Lāhainā – Then and Now -1

What a shock, what a catastrophe, pure horror! As if a huge bomb had hit Lāhainā like in Hiroshima, the images are surreal. No words can describe the tragedy, this inferno that happened to Lāhainā on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Lāhainā, the historic town and pearl of Maui is gone. Wiped out by a massive fire sparked by Hurricane Dora. Hundreds of houses with belongings of the owners went up in flames; thousands of people became homeless in one fell swoop and are now fighting for bare survival, be it materially or with their feelings. All of the historical documents, objects, artifacts in the museums, history of Lāhainā and Hawaii Islands are gone. Lāhainā, one of the colorful paradises in the Hawaiian Islands, has become a black, dark hell.

Lāhainā „was“/is a popular place, not only for me, but also for about 2 million tourists from all over the world who it attracted annually. During my big trips to Hawaii I always stay in the old historic hotel Pioneer Inn, built in 1901 by the George Alan Freeland.

In this hotel you can still feel the former history. Now ? – Nothing more !! It’s burned. Through these many visits I have made many wonderful friends who gave me a warm welcome and always gave me an enchanting, memorable time. Also this year I was in Lāhainā and wandered the streets, visited my friends and enjoyed with humorous conversations with the bartenders at the Lāhainā Fish Co. with a cool, fruity drink in hand. There I was able to marvel at the sunsets and watch the whales jumping high out of the water. For breakfast, I was always happy to go over to my friend Ronald and family in the Sunrise Cafe, which was nailed together with boards and all sorts of things, took some getting used to, to look for my fresh Pineapple Boat with the smiling geckos that searched the tree integrated in the restaurant for something to eat seeking to consume. The look of the cafe may put many people off, but the food is just sublime and fresh!!

A little bit about the history of Lāhainā: The Hawaiian name Lā hainā means „cruel sun“ and describes the sunny, dry climate. As we can now see, the city lives up to its name! There are currently 13,26 residents living in Lāhainā, consisting of 24.7% White, 38.5% Asian, 10.4% Pacific Islander, 0.5% Hawaiian Indigenous and 25.9% some others

Lāhainā was the residence of Chief Mauiola when the 8 islands were not yet united as the Hawaiian Islands and was ruled by different tribes with chiefs. He was the fifth chief of Maui until 1795 when King Kamehameha I conquered Maui through war. Lāhainā was a small fishing village at the foot of the West Maui Mountains.

In 1820 King Kamehameha II made the fishing village to the capital before 1845 Kamehameha III moved to O’ahu and named Honolulu as the new capital. As the first capital of the Hawaiian Islands, the small village became the most economical, most important whaling port in the entire Pacific. It received a world-renowned reputation and boom. Through this but grow also the prostitution and excessive alcohol consumption of the seafarers. The city had to build prisons especially for the uncouth sailors. Along the coast, wooden houses of bars and shops were built one after the other, forming the world-famous Front Street. Through the missionary work in 1823, Betsey Stockton founded the first public school in 1824, where the first books and newspapers were also printed. On April 24, 1873, on the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Christian missionaries, William Owen Smith planted a banyan tree behind the courthouse. This 150 years old giant tree is the tallest banyan tree in the US and has provided cool, soothing shade to millions of visitors, as well as the free-roaming hens and roosters. It was badly affected by this current huge fire and it is hoped that this tree will survive this fire. Lāhainā has 65 registered points of interest, slightly more for me. To provide background knowledge of Lāhainā, I am preparing the “Historical Path of Lāhainā Restoration” with photos and information. This pearl of a city was not only a whaling town back then, it also has something to do with the whales today, this time thankfully only for whale watching! Expanding over time has been the addition of several excellent galleries as well as music venues, notably Fleedwood Mac’s, and a fantastic theatre.