Pahala, Hawaii facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pahala, Hawaii Pāhala
Census-designated place
U.S. post office in Pahala, October 2008
Location in Hawaii County and the state of Hawaii
Country	United States
State	Hawaii
Counties	Hawaii
Area
• Total	0.64 sq mi (1.66 km2)
• Land	0.64 sq mi (1.66 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	920 ft (280 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,403
• Density	2,185.36/sq mi (843.28/km2)
Time zone	UTC-10 (Hawaii–Aleutian)
ZIP Code	96777
Area code(s)	808
FIPS code	15-59750
GNIS feature ID	362938

Pahala is a small town in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a community that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. In 2020, about 1,403 people lived there.

History of Pahala

Pahala was first built around a sugarcane plantation. The people who planned the town picked a good spot. It was a flat area on a mountain slope. It also had easy access to water. Plus, it was in the middle of the sugarcane fields.

In the Hawaiian language, Pāhala means the ashes from the leaves of the hala tree. Long ago, workers would burn hala leaves to fill cracks in the sugarcane fields.

Life in the Plantation Town

For many years, Pahala was quite simple. It had a manager's house and homes for plantation workers. There was also a general store and the sugar factory. Many workers lived in small camps. These camps were often self-sufficient. They had a few homes and a small store. Some even had special shops like a blacksmith or a barbershop. Over time, some camps added gas stations.

Schools in Pahala

In 1881, the first public school in the Kaʻu district opened in Kapapala. It had only two buildings. Later, this school moved to Pahala. It was then called Pahala High and Elementary School.

In 1959, Hawaiʻi became a state. The last class from Pahala High School graduated that year. The school then became Kaʻū High and Pahala Elementary School. It is the second oldest public school in Hawaiʻi. The oldest is Lāhaināluna School. The Kapono Building at Kaʻū High is the oldest public school building west of the Rocky Mountains.

Pahala Grows and Changes

As time went on, Pahala became a main town in the Kaʻū district. Businesses from the smaller camps moved there. More stores, a bank, and gas stations opened. For fun, a "Club House" was built. People used it for meetings and parties. In the early 1940s, the Pahala Theatre was built.

By the early 1960s, a company called C. Brewer & Co. decided to close the small worker camps. They moved homes and buildings into Pahala. C. Brewer also started looking for new crops to grow. They decided to focus on macadamia nuts. These trees grew well in Hawaiʻi and became a new market.

Kaʻū High and Pahala Elementary School, April 2018

The End of Sugar Production

The 1970s brought big changes to Pahala. There were fuel shortages. Other countries also started producing cheaper sugar. C. Brewer thought about making ethanol fuel from sugarcane. But they decided not to.

Instead, C. Brewer expanded its macadamia nut farms. They started replacing sugarcane fields around Pahala with macadamia trees.

By the mid-1980s, it was clear that sugar farming was ending. Other sugar plantations on the island were closing. Even though Pahala's mill produced a lot of sugar, it cost too much. It cost $1.50 to make one pound of sugar, but it sold for only $0.60. Even with government help, the sugar industry couldn't survive.

In 1994, the company tried one last thing to keep the mill open. Workers would have to take big pay cuts. Most would earn only minimum wage. The workers said no. This decision ended the sugar era in Pahala. The last sugarcane was processed in April 1996. Over the next two years, the mill was taken apart. Its parts were sold to other factories around the world.

Pahala Today

After the sugar mill closed, many people left Pahala. Some found new jobs on the island. Some travel far to work at hotels. Others moved to different islands or the mainland for new beginnings. Many older families with long ties to Pahala have passed away. Many young people have chosen not to return.

However, some people have stayed in Pahala. They have found ways to live and work there. Many old plantation homes were bought by local people. These new owners have jobs like doctors, police officers, and contractors. Some new people have also moved in. They have fixed up the historic homes and made Pahala their home.

There's also an effort to protect the Kaʻū Coast near Pahala. It's the longest untouched coast in Hawaiʻi. Over 235 acres of oceanfront land have been bought and saved as a park. Another 750 acres along the coast might also be protected. Inland, over 115,000 acres have been added to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The park now surrounds Pahala in the mountains.

Geography of Pahala

Pahala is located in the southern part of the Hawaiʻi island. Its exact location is 19°12′15″N 155°28′44″W / 19.204109°N 155.479005°W / 19.204109; -155.479005. Hawaii Route 11 runs along the southeast edge of the community. This highway goes northeast for about 52 miles to Hilo. It goes southwest for about 12 miles to Nāʻālehu. The main entrance to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is about 23 miles northeast of Pahala on Route 11.

The United States Census Bureau says that Pahala covers about 0.64 square miles (1.66 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Climate in Pahala

Pahala has a dry-summer tropical savanna climate. This means it has hot days and mild nights all year. Summers are dry. The most rain falls in November.

On April 27, 1931, the temperature in Pahala reached 100 °F (37.8 °C). This is the highest temperature ever recorded in Hawaii!

Economy and Life in Pahala

Pahala's main businesses today include one of the world's largest macadamia nut farms. There is also cattle and horse ranching. Small, independent Kaʻū Coffee farms are important too. The Kaʻū Coffee Mill & Visitor Center is a popular spot. Kaʻū Coffee has won many international awards.

Pahala used to be a sugar plantation town. Now, it's a center for education and health services. It has a pharmacy, a hospital, a clinic, and schools. There's also a library.

Many old plantation houses have been fixed up. They are now homes for local families. Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach also stay in them. The village has a post office, a swimming pool, and two food stores. There's also a fire station and a gas station. Fishermen sell their catch and farmers sell their produce by the road. Pahala has several churches, including Catholic, Assembly of God, Baptist, and Buddhist temples.

The local newspaper, the Kaʻū Calendar, has offices in Pahala. It's online daily and printed once a month.

Pahala hosts fun events each year. These include the Kaʻū Coffee Festival and the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run. Science Camps of America for teenagers happen every summer. Many family reunions, weddings, and other group events also take place here.

Demographics

In 2020, Pahala had a population of 1,403 people. The average household had about 3 people. The median age of people living in Pahala was 40 years old.

Images for kids

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  Kaʻū High and Pahala Elementary School, April 2018

See also

In Spanish: Pahala para niños