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by Karee Carlucci
hen the first Polynesian settlers arrived on Maui’s shores well over a thousand years ago, Lahaina offered them abundant freshwater streams, verdant valleys with fertile volcanic soil, a bountiful pristine sea and warm, sunny days. Steeped in a history which documents its progress from one era to another, Lahaina has retained a flavor of each to this day. Once the Hawaiians were settled in Lahaina they established Moku‘ula, the sacred island within a fishpond, which was a royal residence for ali‘i of Maui since the 16th century. After the decisive battle of ‘Iao Valley in 1790, which resulted in unifying the Hawaiian Islands, Kamehameha I made a political move to unite himself with the women of Maui’s royal line. It is with this marriage of powerful royal lines that Lahaina became the first Capital of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. 1819 was a pivotal year for Lahaina and the Hawaiian Kingdom. Kamehameha the Great died and was succeeded by his son, Liholiho (Kamehameha II). The first whaling ships as well as the first French warship visited Lahaina, marking a sea change in the traditions of old Hawai‘i. By 1823, Christian missionaries arrived in Lahaina, and Keopuolani (Kamehameha I’s sacred first wife) became an early convert. Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) succeeded to the throne as a child and was left under the care of Regent Ka‘ahumanu (Kamehameha the Great’s second wife). The first half of the 19th century is filled with “firsts” for Hawai‘i: the peak of the whaling industry impacted Lahaina; a cornerstone was laid for the first church; Lahainaluna Mission School opened; and the first printing press was started there. Hawai‘i’s first Constitution was adopted at Lahaina and a legislative session was held in 1840. But by 1845, the Royal Court left Lahaina and moved the capital to Honolulu. In 1873, Sheriff Smith planted Lahaina’s Banyan Tree, now the largest in the US. And in 1877, the first telephone and telegraph lines in all of Hawai‘i were installed on Maui. The 20th century rooted the plantation era in Hawai‘i. In 1901, Pioneer Hotel opened and remained Lahaina’s only hotel until the early 1960s. By the 1950s, family-owned fish markets, stores and noodle shops were thriving, supplying plantation workers and visitors alike. As Hawai‘i became the 50th State, Hollywood became fascinated with Lahaina and several movies and TV shows were filmed in town. Celebrity musicians, film and TV stars are still f requently attracted to Lahaina today.
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