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The Story of the Waioli Mission
Complied from Documents and Oral Records by Ethel L. Damon
I continued from last week)
The Great Year of 1838
It Is the year of the great revival.
In his memoir ot his father, Mr.
James Alexander states: "Mr, Alex
ander made tours through the ad
joining districts, and soon held reg
ular meetings at two out stations, at
one ot which, Pilaa, in Koolau, 8
miles distant, he was accusomed to
preach under the shade of a noble
kukul grove, to a congregation seated
on the ground." Of this out-door
church service a well known sketch
was made about this time by one
of the artists ot the United States
exploring expedition.
"Mr. Alexander has related that
during those years the natives were
accustomed to come incessantly from
early In the morning until late at
night, to converse on the subject of
religion. The desire to unite with
the church became so strong that
his effort came to be; rather to pre
vent their joining the church when
they should not than to persuade
them to join."
In his own report ot the year, the
young pastor continues: "I have
spent a considerable portion of time
in visiting from house to house and
made that a department of system
atic labor. My experience thus far
leads me to believe that the people
are much more likely to be benefitted
by our Instructions when we visit
them at their homes, than when we
receive visits from them. But the
whole system called "hai-manao"
(telling thoughts, that Is, making
public confession of even the most
trivial sins as a meanB of conver
sion) I have labored to suppress, be
lieving It to be productive of very
many and serious evils, and ot very
little good.
"During the month of December
and part ot January we were cheer
ed by the presence of Brother and
Sister Lafon when Brother Lafon
preached to us In English every Sab
bath, a privilege we highly prized
Much of my time has been occupied
in administering to the bodily as
well as the spiritual diseases of the
people. Mrs. Alexander has continu
ed a weekly meeting with about
100 women for reading the scrip
tures, religious conversation and
prayer. A maternal meeting every
two weeks, and a children's Sab'
bath school. As domestic duties
multiply, she finds her public labors
of necessity diminished.
"In July 1837, ten were admitted
to communion for the first time, one
restored who had been suspended,
and four children baptized, the first
native children that have ever been
baptized at this place. The church at
Waioli now numbers 38 adults, all
in good standing."
The Waioli School
The school work was growing al
so, In proportion. Besides the Wai
oil school of 90 boys and 70 girls,
the latter under Mrs. Johnson. Mr.
Johnson had the supervision ot na
tive schools from Waioli to Koloa.
To some ot his perplexities he
gives voice in his first report, of
the year 1838. "The native assistants
are some of them from the high
school (Lahainaluna Seminary) and
some only from the common schools.
How are we to pay them? Our gov
ernor has granted four acres of
good land near the Waioli school
and allows the school to work the
boys one hour each day. I have
four companies of about 30 each,
with a native teacher at the head
of each company. The school master
from the high school, who is now
teaching at Anahola, has a cotton
field which will bring him more year
ly than either of the other teachers
receive. A comfortable school house
has been erected at Waioli during
the year, 40 by 24 feet, covered with
grass. It has a board floor; we hope
to lath and plaster this summer; no
seats have yet been provided, but we
may have some, it our land produc
es well. We clung to the old school
house till fairly driven out by long
and powerful rains that fell during
the month of March, and by the
hogs that made constant encroach
ment upon our borders. We need
maps and books, or will one of the
more experienced brethren instruct
me how to teach without maps?"
This new school house, blown down
by the Kona storm in November of
the same year, was again erected
and thatched as a free-will offering
by the people. This year also saw
the erection of a new frame house for
the Johnsons, 45 x 20 feet, one story
with a room in the garrett for a
study which was a particular bless
,lng. Many ot the foundation stones
may still be seen where it stood
not tar from Mr. Alexander's house,
to the left as seen from the road.
Later, a full second story was add
ed; the house is still in use, having
been moved some years since to the
beach sear the landing. Beyond it,
TiTTaiimtniniinm;Tn;iig:ini:innrimii:'
on its original site stood the new
school building just mentioned.
Among other pastoral duties Mr.
Alexander translated into Hawaiian,
text books and treatises on geome
try, trigonometry and navigation for
use at Lahainaluna, a certain am
ount of such work being assigned
to the brethren at every General
Meeting. This for the Mission Press.
To the bindery he sent one year
400 tanned goat skins purchased at
an expenditure of 60, for binding
many ot the mission texts.
