Helumoa

Helumoa. Waikiki Historic Trail. Surrounded by this open landscape, one can imagine the huge coconut grove known as Helumoa. Planted by Chief Kakuhihewa around the 15th century, the grove once had nearly 10,000 trees. Kahuamokomoki was an area nearby that served as a sporting field. Boxing, wrestling, foot races and other games were played there. Ulumaika, the round stones used for a bowling-type game, were discovered on this site during excavation and contruction of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Kamehameha the Great and his warriors camped near here when they began their conquest of O'ahu in 1795. Later, he would build a stone house for himself, as well as redidences for his wives and retainers in an area known as Pua'ali'ili'i. Kamehameha ended Waikiki's nearly 400 year reign as O'ahu's capital when he moved the royal headquarters to Honolulu (known then as Kou) in 1808., "Legend tells us of a Phantom Rooster living in Palolo Valley known as Ka'auhelemoa. People in Waikiki often heard him crowing, but could never catch sight of him. One day, the Phantom Rooster landed in front of Kakuhihewa, Chief of O'ahu, and began scratching at the ground. The bird disappeared as suddenly as he had come. Kakuhihewa had his men plant a coconut on the spot. A great tree known as Helumoa (literally, chicken scratch) grew and became the parent of all the others in the grove and for centuries was the tallest of them all.", Evntually, Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuaiwa, built his modest residence here among the palms. The property was inherited by his half-sister, Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani, who later willed it to Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Much of Helumoa is still owned by Kamehameha Schools, a Bernice Pauahi Bishop legacy and institution that educates thousands of Native Hawaiian children across the State., The nearby Royal Hawaiian Hotel, also known as the Pink Palace, was completed in 1927 at a cost of $5 million. With 400 lavishly decorated rooms and Spanish-Moorish style architecture, it was then touted as the "finest resort hostelry in American." This beautiful park is owned by the City and County of Honolulu. It was developed by Graham Murata Russell and Mutual of New York Life Insurance Company in 1989 and is privately maintained for the residents and visitors of Hawai'i. The tallest coconut palms in the park date back to the 1930s