Paauhau, Hawaii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pāʻauhau, Hawaii
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 Paauhau, Hawaii
Location in Hawaii
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| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| County | Hawaiʻi |
| Elevation | 420 ft (130 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-10 (Hawaii-Aleutian) |
| Area code(s) | 808 |
| GNIS feature ID | 362920 |
Pāʻauhau (also spelled Paauhau) is a small place on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. It is not a city with its own government. Instead, it's an unincorporated community, which means it's a group of homes and businesses that are part of a larger county. Pāʻauhau is located near the northern coast of the island. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) east-northeast of Honokaʻa.
History of Pāʻauhau
The name Pāʻauhau comes from the Hawaiian language. It means "tribute enclosure". Long ago, this area was an ancient Hawaiian village.
The Sugar Plantation Era
In 1878, a man named Rufus Anderson Lyman and his family moved to the Hāmākua district. They started a large sugarcane farm, also known as a plantation. Lyman worked with business partners like Samuel Parker, William G. Irwin, and Claus Spreckels.
The main office for the plantation was built on a cliff. This cliff was about 300 feet (100 meters) above the ocean. The sugarcane fields stretched up the slopes of Mauna Kea, a large volcano.
An Innovative Transport System
The Pāʻauhau plantation used a clever way to move the sugarcane. They had a special transportation system. When sugarcane was cut, it was loaded onto a rail car. This full car would then roll down to the cliff edge using gravity. As it rolled down, it would pull an empty car back up the hill on a separate track.
From the cliff, a small railroad carried the cane to the mill. This path is now called "Lower Cane Haul Road". In 1911, this plantation became one of the first to use irrigation for its crops. A small town grew up around the mill. This town provided homes for the workers. Rufus Lyman also opened the first post office in Hāmākua and was its postmaster.
The Pāʻauhau Sugar Company was sold in 1972. It was bought by the Honokaʻa Sugar Company. The plantation finally closed down in 1994.
See also
In Spanish: Paauhau para niños