Records for 1839 are brief and in
teresting: "Although the great body
of people have professed anxiety for
their souls, yet upon careful investi
gation, it is evident that they have
been more concerned, how to get
into the church than how to secure
eternal life. Last year the pastor
visited Niihau, and spent five days
among the people, during which time
most of the population heard the
gospel, many of whom seemed to re
ceive it gladly.
The New Church
"The Waioli congregation have
been gathering materials tor a fram
ed meeting house. Most ot the tim
bers have been collected, and seven
acres of sugar cane have been
planted, which will be ready for
manufacture this fall, and from
which we hope to obtain funds to
wards erecting the building.
"Our common schools, taught by
native teachers, are in a languishing
condition. This arises mainly from
the want of means to support the
teachers. We have not tundB at our
disposal as a mission to enable us
to pay teachers wages, and they
cannot work for nothing. In my par
ish I have five graduates from the
Lahainaluna Seminary. A contribu
tion is made by the church and con
gregation at our monthly concert
for prayer for the conversion of the
world. Some bring a "kapa,' othors
a fish, or a canoe paddle, another a
handle for the spade used in culti
vating taro, and .very rarely a piece
of money is brought. Such are the
materials offered to rouse the liter
ary energies of the Hawaiians."
Mention is also made of the tem
porary embarrassment caused by
great quantities of dried fish receiv
ed in payment for books.
From the fact that this first Wai
oli sugar cane was about to be har
vested, it is evident that it had been
planted as early as 1837. Even more
than this had been done in that ear
ly year, for the pastor writes to the
Missionary Herald: "The people in
our vicinity are now
planting cotton, with
the governor's approbation, for the
purpose of raising funds to build a
permanent school house and church
and get a bell. I have recently en
deavored to Instruct the church more
particularly in their duty to support
the gospel among them. But they
can do very little, as they have no
money and no means of getting it.
They can supply my table with the
native productions ot the island; but
if they do this gratuitously they
will have no means left to purchase
books tor themselves. Until the
government of the islands becomes
more liberal and encourages indus
try by securing to the people the
fruits of their labor, the people can
not do much to support the gospel."
The school house having been suc
cessfuly completed, there remained
$100 in the little treasury toward a
"new church and a bell." The im
portance of the church bell was clear
ly recognized by the early mission
fathers. Not only did they long for
the loved tone of their New England
bells in this adopted land where the
thrumming ot the hula drums and
the rythmic stroke ot the tapa beat
ers could be heard for miles, and
where only the melancholy blast of
the native conch shell called them
to school and church, but they felt
that the solemn intoning of the
"church-going bell" would be an add
ed attraction to attend the house of
God and would inevitably effect its
purpose of intimate, beloved associ
ation. Gradually, at Waioli, interest
and effort began to accumulate to
ward the building of the second
church edifice with its belfry, both
of which stand today, with the sub
stitution of shingles for thatch, in
almost their original condition of
80 years ago. Early in 1841, in a
letter to the Missionary Herald, the
young pastor writes: "Our present
tabernacle was overthrown by the
winds last winter and is now un
safe when the wind is strong." The
huge old thatched house had served
well its purpose for over six years
All hands were now raised toward
the construction of a more perman
ent one to succeed It. The early
cotton planting had doubtless availed
but little in the wet region ot Wai
oli, the valley of singing waters. No
record at least tolls us its story.
The open field in front of the house which is to be used as a com
munity playground
But the first sugar crop and its re
sults are vividly described in the
memoir of Mr. Alexander: "There
were two white men on the island
who were good carpenters. One of
these made a mill to grind by horse
power, and the pastor furnished
them his horse. They boiled tne
cane Juice in iron pots, obtained
from a whale ship, and dried the
sugar in mat bags hung up to drain.
Part of the money realized, $ 13,
was applied to building a school
house and the rest to paying the
carpenters for building the church.
The lumber was brought from the
mountains. The men would go up
and cut it; and when it was ready
to be brought down, the women
would go and help drag it. It was
an exciting time in Waioli, when
the whole population, with long
ropes, with shouts and chanting,
dragged the heavy timbers Into
place for the church, and also earlier
for Mr .Alexander's dwelling, house.
Coral stone was obtained by divers
from the sea, and made It into lime
for the masonry."
Contributions
To this the pastor's station report
of 1841 adds some detail: I am
happy to state that we have a pros
pect of soon assembling to worship
God in a more comfortable house.
