Paauhau Camp: Land of Sunshine

06/02/2026

Many Portuguese families had their own outdoor ovens, known as a forno. Most of the ovens were made of stone and cement in the shape of an igloo and stood around five feet high with a conical top.

An average oven could bake 12 loaves at a time. A favorite thing to bake was pao doce - sweet bread. The oven was heated by a wood fire and dough was placed on banana leaves to keep the bottoms of the loaves from burning.

This photo shows Emily Cordeiro de Paiva with fresh made pao doce.

Photo by: The Paiva Family Collection

05/27/2026

With Honokaʻa Heritage Center – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

05/27/2026

Long time Pa’auilo Store Closing

We’re taking a moment to revisit a post we shared a few years ago about Paʻauilo Store. It feels especially meaningful to share it again now, as they prepare to close their doors at the end of this month.

For generations, this iconic store has been more than just a place to grab a quick meal or household goods. It’s been a gathering spot, a piece of the community’s heart, and a source of countless memories.

Mahalo to the Saito family for the great food, the friendly service, and the lasting impact you’ve had on so many. Your store will be deeply missed. 💛

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Originally posted on 10/04/2023:

In 1949, Pedro Eugenio and Torao Saito took over a small plantation grocery store in Paʻauilo, little did anyone know that decades later, it would endure through changing times and become an iconic store in their tight knight community.

As the business grew over the years, their focus shifted from household necessities to prepared food. They expanded their business to having a lunch wagon where many new hotels were being built in Waikoloa. In 2008, when the original building that housed their store was torn down, Paʻauilo Store relocated a few steps away. The food they sell is now prepared at Earl's Waimea, another successful family venture of theirs where their kitchen is located.

What is your favorite snack or bento from Paʻauilo Store?

05/25/2026

And here is the official flyer for our upcoming Portuguese Heritage Night!

05/23/2026

Those trucks bring back a lot of memories! Back in the day when my dad was working the night shift driving cane trucks, he would honk his horn three times so we would know it was him 🥹🫶🏽
Because we lived at the top of a gulch, the sound would amplify…

The Paʻauilo and Pāʻauhau plantation garages were known for being among the largest fleet garages of their kind in Hawaiʻi during the sugar plantation era.

These facilities played an important role in maintaining over 800 pieces of specialized mobile equipment, much of which was custom designed and modified for the unique demands of the sugar industry and the plantation's rugged terrain.

Photo by: Hal Hisa Yamato Collection

05/19/2026

Did you know the earliest roots of Honokaʻa’s Western Week trace back to 1954, when the Hawaiʻi Saddle Club was formed?

In 1955, the club organized its very first rodeo and parade. Over the years, the event grew into a beloved tradition and a popular mainstay in our town.

By 1966, the Honokaʻa Business Association joined forces with the Hawaiʻi Saddle Club, helping expand the celebration into a full week of activities alongside the annual festival.

In 1967, the name “Western Week” first appeared in newspaper publications. By 1969, the Western Week branding was in full swing and had evolved into the celebration we know and love today.

What began as a small community rodeo has become an enduring part of Honokaʻa’s history and culture.

05/19/2026

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, all schools in Hawaiʻi were closed by military order. When schools re-opened, changes had been made to the day-to-day activities at the school.

Due to the manpower shortage on the plantations during the war, a Victory Corps was started whereby students would work in the cane fields on Fridays and some Saturdays. The school work week was reduced from five to four days a week to designate Fridays as "Victory Corps Days."

Some of the duties assigned was the assisting with the cutting, fertilizing, and cultivating of the sugar cane.

05/09/2026

Just wanted to stop by and say how much I appreciate all of the stories about Honokaa and the surrounding areas!
They are amazing and do amazing work.
Support them if you can!
Sometimes the greatest support is by word-of-mouth and sharing through social media
🤙🏽😁🫶🏽

Francis R. H. “Frank” Fraser was born in Inverness, Scotland, in 1888. As a young man, he worked as an accountant before making the long journey to Hawaiʻi at just 21 years old, arriving in Honolulu in 1909.

Not long after, Frank settled in Honokaʻa, where he became head cashier for the First Bank of Hilo. When the Bank of Hawaiʻi took over in 1926, he was promoted to manager, a role he would hold for the rest of his life. But Frank Fraser’s legacy goes far beyond banking.

During World War II, many Japanese families in Honokaʻa, despite owning successful businesses along Māmane Street lived in fear. As non-U.S. citizens, they risked losing everything under wartime laws that allowed the government to seize property from those suspected of aiding the enemy.

Frank stepped in quietly but courageously. To protect his neighbors, he personally purchased their properties, often for just $1, holding them in trust until they could legally reclaim ownership through a U.S. citizen family member. Records later showed that he never kept or foreclosed on a single one.

Frank Fraser passed away on December 21, 1946, at the age of 58. He is laid to rest with his wife, Jean, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl on Oʻahu.

Interesting Fact: the Hotel Honokaʻa Club was one of the properties he safeguarded. He bought it for $1 and later returned to the Morita family for the same amount.

05/05/2026

Aloha Nūhou Monday! Dear Reader, 85 years ago, Lei Day sounds like it was very festive for the people of Honokaʻa, as described by Hoku o Hawaii correspondent Hattie Linohaupuaokekoolau Saffery Reinhardt.

[Excerpts from this week's blog* post.]

"The teachers were bedecked with lei about their necks, and so too was the entire crowd. There was maile lei, ʻākulikuli as well, gardenia lei, pohā lei, rose, lehua, cigar flower, and so many others that it couldn’t be enumerated."

"At 9:30 in the morning, the resounding call of the conch traveled about, signaling to the people to come inside. The hall was filled to the limit and and people ended up standing. This was because they really wanted to see what was being shown."

"The queen was wearing a white holokū and her attendant with a dark holokū with large white flowers. The queen’s lei was a long gardenia lei, and upon her head were gardenias as well. The writer for the Hoku was wearing a holokū and a lei of red roses entwined with maile. These rose blossoms were from the garden of Mother Saffery, and the rose blossoms were twisted with palapalai."

*Visit our blog to read the rest of the story, plus view additional images of the original Hawaiian language newspapers: blog.bishopmuseum.org/nupepa. He Aupuni Palapala, a project to digitize Hawaiian language newspapers, is a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu. Mahalo nui loa to Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority for their support of our project.

Image: Honokaa High and Elementary School, Hawaiʻi. Photo by Paul O. Christensen, ca. 1953. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 1179999.

Image-sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives [at] BishopMuseum [dot] org.

05/05/2026

Mr. Gordon Kainoa
The best teacher I had in high school…
He prepared us all for college well in advance… I will always be grateful
—-
It’s a great day to remember those who dedicated their lives to preparing us for our future.

Today is National Teacher’s Day, and what better way to honor our educators than by remembering one of the very best that Honokaʻa High School has ever had.

Gordon Kainoa was born in Kohala in 1947. He was a proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools, later earning his degree from Utah State University and his master’s from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He dedicated many years to Honokaʻa High School, first as an English teacher and later serving as vice principal and principal.

Mr. Kainoa taught 10th and 12th grade English and was known for being strict, but always with his students’ best interests at heart. He pushed his students to reach their fullest potential, and those who sat in his classroom know that if you had him, you learned. Not just academics, but life lessons that stayed with you long after graduation. He was approachable, caring, and deeply committed to every student he taught.

After retiring, he moved to Idaho, where he lived until his passing in 2025. His legacy lives on through the countless students whose lives he impacted.

If you had Mr. Kainoa as a teacher, please share your memories in the comments below. Let’s celebrate the difference he made in all our lives.