Haʻilono:
To Tell the News

Kicking off December 7, Kona Historical Society’s annual Online Auction plays a significant role in providing critical funding and support for its daily functioning and education programs. It also helps aid in the protection and stewardship of the Society’s unique collections and two historic sites. It is the largest fundraiser of the year for Kona Historical Society, which hopes to raise $50,000. This year’s event theme is Hoʻokahi ka ʻilau like ana, “Wield the paddles together."

For this year's #GivingTuesday campaign, Kona Historical Society hopes to raise $2,000 in 24 hours to create a small research station for public use inside the Society’s Jean Greenwell Library & Archive.

Mikio "Miki" Kato, one of Kona's legendary cowboys, recently passed away. He was known for his exemplary stewardship to the lands of Puʻu Waʻawaʻa while living in the spirit of aloha ʻāina. He was a preservationist to the core, who paid attention to the rhythms of the land he lived and worked on. He respected the land. It was part of him and everything he did.

For the third installment “From the Collection: What Can a Photograph Tell Us?” Kona Historical Society will welcome back local historian Maile Melrose to discuss a unique photograph depicting “Donkey Baseball” found within the Jean Greenwell Library & Archive by Society staff this month. Maile will join Society staff to talk about the possible origin of the photo and additional stories related to the one in the photo.

Kona Historical Society is happy to have Darr Gilreath joining us in the archives as a student volunteer for the Fall semester.

Ask anyone who ever met Scott Seymour, and among the first things they will likely mention was his aloha. It bloomed in the way he treated his ‘ohana, friends, clients, community, and all of us at Kona Historical Society. His love and tenderness were showcased and felt in the way he expertly cared for every plant or flower he touched.

For the second installment of the From the Collection series, “Aloha ‘Āina: Relationships Between People & Place Through Time,” Kona Historical Society will welcome guest speaker and Resource Manager Natalie Kurashima, Ph.D. Weaving together oral histories, photos, and maps from the Society’s Jean Greenwell Library & Archive, as well as some of Dr. Kurashima's published biocultural research, we will reflect together on the ways in which ‘āina cares for people and people care for ‘āina.

Kona Historical Society welcomed the entire third grade class of Konawaena Elementary School on a virtual field trip Sept. 23. Public Programs Manager Audrey Blair took the class on a scavenger hunt and tour of our H.N. Greenwell Store Museum.

Sundog Bread has created a special bake sale, happening this Friday (Oct. 2) in Hōlualoa. Enjoy a variety of amazing baked goods, from artisanal sourdough loaves of bread and pizza dough to decadent desserts, pastries, and cookies. Sundog Bread Owners Wesley and Sarah Ervin have generously pledged to give 50 percent of the proceeds of this bake sale to Kona Historical Society to help with our preservation and education initiatives.

Virtual learning continues to open more doors of possibility and Kona Historical Society is finding new ways to embrace it! This week Public Programs Manager Audrey Blair hosted a second year architecture class from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for a collaborative midterm project, beginning with an hour-long tour of the Society's Kona Coffee Living History Farm. Over the next few weeks, students will design a theoretical simple structure inspired by the farm.

Kona Historical Society is looking to refresh the spirit, inspire culinary creativity in the kitchen, foster connections and raise funds through the release of a digital copy of its Portuguese Heritage Cookbook.

Kona Historical Society is excited to announce the launch of From the Collection, a new monthly virtual program series highlighting the Society’s archives, its historic sites, and people, places and things in our community. The last Wednesday of every month, discover unseen objects from the Society’s collections, learn how to care for family heirlooms, get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks of historic sites, and hear Kona stories.

The Kona Coffee Living History Farm been recognized as a 2020 Travelers’ Choice award winner for Farms and History Museums, ranking first out of 23 Things To Do on Hawaiʻi Island. Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, prior to any changes caused by the pandemic, award winners exemplify travelers’/diners’ ultimate favorite, top 10 percent of hospitality businesses around the globe.

In recognition of Labor Day, Kona Historical Society is sharing this undated photo from our collections inside the Jean Greenwell Library & Archive. Donated by Betty Johnston, the photo is of Kona Inn workers on strike.

For us, this photo is more than just an image of workers banded together to powerfully advocate for better working conditions and job security. It’s an image showing the power of collaboration and to confront change, as well as helps affirm the importance of workers’ rights and the labor movement.

Fashion isn’t always about newness. If you follow Kenneth “Aloha” Victor’s brand Kauluaʻe Hawaiʻi, you know the clothing is more than just a stunning spectacle. Each collection is close to the designer’s heart with many references to his childhood and upbringing in Kona, as well as to Hawaiʻi’s history. He has a tendency to see the past, including beyond the nostalgia, and how it can be used to drive us forward.

We know that times are tough, but there are still reasons to smile. Thanks to the immense support and aloha of 138 donors, two special T-shirt fundraisers generated more than $3,000 in 20 days for Kona Historical Society.

Queen Liliʻuokalani was born on September 2, 1838. The last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, Queen Liliʻuokalani was an extraordinary leader who possessed a powerful sense of justice, compassion, humanity and forgiveness.

With grateful hearts and much excitement, Kona Historical Society is proud to announce that our nonprofit has reached its original goal for its special T-shirt fundraiser.

For a limited time, cowboys and cowboys at heart can add a stylish new shirt celebrating history to their wardrobe while supporting Kona Historical Society.

Join Kona Historical Society for the final installment of Mondays with Maile, a virtual talk story sharing Konaʻs unique history beginning at 1 p.m. August 10 on the Societyʻs Facebook Page.

Kona Historical Society is temporarily closing its Portuguese Stone Oven Baking Program until further notice. The last bake of the summer will take place this Thursday, July 30, and the Society apologizes for any disappointment or inconveniences this break causes.

Recognize and celebrate Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, Hawaiian Independence Day, by attending July 31 the online world premiere of “Language of a Nation,” a historical docuseries produced by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

Danny Akaka Jr. wears palaka shirts probably more than any other aloha shirts. He counted 49 palaka shirts of various colors, three palaka shorts, and one palaka jacket shirt in his closet. His go-to is a Western-style, red palaka shirt with a white yoke.

The Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities have taken action to generously aid local nonprofits, including the Kona Historical Society, during the current pandemic. Kona Historical Society is overjoyed to receive a $15,000 grant award to support its operating costs.

The public is invited to join in Kona Historical Society’s next monthly Virtual Talk Story with Maile Melrose, a local author and historian, who will be discussing another pandemic that changed history.