1916 Map of Kohala

About this map

Sugar production and coastal trade dominate this early twentieth-century survey of the northern tip of the Big Island. The industrial backbone of the region is visible through the Hawaii Railway, which connects the vital processing centers at Union Mill, Kohala Mill, and Hoea Mill to the coast. The settlement at Hawi serves as a central hub, while the Kohala Ditch represents the massive engineering efforts required to move water from the windward slopes to the thirsty cane fields of the leeward coast.