Our frame meeting house is erected
and covered. The frame is substantial
and well put together. The $103.00
derived from the sale of sugar was
paid for the erection ot the school
house, leaving the balance for the
meeting house. In addition to this,
Mr. Whitney contributed $50 and
his congregation kukui nuts valued
at $90, Mr. Gulick $36, Mr. Tltcomb
$20, besides other smaller sums. The
walls are to be lathed and plastered
Inside and out, and we hope in a
short time to have it completed.
Much of my time has been occupied
in superintending the work, and see
ing that the various materials were
ready when needed."
Mrs. Alexander, sharing her hus
band's joy, writes to her mother in
the East, under the date of Novem
ber 10, 18414 giving incidentally the
nearest approxlmatation to the date
of dedication. "Our meeting house
is nearly completed," she writes. "It
will be dedicated in a fortnight, and
there seems to be more interest than
usual in the subject ot religion. We
feel much rejoiced at having a com
fortable house to worship in. It is
a frame house covered with grass.
It is neatly plastered inside, and on
the walls outside as we could not
afford to clapboard it. As we have
no pews, most of the people Bit on
settees of their own making, and
some on the floor. The preacher has
to stand with a table before him.
We are obliged to adopt this plan
as lumber is very expensive out
here. When the house is finished,
the people will try and raise mon
ey to buy a bell."
Lauhala Thatched Roof
No picture of the old Waioli church
would be adequate which did not
portray the soft, contrasting colors
of its thatched roof. And by a mar
vel of nature, such a picture has been
preserved for us to this day, quite
as exact and far more full of color
than it kodaks had existed In the
middle of the last century. This pic
ture was taken by a small boy, who
in 1850 was very small indeed. Less
than four years before he had been
born in the plain old New Eng
land home at Waioli, the fifth son
of the mission school master. He
was endowed with one of Heaven's
greatest gifts, a keen eye tor accu
racy of detail which was evident ev
en when as a little fellow, wearing his
home-made "turkey-red dress," he
would wander about the mission
with a particular friendliness for the
workmen on the roof of the church.
Although strictly forbidden to speak
Hawaiian) he had no difficulty iu un
derstanding what the workmen said
to him, nor in making himself un
derstood. He is an old man now,
but his memory is as keen as his
power of observation. Not long since,
when the Hawaiian Board appealed
to him for a history of the Waioli
church, he gave me this picture. I
will give it to you as he gave it to
me, regretting that I cannot show
you also his reminiscent smile and
the kindly twinkle in his eye at
some ot my ignorant questions.
"Well, of course," he said, "that
church was built long before we
came to Waioli. I was a little bit ot
a fellow, but I remember their
shingling it afterwards. You say that
was in '51? Well, I daresay you
know, I don't recall exactly. They
dipped the shingles in hot oil, I re
member, even in those days. The
roof had been thatched before. And
that was a beautiful thatch to look
at when it was all on. No, not of
pill grass. There was not much of
that at Waioli. It was lauhala. I've
watched the Hawaiians so often. They
would bring the leaves in bundles,
tied cleverly with a special kind of
knot, then wet them, and lay them
out very exactly so that they over
lapped. Each leaf was tied separate
ly to the small thatching sticks,
"aho" the natives called them. They
worked all the way along the length
of the roof, bending the thick but
end of each leaf down around the
"aho" and tying it lirmly with a
peculiar twist of the stoat aloe fiber.
They could work pretty fast too, it
they'd a mind to. No, they never
bothered to strip off the thorns.
They were very clever and quick
about it. A "lauhala" is like a cat,
you know, it won't scratch, it you
stroke it the right way! And it made
a good thick thatch, often 18 inches
thick. No, they did not use "olona"
fiber much. That was too scarce. To
bind the rafters they had no nui's
in those days they used the ground
root of the "puhala.'' That Is very
strong, you know. They would soak
these roots, pound them a little, and
bind the rafters together with the
fiber still wet. Then when it dried,
it was as taut and tough as iron. For
the thatch they were more apt to use
the fiber from leaves of the aloe, or
century plant. They would soak them
and pound them, extracting consider
able very tough fiber. And with that
they would bind the leaves one by
one to the root. I could tie that
knot now, I think, I have watched
the Hawaiians so often. Then last of
all, to cover the ridge-poles outside
above the thatch, they would bring
down from the mountains quantities
of the soft, reddish "pulu-ar.iau," and
bind it on very thick along all the
ridges. That roof was a pretty sight
when it was done. Except for the ridg
es, it was the yellow straw color of
"lauhala," which the reddish ridges
marked off distinctly, the long cen
ter ridge and the four shorter ones
closing down at the ends ot the long
roof."
