamakua Coast on the slopes of Mauna Kea, and south of the bay ...
. On April 1, 1946, a
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
caused by an
Aleutian Islands earthquake damaged the railroad so much it abandoned its tracks. Several years later the state of Hawaii acquired the right-of-way, and by 1960 realigned the
Hawaii Belt Road
The Hawaii Belt Road is a modern name for the Māmalahoa Highway and consists of Hawaii state Routes 11, 19, and 190 that encircle the Island of Hawaii. The southern section, between Hilo and Kailua-Kona is numbered as Route 11. The section betw ...
(Route 19, known as the Māmalahoa Highway) to shorten the driving time.
In many places the older highway (Old Māmalahoa Highway) follows a more scenic, but twisted route that resembles the more well-known
Road to Hana
The Hana Highway (colloquially referred to as The Road to Hana) is a stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului to the town of Hana in east Maui. To the east of Kalepa Bridge, the highway continues to Kipahulu as Hawaii Route ...
on
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
.
Popular recreation sites along the Māmalahoa Highway include
Akaka Falls
Daniel Kahikina Akaka (; September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Akaka was the first U.S. Senator of Nat ...
,
Umauma Falls
The Umauma Falls are located on the Umauma River on the Big Island of Hawaii, approximately 16 miles north of Hilo.
They are unique in Hawaii as being a series of three waterfalls in close proximity. They are easily viewed from an overlook locat ...
,
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
The Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden (17 acres) is a nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve located on the 4 mile scenic route off of Route 19 at 27-717 Old Māmalahoa Highway, Pāpa'ikou, Hawaii (island), Hawaii. It is open da ...
,
World Botanical Gardens
World Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls is a commercial botanical gardens with a large waterfall, located between Umauma and Hakalau, at the corner of Leopolino Road and Hawaii Belt Road, State Highway 19, 16 miles north of Hilo, Island of ...
and
Kolekole Beach Park.
The
Saddle Road
Route 200, known locally as Saddle Road, traverses the width of the Island of Hawaii, from downtown Hilo to its junction with Hawaii Route 190 near Waimea. The road was once considered one of the most dangerous paved roads in the state, with ...
(Route 200) travels from Hilo through the inland part of the district, providing access to the high plateau between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, and roads to the astronomical observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea and the
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
high on Mauna Loa. The US military conducts live-fire training at the
Pohakuloa Training Area
Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is a US military training base located on the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualālai volcanic mountains of the island of Hawaii. It includes a small military airstrip known as Bradshaw Army Airfi ...
along this road.
Communities
Although there are no separately incorporated cities in the state of Hawaii, communities in the district include:
*
Āhualoa
*
Honokaa
*
Kukuihaele
Kukuihaele is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii, United States. The population was 281 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
Geography
Kukuihaele is located on the north side of the ...
*
Paauilo
*
Pāpaaloa
Notable residents
*
David McHattie Forbes
David McHattie Forbes (21 July 1863 – 23 March 1937) was a Scottish botanist, ethnologist, sugarcane plantation manager and explorer on the island of Hawai'i. He practised forestry, agronomy, and horticulture and served as the first district ...
(1863–1937), Scottish sugar planter
*
Edward Griffin Hitchcock
Edward Griffin "Holy Terror" Hitchcock (January 20, 1837 – October 9, 1898) was a law enforcement officer in the Kingdom of Hawaii, who rose to the position of Marshal of the Republic of Hawaii.
Life
Edward Griffin Hitchcock was born January 20, ...
(1837–1898), sugar planter, sheriff, and marshal
*
Rufus Anderson Lyman
Rufus Anderson Lyman (June 23, 1842 – July 4, 1910) was a son of a missionary who became a lawyer and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, founded the Paauhau Sugar Plantation Company, and had many notable descendants.
Life
He was born on Ju ...
(1842–1910), founded Paʻauhau Sugar Plantation
*
Pablo Manlapit (1891–1969), labor organizer
*
William Herbert Purvis
William Herbert Purvis (November 27, 1858 – December 31, 1950) was a plant collector and investor in a sugarcane plantation on the island of Hawaii during the late nineteenth century.
William Herbert Purvis (also known as Herbert Purvis) w ...
(1858–1950), English planter introduced
Macadamia
''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia, native to northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland specifically. Two species of the genus ...
*
Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema
Siebren Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (3 April 1917 – 26 September 2007) was a Dutch writer who became a resistance fighter and RAF pilot during the Second World War. Near the end of the war he was adjudant (assistant) to Queen Wilhelmina. He was ...
(1917–2007), Dutch spy and author
*
Dwight Takamine
Dwight Y. Takamine (born January 29, 1953) is an Okinawan-American Hawaii state senator and state representative (1984–2007). A Democrat, he represents the first district on the island of Hawaii.
Early life and education
Takamine, the eldes ...
(born January 29, 1953), state senator
*
Georges Phillipe Trousseau
Georges Phillipe Trousseau (1 May 1833 – 4 May 1894) was a French physician who became the royal doctor of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and engaged in a variety of agricultural ventures.
Biography
Georges Phillipe Trousseau was born in Paris on 1 M ...
(1833–1894) French royal physician in the Kingdom of Hawaii
*
John D. Waihee III
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
(born May 19, 1946), first native Hawaiian governor
*
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and former presidential candidate. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom '' Roseanne'' (1988– ...
(born November 3, 1952), is an American actress, comedian, writer, television producer and director.
References
Further reading
*
*
{{Hawaii County, Hawaii
Districts of Hawaii County, Hawaii
Geography of Hawaii (island)
Landforms of Hawaii (island)