Columnist Bob Sigall writes the weekly column “Rearview Mirror,” which takes a look back at historic Hawaii through stories, interviews and photos.
Every now and then I find myself with several vignettes that didn’t fit into an earlier column but are too interesting to ignore. So I put three or four together, even if they are unrelated. I call this type of column “leftovers.” Read more
It’s always interesting to me when a simple question leads to unexpected places. Such was the case in September when a question about Eames Street in Wahiawa turned up the fact that Alfred W. Eames Sr., who gave the street its name, narrowly missed being on the Titanic in 1912. Read more
Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 after a reign of 70 years. I’ll write about her three visits to Hawaii another time. Today I thought I’d write about her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who visited Honolulu twice, in 1958 and 1966. Read more
The University of Michigan football team took revenge on Hawaii on Saturday, beating the Rainbow Warriors 56-10 in a “close” game. Read more
Four years ago I wrote about Dammit the Dalmatian, a dog who “attended” classes at University of Hawaii at Manoa. Max Urata told me the staff of the student newspaper, Ka Leo, gave Dammit his own column in 1954, and he even ran for student body president. He lost by a whisker, Urata said. Read more
In this column, I thought I’d look back 61 years, to the first Hawaii team to capture a winners bracket game at the 15th Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. It took place in August 1961. The team was the Hilo Americans. Read more
I love it when readers share a personal experience that was meaningful to them and that is also entertaining to the rest of us. This week’s column features tales of spirits — from carrying pork over the Pali, to the spirit of aloha transplanted to the Midwest, to a spirited tribute to a retiring Punahou president that surprised and amused his local audience. Enjoy. Read more
Every year, I write about the anniversaries of important Hawaii organizations. Last week I explored the 100th anniversary of radio and the 70th anniversary of television in Hawaii. Here are some other significant milestones: a church, hospital, country store and bike path. Read more
One hundred years ago in Hawaii, there was a race between two competitors to be the first to broadcast a live show on a newfangled device called radio. Read more
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
In the past few weeks, I’ve been driving by Pohakupu Mini Park across the street from Castle Hospital in Kailua, and wondered what its story was. Read more
Hawaii streets and avenues often have interesting stories about how they were named or designed. In this column I’ll respond to questions from readers about several particular streets. Read more
Imentioned recently that a few Fisherman’s Wharf waitresses were World War II Italian war brides. I heard from David Yamada, the now-retired Honolulu Advertiser director of photography. His mother, Maria, was one of the Italian war brides, he told me. She worked there for 54 years! Read more
Sometimes I have interesting stories that don’t take up an entire column. In this week’s edition I’ll look at why Holmes Hall at UH was given that name. Then we’ll skip over to Heeia to look at what those concrete remnants are in the ocean near King Intermediate. Read more
Fifty years ago many islanders shared a common summer experience: working at one of the several pineapple canneries in Hawaii. Many teenagers earned their college tuition in this manner. I asked readers what working at a cannery was like. Read more
Rolf Nordahl of the MacMouse Club and I were talking recently about Lemon Road in Waikiki, where he lives and works. It’s not named for the fruit, he told me, but for a family that lived there. Read more
I wrote about Spencecliff restaurants several weeks ago and heard from several who worked at one of its 50 establishments. Read more
Last week I wrote about several streets in Hawaii and how they got their names. Since then I have been deluged with stories and questions. Here are some of them. Read more
Jed Gaines, founder of Read Aloud America, recently suggested I write about streets and how they got their names. Who was Keeaumoku Street named for, he wanted to know. Read more
When I was old enough to have a few bucks in my pocket to go out to eat, I often found myself at a Spencecliff restaurant. The food was good. Read more
I was looking through an old Hilo High School Vikings yearbook a while ago and noticed it had three pages devoted to student nicknames. Every senior, it seemed, had one. Read more
Every now and then I open my mailbag and respond to reader questions. Here are some I’ve gotten recently. Read more
