Amity Tran
HON 101
Schultz
17 November 2016
Blog Post #11: The History of Kaimuki
Although I currently do not live there, Kaimuki will always be my home. I moved into Kaimuki when I was about 11 years old and have lived there ever since. It is a very family-friendly neighborhood filled with little shops and restaurants all within a few blocks of each other, making it a very walkable neighborhood. Before reading Remember to Wave, I have never really put much thought into knowing the history of my community, but knowing the history of Kaimuki that I know now makes it an even more amazing place to live.
Today, Kaimuki is a residential area rich with history, but before it was anything else, Kaimuki was a very hot and dry environment not suited for living due to the lack of water in the area. In the 1800s, it was owned by King Kalakaua, the last reigning King of Hawai’i. He used this area as a farm for his ostriches, so in the 1800s, it was a normal sight to see these exotic birds roaming free in Kaimuki. After that, the state transformed Kaimuki into a farm to grow carnations that would be used as funeral flowers. Kaimuki Hill, also known as Christmas Tree Park because of the electric Christmas perched on top was used by King Kamehameha as a lookout spot. He would lookout for enemies coming in from Waikiki. Kaimuki’s main street, Waialae Avenue, has existed for as long as the community has and has been the home of many restaurants and businesses that have turned Kaimuki into such an exciting community.
Learning about the history of my community has made me appreciate my surroundings even more because Kaimuki went from a dry, barren land to a bustling residential and business area. It is also home to many historical landmarks and long-time shops that I have yet to explore.
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