The view from the road : an alternate route through Hawaii's history
Date
2011
Authors
Duensing, Dawn Elizabeth
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This thesis examines the evolution of Hawaii's road system from the 1830s until 1941. It argues that Hawaii's modernization and development was primarily driven by the haole (Caucasian) elite. It explores the politics and processes that facilitated road development, while considering the local and national interests that influenced highway construction in the islands. It explains how determined civic leaders accessed the financial resources, engineering expertise, and technology necessary to build roads. The thesis concludes that Hawaii, despite its isolation, was not backward, but instead built highways and bridges that rivaled those on the United States mainland. This "View from the Road" begins by examining overland transportation in nineteenth-century Hawaii, demonstrating how settlers drove road development to modernize the small island nation for their own benefit. They wanted roads to open land and establish industry, namely agriculture and tourism. Chapter two analyzes how the issues of taxation, revenue, and roads helped to more firmly integrate the Territory of Hawaii into the United States after 1900. The remainder of the thesis presents case studies that focus on different eras that show, in a broadly chronological order, the progression of road administration, issues, and achievements. The first analysis contemplates the Pali Road, originally built as a footpath by Hawaiians. This chapter highlights native involvement with overland transportation, but also demonstrates how settlers realized the track was crucial to O'ahu's development and thus initiated a century of improvements. The second case study examines the H{u00E3}na Belt Road as a locally developed scenic highway. This byway's history highlights the evolving reasons for its construction, which began with the desire to expand agriculture and settlement in East Maui, but ended with the concept that scenic roads should be built to promote tourism. The H{u00E3}na Belt Road was a substantial civic achievement constructed through an isolated, sparsely populated wilderness using the limited resources of Maui's local government. The remaining case studies focus on national park roads at Volcano and Haleakala. These byways were initially constructed by local governments and private entrepreneurs to promote tourism. After these areas were incorporated into Hawaii National Park, local residents remained involved, but national park officials assumed the lead role in developing the road system. National park thoroughfares were designed not only to provide access to attractions, but to protect and showcase the volcanic environment and features. Configured to lie lightly on the land, these roads reflected the National Park Service's early twentieth-century naturalistic landscape ideals. This thesis illuminates some of the lesser-known aspects of Hawaii's history, while providing insight into broader historical issues. Local and national efforts to build a road system in the islands between 1830 and 1941 opened the door to tourism and established the foundation for Hawai'i's future as an integral part of the United States.
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