Queen Liliʻuokalani Gives Waikahalulu Lands on her Seventy-Third Birthday for a Public Park.
Cover Image: Masthead of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, printed on September 8, 1911.
Happy Nūhou Monday!
Dear Reader,
Have you visited Waikahalulu Falls and the park surrounding it? Did you wonder why it is called Liliʻuokalani Park? On her seventy-third birthday, the Queen gave her lands at Waikahalulu to create a park for the people.
Image: “Hoomanaoia ka La Hanau o Liliu,” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, September 8, 1911, p. 1
LILIʻU’S BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATED
She Gifts Some of Her Lands at Waikahalulu as a Park for the People.
Liliʻuokalani is a queen, who once lead the nation upon these islands sometime in the past, has upon her the congratulations of Americans and the true aloha of those who opposed her rule; and on this past Saturday, Sept. 2, she celebrated the magnificence of her birthday, the seventy-third year of her life. She is perhaps one of the longest living monarch, and her act of aloha announced to her people on that day, that is her gifting some of her lands at Waikahalulu for a public park. It is a gift for the people who know and have seen the beauty of Waikahalulu Falls and the area surrounding it.
Everyone who came before the queen on that day rejoiced with her, for on that day, in the eyes of the people who saw her in person, the queen’s health happily remained strong. All were graciously received at her home at Washington [Place]; it was filled with makaʻāinana who went to give their congratulations and their aloha to their greatly beloved queen. She was honored more this year than any other past year.
In the morning hours, just as was customary in times of old, true Hawaiians visited with their gifts showing their genuine aloha for the queen. And at eight o’clock, while she was dining on her breakfast, she was serenaded by the Hawaiian Band lead by Captain Berger with some of the queen’s favorite songs arranged by Mr. Berger.
From eleven o’clock until one o’clock i the afternoon, the doors of Washington Place were opened wide for the people to come and see and to honor the birthday of Queen Liliʻuokalani. The grand act of great kindness carried out by the queen was her gifting that parcel of land of hers at Waikahalulu for a park for the people.
Image: Studio Portrait of Queen Liliʻuokalani published in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser on September 2, 1911. Her signature appears at the bottom of the portrait. Bishop Museum Archives, SP 35191
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Image: Waikahalulu Falls, Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Photo by Alonzo Gartley. Bishop Museum Archives, SA 3129
Image sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives@BishopMuseum.org.
Image: “Hoomanaoia ka La Hanau o Liliu,” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, September 8, 1911, p. 5
Other landowners who were roused by this gift of the queen promised their parcels of land lying on this side and that of the Waikahalulu Stream as gifts for a park for the people. And it will not be long before the Liliʻuokalani Park will open to the public. This was something planned ahead of time by the improvement league as well as some other people. And currently the project is gaining strong momentum because of this support by the gift of the queen and some other adjacent landowners.
The Kaʻahumanu Society as well came to see the aliʻi. And they presented before her a speech that was skillfully composed which pertained to the birthday of the queen. This is the society that is presided over by Mrs. M. A. Robinson and Mrs. Lahilahi [Webb] is the secretary.
Image: Waikahalulu Falls on Nuʻuanu Stream, Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, ca. 1940. Bishop Museum Archives, SP 1126953
Image sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives@BishopMuseum.org.
This post is part of He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers, a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu with assistance from Kamehameha Schools. Mahalo nui loa to Hawaii Tourism Authority for their support. Learn more about this project here.
