Take a trip down memory lane of old Kailua, before the busy and bustling town became a tourist destination. Do you have something to share? Send us your memories!
Early Kailua
It is possible that Kailua was home to Hawaiian families at least 1,500 years ago. The earliest settlers are thought to have lived, fished, and played on the slopes surrounding Kawainui Wetlands. A report on archaeological excavations of the wetland concluded that when the slopes were first occupied about 500 AD, agriculture was not possible. Early Hawaiian occupants of Kailua apparently lived beside a lagoon or bay open to the sea, hundreds of yards shoreside of today’s shoreline.
In the 16th century, Kailua attracted the ali’i. During the reign of King Kakuhihewa and his successors, Kanekapu, Kahoowaha, Kaua kahia kahoowaha, and Kualii, Kailua replaced Waikiki as the residential seat of the Alii Aimoku of Oahu. Many legends were born, including the menehune, who were known for working at night in Kawai Nui Wetland, and mo’o, who took the shape of a large lizard that attracted fish.
Kailua was densely populated even before the arrival of Captain James Cook, and was the ancient capital of Oahu’s kings. The biggest event in Kailua and the entire Windward side was in 1795 when King Kamehameha I conquered O’ahu in his quest to unite the Hawaiian Islands. The king granted Kawai Nui Wetland and old Kailua, which included large freshwater fish ponds and saltwater ponds at Mokapu, to warriors and chiefs who had helped him. The land was used in various forms for agriculture (e.g., sugarcane, rice, and taro), and eventually was used primarily for cattle raising. Many ancient temple ruins, such as those at Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site, are in the area.
Kailua was a small town with a population of 3,000 in the 1940s. However, the events of World War II changed the appearance of Kailua. Kaneohe Ranch sold portions of land to the government for expansion of the Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay (now known as the Marine Corps Base Hawaii or MCBH) and the Army’s Fort Hase.
Finally, in 1942, Kaneohe Ranch closed down its cattle-raising operations entirely, freeing thousands of acres for post-war development. Harold K.L. Castle, the owner of Kaneohe Ranch, donated the land for churches, schools, and a new hospital.
20th Century
In 1946, a small Liberty House (which became a Macy’s) shop opened with three employees and upgraded to a full-line department store in 1953, with nearly 50 employees. The first bowling alley, a branch office of the telephone company, and the first supermarket in Hawaii opened in Kailua in 1947.
A new four-lane highway, tunneling through the Koʻolau Range, was completed in the late 1950s. By the end of the 1950s, Hawaii had become a state and Kailua became the official postal designation (previously known as Lanikai).
By 1960 the population was up to 24,400. Castle Hospital (now Castle Medical Center) opened in 1963. Craig’s Bakery was a well-recognized bakery that opened in the late 1950s and closed in late 2001.
