Final Archeological Assessment Hu Honua Bioenergy Facility

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In the mid-19th century, Hawai`i was a monarchy with various int treaties and a vibrant cash economy. After the decline of Hawai` industries, whaling and the export of sandalwood, Hawai`i was re ranching and commercial sugar cane production. The latter was pa Hilo and Hamakua districts of Hawai`i Island. Pepe`ekeo in parti Hawai`i Islands sugar industry as it housed the main sugar mill over 100 years. Portions of the Pepeekeo Sugar Mill were locate parcel. The following is a brief history of the sugar cane plant from the plantation archives of the Hawai`i Sugar Planters Assoc Pepeekeo Sugar Company, located on the windward side of the isla between Onomea and Honomu, held the majority of its land in fee plantation occupied approximately four miles along the ocean cliffs and extended from three to 18 miles mauka to 1600 feet in elevation on the slopes of Mauna Kea. The company, called the Metcalf Plantation, was started at Kaupakuea in 1857 by Theophilus Metcalf and the first crop was harvested in 1859. was the first factory in Hawaii to use the vacuum pan in 1863.In 1874, after Mr. Metcalfs death, the plantation was purchased by Messrs. Afong and Achuck and the name changed to Pepeekeo Sugar Company. By 1881 the crop was estimated at 1800 tons and the factory was constructed of corrugated iron buildings with machinery manufactured by Honolulu Iron Works. In 1882, Mr. Akana became the plantation manager and Mr. C. Afon company owner as well as the agent. 1886 saw a new mill from Hon Works in place and in 1888, Mr. Wong Tuck became the new manager Deacon and Mr. Alexander Young, manager of Honolulu Iron Works, purchased Pepeekeo Sugar in 1889. The Company was incorporated on October with Mr. Deacon as manager and H. Hackfeld & Co. as agents. T.H. Co. served as agents from 1892 to 1904, when C. Brewer & Co. pur control from Mr. Young, who used the funds to build the Alexander Young Hotel on Bishop Street in Honolulu. By 1910 the annual yield was 8,000 tons processed by a 9-roller mill with a capacity to grind 60 tons of cane per day. The warehouse could store 24,000 bags of sugar, which were loaded onto interisland steamers by steel cables from the sea cliff. Plantation fields were connected by good dirt roa harvested cane was delivered to the mill by railroad cars and 15 stationary flumes. There were 700 employees at Pepeekeo Sugar, all of whom worked on the day labor system, there being no contract laborers plantation. By 1914, homesteaders were using 625 acres to grow cane that was processed at the company mill. Manager James Webster had become noted for his farming methods; initiated plowing under cane trash for fertilizer instead of burning it off. The improvement in soil prompted HSPA to take up the method and expand it to other plantations. Another innovation, made during mill improvements, was to place the grinding machinery some 60 feet below the boiling hous facilitated the delivery of cane by flume and the flume water wa extensively in the mill. The Gartley clarification system, developed by Brewer engineer A.A. Gartley, was also an innovation at Pepeekeo Sugar. By 1923 Mr. Websters good farming practices had increased the yield from 3.1 tons to 4.6 tons per acre in 15 years. Most of the cane of the plantation was Yellow 7