HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK CENTENNIAL April 17, 2016 • 3 Sacred land protected Hawaii National Park established after much political wrangling On Aug. 1, 1916, the U.S. Congress adopted a bill to establish a national park in the Territory of Hawaii. The newly formed Hawaii National Park included three land areas on Hawaii Island: the Kilauea section (35,865 acres), the Mauna Loa section (17,920 acres) and a strip of land to connect the two aforementioned sections. The park also included Haleakala on Maui. The Maui and Hawaii Island sections split on Aug. 21, 1961, to form Haleakala National Park and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Since 1916, additional pieces of property were acquired, and today Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park comprises 333,086 acres. Hundreds of years before J M N the establishment of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, the lands of Mauna Loa, which traditionally included Kilauea, were sacred to Native Hawaiians. Today, the importance of this place continues, especially for those who live on the slopes of these great volcanoes. These lands represent and manifest the cycle of life that binds and continues to give birth to the land and the people of that land. It is no wonder that since the arrival of Westerners in 1778, Kilauea and Mauna Loa have long been of interest to newcomers as well. Naturalists, adventurers and scientists have sought to understand and study this geologically active area, while tourists have come to experience spectacular volcanic displays, enjoy the thermal steam baths and appreciate the natural scenic beauty. A trip to Kilauea in the 19th century was long and arduous for those who traveled to Hawaii Island, but visitors were willing to make it in hopes of viewing an active eruption. Early visitors sailed into Hilo and then rode 30 miles on horseback over a rugged trail through forest and barren lava fields. A very primitive thatched hotel at the edge of the crater was there to greet the tired traveler. By 1877, a more modern hotel was built, and by the mid-1880s, two steamship companies provided additional routes to Kilauea. For $50, Wilder’s A congressional party visits Kilauea in 1909. Halema‘uma‘u eruption in the 1920s. The 1889 Volcano House. See SACRED Page 4
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