Progress of the Work
With the years 1842 and 1843, new
complications beset the work of the
Waioli Mission. The entrance of the
Catholic priests into the field was
a cause ot great anxiety, although
Mr. Alexander said fairly: "Those
who become papists are forming a
distinct body not only in religion but
also in civil affairs, and it Is to be
regretted that protestant officer: of
government so often through ignor
ance pursue measures adapted to pro
duce hostility between the parties.
Ardent spirits, another of Satan's
engines, has begun to creep insid
iously Into our field, and unless the
strong arm of law is more vigorously
exercised, it will do immense evil "
The problem, too, of educating the
missionaries' children, was becoming
acute. Should they grow up in ignor
ance, or was the missionary justi
fied in spending much of his time
and strength, as was done in some
of the South Sea missions, on their
education? For some time, the two
Alexander sons, William Dewitt and
James Mackinney, about six and
four years old, had been taken to a
small mission school at Koloa con
ducted by Miss Marcia Smith for the
Gulick and Tinker children. Mr. Al
exander, having only one horse,
which he rode himself, would place
each small boy in a large "unieke"
or calabash, which, attached to
either side of a pole, was carried the
40 miles swung on the shoulders of
two strocg natives. Halt was always
made at Chletess Deborah's home on
the Wailua river, where a hearty wel
come and a night's rest refreshed
the eager pilgrims. In 1842. the found
ing of a missiun school at Puuuhou
solved many educational problems.
In his special branch of the mis
sion work, Mr. Johnson, finding thai
Luliainnluna was too plnw In turning
out teachers for the common schools,
started a Saturday session for teach
ers in his large district. The attend
ance of boys in the Waioli school he
reported as follows: "Nine from Wal
mea, six from Koloa, six from Lihue,
and thirteen from Waioli. The schol
ars from abroad were fed and watch
ed over by members of the Waioli
church. The school would be put on
a plan of manual labor, could a ready
market be found for such produce ns
might be raised."
Change of Pastors
During 1843, Mrs. Alexander was
seriously ill, and the whole family
was obliged to be away from Waioli
most of the year. The pastor suffered
also from acute asthma, and at Gen
eral Meeting it was deemed expedi
ent to transfer him to the Lahalna
station. His last report from Waioli
shows, however, undiminished inter
est in his first parish: "We have re
ceived a bell during the year for our
meeting house, in payment for
which I have in hand $70 from the
people. I have no doubt but the whole
sum which is $150 will yet be collect
ed. The school has made good prog
ress in all ways, the manual labor
paying for books, and fence, and cul
tivating the school house yard. Ap
parent interest in religion felt am
ong the people has been as great,
perhaps greater, than at any period
since I commenced my labors among
them. Sixty-eight have been received
into the church, 14 children baptized,
one person excommunicated, and sev
en suspended, some for quarreling
and fighting, some for more serious
offenses. Four church members have
died, among their number, Davida
Papohaku, a ruling elder of our
church, one of the most decided
Christians and substantial helpers
that have been raised up in our Poly
nesian zion. His end was peaceful
and triumphant."
After General Meeting in 1843, Rev.
George B. Rowell and his wife, came
to occupy the parsonage. And with a
courage similar to that of his pre
decessor, the new pastor, as yet
quite unversed in Hawaiian, plunged
into the task of three Sunday services
and added to his ministrations dur
ing the week the subject of sacred
music at the Waioli school. An out
standing difficulty of the year follow
ed a visit of the king to Hanalel.
"A great rage for awa-planting pre
vailed, and several members of the
church were excommunicated for at
tending horse-races and taking mon
ey on the same.'' Two innovations in
the school work are noticeable from
the report which states:. "The com
mon schools now come less under the
cognizance of the mission than ot the
government, which also grants a
small subsidy to the Waioli school
on condition that English be taught
at least to the most promising pupils.
The school has entered into an a
greement with Mr. Titcomb, a coffee
planter in our neighborhood, to take
charge of his coffee plants after
they are set out. The boys are fur
nished with hoes and the privilege of
planting beans between the rows of
coffee for the profit ot the school.
