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Hawaiian Vacation for Two!
Lahaina, a Small Town BIG on History
By Karee Carlucci Published: 07/02/2007
The stage was set hundreds of years ago - Lahaina, abundant in freshwater streams, warm sunshine, and fertile plains leading to its calm port, can be called the most historically significant spot in Hawaii.
Lahaina's origins go back to at least the 16th century when the powerful and prestigious Piilani Family ruled Maui from here. Over the centuries, Lahaina has remained a prized jewel in the crown of Hawaii. Today, its natural beauty and rich heritage are preserved under the watchful eye of many nonprofit organizations.
Whether you seek out popular Front Street and its environs to experience the vast array of world-class dining or to explore the myriad of treasures in shops and art galleries, you can enrich your vacation by taking off on your own tour of cultural sites.
The Lahaina Interpretive Plan Team, comprised of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, LahainaTown Action Committee and Friends of Mokuula with support from the County of Maui and Hawaii Tourism Authority, has created a new self-guided walking tour by installing interpretive plaques throughout Lahaina for each epoch in the towns history. You'll find a broad overview of this town from the ancient days of Maui's royal family to the Kingdom of Hawaii and arrival of the missionaries in the early 1800's to the robust whaling days of the mid-nineteenth century and multi-cultural immigrant landmarks of the early twentieth century.
Notably, the Baldwin Home and adjacent Masters Reading Room initiate the tour at the corner of Front and Dickenson Streets and are the headquarters of Lahaina Restoration Foundation. The two-story white house was home to medical missionary Dr. Dwight Baldwin and his new bride, and eventually their six children, from 1838 until 1871. Standing on Lahaina's town square, this home with its lush garden and shade trees provided refuge and hospitality to members of the Hawaiian royal court, American and British consuls, whaling ship captains, and a never-ending stream of travelers. Now a museum, it is considered the oldest home on Maui that is still standing.
This leisurely walking tour will take you from Front Street across to bustling Lahaina Harbor and the Pioneer Inn, down Wharf Street around famous Banyan Tree Park, to the corner of Front and Shaw Streets, continuing east to Wainee Street. At some of these spots you will also see anodized bronze plaques on signposts which will give casual strollers a good idea of what occurred at those significant places through Lahaina's history. Just keep looking for signs entitled, Ala Hele Moolelo O Lahaina - Lahaina Historic Trail and you'll be treated to a rewarding view of the real Lahaina over the centuries. Go west, and youll meet up with Front Street again at the Chinese Wo Hing Temple Museum.
Among the earliest immigrants to Hawaii, the Chinese settled here just ten years after Capt. Cook discovered the islands. Their history in Lahaina includes helping to build a complex irrigation system throughout the West Maui mountains. The Wo Hing Society, a fraternal organization, was formed in 1909 as a chapter of the Chee Kung Tong (which dates back to the 17th century) and from donations, the two-story temple was built in 1912. Although it boasts an altar-shrine room on the second floor, the temple mostly served as a social meeting hall for the plantation workers until the 1940s. As Maui's Chinese population declined, so did the society, and the temple deteriorated.
In 1983, Lahaina Restoration Foundation stepped forward to save the building and reached an agreement with the Wo Hing Society to restore the temple and re-open it as a museum. Many gorgeous antiques and fascinating artifacts from China are artfully displayed throughout. Greeting all who enter is the Lion of Taipei, a ceremonial dancing lion which serves as the traditional symbol of good luck. The other attraction to this museum is the Cookhouse (erected separately as a fire precaution), which today houses a small theater showing films of the islands made by Thomas Edison in 1898 and 1906, and displays artifacts of the Chinese community kitchen.
This leads us to the time of the First World War and the colorful history of Maui's plantation era. Created from the memories of Lahaina families who still reside here, the historic trail's tour of mini-plaques brings you back in time to the good old days of a sleepy small town that packed a big punch.
Another purpose of the walking tour is to capture a history of the town through the people who lived here during the plantation era and made it what it is today. You'll find a “real people” history in the form of brushed steel plaques mounted on Front Street buildings, containing a photo and story about the families who started businesses there.One site with a very colorful and long-remembered history is that of the Liberty Restaurant, which was owned by the Yamafuji family who lived in an apartment above it. Famed for its homemade fry soup served in a paper cone–thick, chewy noodles fried with bean sprouts and green onions, and doused with chili pepper water (a chow fun)–the Liberty was truly a family-run operation. Later, this restaurant became the world-renowned Blue Max, which was a hotspot in the 1970's for such entertainers as Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Boz Scaggs and Stevie Nicks. Now, it's the place to find local Hawaiian entertainers at BJ's Chicago Pizzeria.
Fish Markets were a staple of Lahaina businesses over the years. At times, there were numerous fish markets within only a block of each other. Local fisherman were the suppliers, and Lahaina families would buy the fish (like akule and opelu) to eat that night. Any leftover fish from the day's business would be coated with a mixture of sugar, sesame seeds and soy sauce, and dried for a snack. But changing times saw more lucrative job opportunities, and the small town fish markets gradually disappeared from Front Street. Many of these markets were situated across the street from Longhi's restaurant.
Locations
Maui, West Maui
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