These companies and organizations are celebrating 2024 anniversaries:
150th anniversary (1874)
During the kingdom of Hawaii from 1865 to 1874, the following were founded: Alexander & Baldwin, Volcano House, Lunalilo Home, McKinley High School, YMCA of Honolulu and the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel downtown. St. Damien moved to Kalaupapa, Molokai, to help those with leprosy in 1873.
Ali‘iolani Hale
Originally intended to be a royal palace, Ali‘iolani Hale on King Street celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2024. (The Iolani Palace we know today wasn’t erected until 1882.)
Before that, our royals lived in what looked like a nice Western home. It was very close to the current Iolani Palace, but “palatial” would not be a good descriptor of it.
But King Kamehameha V decided the growing kingdom had greater need of government offices. He laid the cornerstone, but died before the building was completed in April 1874. The Hawaii Supreme Court and Judiciary are there today.
King David Kalakaua dedicated the new building. He named it Ali‘iolani Hale, meaning “House of Heavenly Kings,” in honor of Kamehameha V. Ali‘iolani is one of his middle names.
The clock tower — at four stories high — was one of the tallest structures in Honolulu at the time. The clock itself, with its four 6-foot dials in each face of the central tower, was installed by Honolulu’s clock expert S.K. Rawson. It was manufactured by E. Howard & Co. of Boston for $400.
The statue of King Kamehameha I was not part of the original construction. It was erected on Feb. 14, 1883. The original statue was cast in Paris but was lost at sea near the Falkland Islands. A duplicate was made and erected in front of Ali‘iolani Hale.
The original statue was recovered, sent to Honolulu, repaired and dedicated in Kohala on Hawaii island in May 1883.
120th anniversary (1904)
Makiki Christian Church traces its roots to 1904, as does the Waikiki Aquarium. The Hawaiian Pineapple Co. and the Moana Hotel were 3 years old. There were few cars. Residents walked, rode horses and took the train or streetcars to get anywhere.
Hawaii Gas
Kamaaina businessman William W. Dimond founded Honolulu Gas Co. in 1904. Its production plant in Iwilei was one of the first of its kind in the world.
The plant’s initial transmission of gas went through pipelines servicing downtown Honolulu and homes in Nuuanu, followed by neighborhoods in Manoa, Kalihi Valley, Kaimuki and Waikiki, which had just two hotels at the time.
Now known as Hawaii Gas, the company provides safe, reliable energy to 70,000 residential and commercial customers across all major Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaii Gas government affairs director Audrey Okaneku recalled that the Honolulu Triathlon served as a qualifying race to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. It was the first time an Olympic-sanctioned event was held in Hawaii.
“To kick off the event, the Olympic torch came through Waikiki on a canoe. The torch was passed by local Olympians until it reached a cauldron that The Gas Company created and installed using one of the tiki torch gas lines by the Duke Kahanamoku statue. The cauldron was then lit by surfer Brittany Hamilton.”
Anniversary (1924)
Sugar and pineapple dominated Hawaii’s economy. The Ala Wai Canal was under construction. It took six days by steamer to get to the territory of Hawaii from the West Coast; Musashiya store began newspaper advertising using pidgin.
Waiakea Pirates Athletic Club
One of the oldest sports organizations in the state, the Waiakea Pirates celebrated its 100th anniversary in April. Waiakea is a part of Hilo that was devastated by the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis.
The club was founded in 1924 by Nobuo Maruyama and Tsurumatsu Nakamura.
Connor Whitt, writing in West Hawaii Today, said, “Though the Pirates’ current focus is their AJA baseball team, their club once fielded a variety of sports teams for both the young and old, including football, basketball and bowling.”
Their biggest game was played in 1933, when the Pirates played against Babe Ruth and a Big Island all-star team.
50th anniversary (1974)
In 1974, Richard Nixon was president and George Ariyoshi was governor. Motorists faced gasoline shortages. No-fault car insurance was introduced. Roy Sakuma opened his ukulele studio. Hal “Aku” Lewis ruled the morning radio waves. Jack Cione’s “Naked Waiters” show at the Dunes was making headlines worldwide. And Comet Kahoutek was visible in our night skies.
Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand
Jack Law and Eaton “Bob” Magoon Jr. opened Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand in 1974. It celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
Hula’s original location was on Magoon Estate land at 2103 Kuhio Ave., across from the former Kuhio Theater on Kalaimoku Street. Ritz-Carlton Residences occupies it today.
Bob Magoon was a great- grandson of businessman Chun Afong, and he wrote a Broadway play about him, called “13 Daughters.” He also wrote the songs “Numbah One Day of Christmas” and the original “Mr. Sun Cho Lee.”
In 1980, Law and Magoon opened The Wave Waikiki at 1877 Kalakaua Ave. “We were able to get a loan for 2% over prime,” Law said. “The trouble was, at the time, the prime rate was 18%.” The Wave closed in 2006.
Hula’s moved to the second floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel in 1996 and is thriving today.
The Historic Hawai‘i Foundation
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year is the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation. Its mission is to encourage the preservation of historic buildings, objects and sites relating to the history of Hawaii and to promote an awareness of and respect for all that is historically significant and architecturally distinctive about our state.
Royal Kitchen
Dozens of visitors line up daily to take several varieties of Royal Kitchen’s baked manapua to neighbor islands and the mainland.
Liana Benn told me the company, founded by her family, is also celebrating 50 years in 2024. Now at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, by my estimates Royal Kitchen has sold over 20 million delicious baked bao.
30th anniversary (1994)
In 1994 we recorded TV shows on VCRs and watched on 19-inch Trinitron TVs that we bought at GEM, Chock’s or Shirokiya. The average Hawaii home cost $274,000. Akebono topped the sumo world. Ben Cayetano was governor.
AlohaCare
For three decades the nonprofit AlohaCare has promoted community access to quality health care in collaboration with community partners. Its health plan serves 71,500 members statewide, ranging from newborns to kupuna.
20th anniversary (2004)
The U.S. and Hawaii economy were slowly recovering from the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attack, the Iraq War and SARS. Flip cellphones were popular. Popular TV shows included “Friends,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “ER.” The Spirit rover began exploring Mars.
Waikiki Spam Jam
We consume over 6 million cans of Spam in Hawaii each year, so it’s no surprise that we celebrate that pink goodness in ways large and small.
Outrigger Enterprises Vice President Barbara Campbell, who has run the Spam Jam festival in Waikiki every year, said the idea came from Elizabeth “Bitsy” Kelley, daughter of Dr. Richard Kelley. Campbell and others were cooking Spam breakfasts for Outrigger employees, and Bitsy Kelley suggested some celebration of Spam should be created.
For the event, Kalakaua Avenue is closed to traffic, and dozens of restaurants set up tents and elevate Spam to gastronomic heaven with such dishes as Ahi Spam Katsu, Spam Tempura, Spam Fried Noodles, Korean Spam tacos, Spam Fried Rice and Guava Mango Spam Sliders.
Happy anniversary to all these Hawaii endeavors. Our islands are better because you are here.
Bob Sigall is the author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books. Contact him at Sigall@Yahoo.com or sign up for his free email newsletter at RearviewMirrorInsider.com.
