Kauai History

Kaua'i, Hawai'i's Island of Discovery, was the first Hawaiian island to be populated. According to legends, the first inhabitants were Polynesian gods from Tahiti. Legends also say Kaua'i was home to Menehune, a race of tiny people who were exceptional stonemasons and extraordinary builders. Tradition has it that even before the Menehune, another people called Mu, inhabited the island. Whoever the early inhabitants were, their skills in exceptional ancient stonework are unique to Kaua'i and are still evident. Archaeologists believe Kaua'i's first settlers came from the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa and other South Pacific islands around 500 A.D.

The intrepid explorer Captain James Cook and his crew first landed in Hawai'i at Waimea on Kaua'i's west coast in 1778. These first tourists to Hawai'i shocked the native Hawaiians with their large ships, remarkable attire and strange language. They spent five days on Kaua'i; learning the culture, language, trading and enjoying Hawaiian hospitality.

Kaua'i was inhabited briefly by the Russians during the reign of Kaumuali'i, Kaua'i's last king. He allowed Russian traders to build a fort at the mouth of the Waimea River. The remains of the fort are still standing. Kaua'i was the only island not taken in battle by Kamehameha the Great when he established the Hawaiian Kingdom. Kaumuali'i ruled until his death in 1810.

Missionaries and sugar altered the face and future of Kaua'i. Missionary descendants became successful planters and the island was blanketed with green. Hawai'i's first sugar plantation was founded in Koloa in 1835. The sugar industry brought an influx of immigrants from Asia and Europe who have shaped much of Kaua'i's history and contributed to its cultural diversity.