And Mr. Titcomb gives them be
sides, what is equal to about $500
in paper currency or trade."
For purposes of retrenchment,
doubtless, as in 1838, no general meet
ings of the mission were held in Ho
nolulu in 1845 and 1847. The reports
ot 1846 show progress in Christian
civilization. "The Waioli Select
School has now been conducted four
years on its present plan. Eight stu
dents have gone to Lahinaluna, and
20 have taken charge ot common
schools on Kauai, where the teachers,
although nominally well paid by law,
are in reality very ill supported by
the people. The Waioli school culti
vates a large taro patch, and four
acres of yams, potatoes,, beans, corn,
and bananas, besides giving commen
dable attention to the three R's, geo
graphy, geometry, astronomy, mor
al philosophy, and a select class in
English. A few whale ships are our
The guests ot many racua at
only market. We nerd desks, a plow,
nnl throe dozen hoes. Mrs. Johnson
meets with the women once a week.
"The Sabbath schools of adults and
children are prosperous, having re
cently held an anniversary procession
of 200 people. Rewards of books were
given for attendance. Our meeting
house has been re-thatched."
Transfer of Mr, Rowell
This same year there came another
change in the transfer of Mr. Rowell
to Waimea, to fill the vacancy made
by the death of Mr. Whitney the
previous year. Mr. Johnson was li
censed nt the time of General Meet
ing to preach in the Waioli pulpit.
To the task of school master anoth
er member of the great reinforce
ment of 1837 was appointed. This
was Mr. Abner Wilcox, who had
been stationed first at the HIlo school
for boys, and later at the school at
Waialua. Oahu. With his wife and
family of four small boys, he occu-'
pied the house built ten years be
fore by Mr. Alexander.
The following year, Mr. Johnson
became a regularly ordained pastor
at Waioli, a position which he filled
until his death in 1867. During this
year, 1849, an epidemic of measles
and whooping-cough decimated the
Hawaiian population of almost every
section of the islands. Waioli suffer
ed keenly the first part of the year.
No deaths occurred, howover, in the
school, from whose 48 pupils seven
were sent out as teachers. A gradu
ate of Lahainaluna assisted in teach
ing. Three afternoons a week were
devoted to manual labor, the pupils
being paid in cloth. Reaching out be
yond their own parish, the church
people, after contributing cash and
subscriptions toward repairs on the
church building, sent $80 to aid in
erecting a house of worship at Wai
mea ,and $15 to help support the na
tive minister at Koloa.
Repairs on the Church
For three years, beginning in 1849,
the people collected funds for repairs
on the church in which heavy rains
had quite destroyed the plaster on
the ceiling. By 1852, all was in order
again over $1,300 having been paid
for repairs. From the outside there
had been contributed: $29 from Ko
loa, $25 from Kaumakapili church in
Honolulu, and $145 for services ren
dered to the land commission by the
Waioli pastor, who also turned over
to the church his remuneration as
treasurer ot the government school
funds. The innovation of Chinese la
borers Is mentioned in the report,
about 40 of whom comprised the
first group to be Introduced to Wai
oli. "A few," it was reported, "came
to church, but not understanding the
language, tended to drift away and
traffic with the natives."
Hawaiian Theological Student
In 1854, David Nuuhiva, a graduate
of the theological class at Lahaina
luna, became Mr. Johnson's assist
ant, the first Hawaiian minister to
be sent to the Waioli field. He was
a valuable helper and well received
by the people, who erected a frame
house for him. The small-pox epi
demic which scourged the islands
during this year was far less violent
in Waioli than on Oahu, where some
whole families were cut oft, and
thousands died in Honolulu. Some of
the Waioli mission children, in Ho
nolulu at the time, still remember
the phenomenon of yellow flags
which seemed to fill the air ot the
town. In their annual requests to
the Mission which, though still un
der the American board, had chang
ed its name to the Hawaiian Evan
gelical Association, both Mr. John
son and Mr. Wilcox ask for an in
crease of salary in order to support
their children at Punahou. And that
the original system of common property
for the missionaries still obtained in
part at least, is evidenced by the
fact that Mr. Wilcox requests permis
sion to use the "avails from the Wai
oli mission herd" toward the "ex
pense of repainting the house and
clapboarding the cook house built by
Mr. Alexander."
Continuc I on page 5
the opening ot the Waioli Community center
