Heʻeia State Park Through Time

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Heʻeia State Park has gone through significant changes over the course of its storied history. A reverse chronological timeline of the park's history from 1832 to the present is below.

Our Timeline

2010

Kama‘āina Kids, a non-profit educational organization, is granted a 25 year lease to manage the Heʻeia State Park.

1982- 2010

Friends of Heʻeia, a non-profit educational organization, is granted a 25 year lease, and an additional 3 year extension, to manage the Heʻeia State Park.

1980

Friends of He‘eia, acquires the two main buildings at Ke'alohi Point.

1976

The state of Hawai‘i acquires the 14 acre land at Ke'alohi Point to be used as a state park after an outcry from the community to stop development.

1963

Ulumau Village, a Hawaiian cultural center, moves from Ala Moana Park to Ke'alohi Point in Heʻeia.

1960

Bishop Trustee signs an agreement in principle to developer Thomas F. McCormack. Plans were underway to develop a marina type development on the makai side of Heʻeia, current location of the Heʻeia State Park.

1949

A plan was presented to the City and County of Honolulu to change the zoning area of Heʻeia from agriculture to urban for marina and residential use. In 1960, Bishop Estate signed an agreement with Thomas McCormack to develop lands in Heʻeia.

1941

The military radio intercept station in Heʻeia, Station H, intercepts Japanese fleet Admiral Yamamoto's message prior to the World War II Pearl Harbor attack.

1942

United States Military establishes the He‘eia Combat Training Area.

1939 and 1945

Dredging of the Bay was done to accommodate small boat landings, piers, and wharfs. The dredged material was used for landfill at the Kane‘ohe Naval Air Station (now Kāne‘ohe Marine Corps Air Station). Between 1946 and 1948, nine fishponds on the south side of Kāne‘ohe Bay (total area of almost 80 acres) were filled with dredged materials for urban development (Kelly, 1993).

1917

Heʻeia Sugar Company leases an additional 600 acres to Libby, McNeill & Libby.

1912

Heʻeia Sugar Company and Kāne’ohe Ranch Company agree to lease 1,000 acres of land for pineapple growing to Libby, McNeill & Libby.

1905

Cattle Ranch in Heʻeia run by George W. Rowan.

1903

Heʻeia Sugar Company closes. Sugar, taro, rice main cropsgrown.

1878-1903

Heʻeia Sugar Company (also called Heʻeia Agricultural Co. Ltd.)
Ancient heiau (ancient place of worship), Kalae‘ula’ula, at Keʻalohi point was destroyed. Sugar mill constructed in its place.

1883

A railroad was installed for the sugar company.

1878

Sugar mill completed on the estate of Mr. J. McKeague at Heʻeia.

1848

Under the Mahele of 1848, the Ahupua‘a* of Heʻeia, which includes an eighty-eight (88) acre walled fishpond, went to Abner Paki, the father of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Taro cultivation was predominant crop.

1832

Abner Paki was acting in the capacity of konohiki** of the Ahupua‘a of Heʻeia, and perhaps before that.

* Ahupuaʻa - Land division usually extending from the uplands to the sea.
** Konohiki - headman of an ahupua'a land division under the chief.