The Journey from Norway to Hawaii

The Journey from Norway to Hawaii. . , On February 18, 1881, the Norwegian barque Beta captained by C. Rist-Christensen, dropped anchor in the sheltered cove of McGregor Point. Days later, after being tagged with numbers and divided by lot, 228 adults and their children were assigned to Maui and taken by whaleboat to Maalaea Bay. This was the first landing in Hawaii of the Scandinavian Immigrants recruited by the sugar planters and the Kingdom of Hawaii to labor for island plantations. So began the only mass migration of Scandinavians to the Sandwich Islands. , , Two ships left Drammen, Norway in the autumn of 1880: The Beta followed by the German barque Musca, which arrived in Honolulu on May 13, 1881. Both endured difficult and brutal voyages lasting nearly six months bringing over 600 men, women and children to these island shores. Passage of the 1875 Reciprocity Treaty between the Hawaiian Kingdom and the United States caused rapid growth for HawaiI's sugar industry and workers were in high demand. Plantation owners valued the health, strength and skills of these Norse immigrants. , , Economic depression, poverty and hard times in their home countries was of great concern but life in this new land was not always the paradise these immigrants had dreamed of. Many adapted easily but contract disputes, food and housing grievances, hard labor and harsh overbearing treatment awaited some. Having been dispersed throughout the islands, Hawaii's history with these Norwegian, Swedish and Danish people is a mixture of success and controversy. , , The Scandinavians who came to work on the sugar plantations in the 1880s joined many other races and cultures that came here seeking the opportunity for a better life. When their labor contracts ended, most left the islands. The courageous individuals who stayed grew to prosper in their new land and became a part of Hawaii's multi-racial, multi-cultural tapestry. , , , 100 Years Later: , In 1981 members of the Hawaii Scandinavian Centennial Commission gathered around the 'Bautastein', or commemorative stone monument, that they placed at McGregor Point to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Scandinavians brought to work in Hawaii's sugar cane fields. , , The Bautastein was restored and rededicated in February 2006. , Norwegian Ambassador Knut Volleback and his wife came to Maui in April 2006 to see the Bautastein as part of the observance of the 125th Anniversary of the Scandinavian Immigration to Hawaii. , , The Bautastein no longer exists, but we continue to honor its legacy.