Place names
There are two moku on the north shore of Maui: Hāmākuapoko and Hāmākualoa; poko and loa being added to distinguish the main district of Hāmākua from its smaller neighbor.
These districts are more historical than legal at this point. Hāmākualoa as a local place name is largely replaced with Haʻikū. The reason for this is largely due to the explosion of the sugar industry on Maui around 1860. For many years the Haʻikū Sugar Company was the largest sugar plantation in Hawai’i. A large mill and company town was constructed in Haʻikū, forever putting it on the map.
The moku is still important for real property deeds, many of which have their origins in land grants and patents issued in the 19th century. The property descriptions of the old grants are expressed relative to landmarks within the moku and the ahupua’a.
There is a searchable, on-line database of land grants, here. If the grant was made to a Hawai’ian, the grant is written in Hawai’ian, otherwise it is written in English. Here is an example of grant (in Hawai’ian) from 1852 for land that probably included the present day Open Space, based on its modern TMK.
Legend
Hamakualoa is a place name from the Hawai’ian legend of Kana and Niheu, where Kana was born on the island of Maui. According to the legend, his grandmother, Uli, took him to the island of Hawaii to raise him. The Big Island also has a moku named Hamakua.
Hamakualoa show up in additional legends. Many of these can be found on-line through the University of Hawaii. Here is a link of a few.
1800's
Hāmākua became a major sugar growing and milling center by 1880.
Modern Era
In 1910, acreage was acquired on Pa’uwela Point from the Haiku Sugar Company for the establishment of a coastal beacon to mark the eastern approach to Kahului Harbor. A temporary acetylene light was activated on the point in August of that year, until a keeper’s dwelling with a wooden light tower mounted on its roof could be completed. Philip Kepilino was the first keeper of Pa’uwela Lighthouse and served until the light was automated in 1921.
In the 1940’s a new lighthouse was built. It continued to operate until 1981 when a light was no longer needed for navigation. At that time the Coast Guard gave the land to Maui County.
