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In Hawaiʻi, names are very important, that includes the names of our roadways.
Do you know the meaning of the street that you live on?
Our weekly “Aloha Authentic” segment highlights various streets across the islands so we can dig into those names, and in turn, learn something new about Hawaiʻi.
This week, we learn the history of Hawaiʻi’s seat of government.
In the ahupuaʻa of Kamananui, which lies in the moku of Waialua here on Oʻahu, stands a street with a name that could mean “to rule or reign.”
We are talking about Kū Pl.
Before the Hawaiian Kingdom was established in 1810 by King Kamehameha I, Hawaiʻi had no set capitol.
As Kamehameha travelled throughout the islands on his conquest of unification, his seat of power was wherever he was.
For example, Kamehameha once had his residence in Waikīkī making Waikīkī the capitol of his kingdom at the time.
The last capitol of the Hawaiian Kingdom under King Kamehameha I was Kona, Hawaiʻi where he passed away in 1819.
A year later, his son Liholiho who became King Kamehameha II, decided to move his court to Honolulu on Oʻahu.
But in 1823, the king’s mother and the highest ranking alii of the time, Keōpūolani, moved to Lāhainā to help start a Christian mission.
After her move, the Kingdom eventually followed suite and moved the its capitol to Lāhainā as well.
It was while Lāhainā was the seat of power when Hawaiʻi’s first constitution, that of 1840, was established.
In 1845, King Kamehameha III, brother to his predecessor, moved the kingdom’s capitol back to Honolulu.
From what became known as the first ʻIolani Palace to the ʻIolani Palace that we are familiar with today to the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, Honolulu has remained Hawaiʻi’s center of power of power ever since.
Did you know? Now you do!