Library: Leeward CC: An ʻĀina-based research guide: Dream to Community: Wahiawā Town

Overviews, Maps & Demographics

Maps & Demographics provide overview data for researching Wahiawā. Follow these links as a starting point.

Wahiawa Quadrangle, Us Army Corps of Engineers, 1936.

Tips for Searching Primo

When searching through the catalog, use keyword Wahiawā, or the following subject headings:

Additionally, you can narrow your search by using specific search terms relevant to the region, such as Waialua, Kūkaniloko, Hawaiian Pineapple Company, or Schofield Barracks. Note that Wahiawā is also the name of another notable place in the islands, on the mokuʻāina of Kauaʻi. Try including “Oʻahu” within your search terms keywords to narrow down your results.

This page was created by Renea Ruark, MLISc, Kapunawai and Waianae Moku Resource Centers. You can reach me at renea.ruark@k12.hi.us!

Community Resources

Wahiawā Town is a diverse community, even by Oʻahu standards, and enjoys a rich cultural history reaching back into Hawaiian antiquities and continuing forwards to future development. These community resources are selected as both reference sources for place-based research and as illustrations of the complex history of this unique place in the islands.

Wahiawā Community & Business Association
"Founded in 1935, the WCBA has made it its mission to engage with local businesses, address common concerns, and serve owners and patrons alike to empower businesses and enrich daily experiences in our Wahiawa community," (from About page)
Wahiawā Historical Society
"The Wahiawa Historical Society is a community-based, nonprofit organization whose object is the collection of historical materials, the preservation of all that has been entrusted to our care, and the dissemination of knowledge about the history and heritage of the Wahiawa District," (from Home page).
Wahiawā Public Library
The Wahiawa Public Library houses a repository of rare, out-of-print, and large-format books that you might not find elsewhere on island. Their Closed Stacks/Hawaiʻi Reference Collections are available if you visit the location and include interesting items such as a community cookbook from the Wahiawā Community & Business Administration, and a collection of personal stories from Wahiawā Intermediate School students! Fun fact: this location is the oldest library on ʻOahu, so it is part of Wahiawā history in its own right!
Kūkaniloko Birthstones State Monument
"In ancient times, the area called līhuʻe of the central plateau of Oʻahu Island, was the Royal Center. Here, the highest-ranking children were born and raised to be the leaders of the people of our Nation, ko Hawaii paeaina. Today, Kūkaniloko Birthstones - encompassed by the uplands of līhuʻe, wahiawā, halemano - remains as one of the most significant cultural sites on Oʻahu," (from Home page).
Dole Plantation
The Dole Plantation is a significant community historical site as it represents nearly a century of commercial agricultural development in the area. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company/Dole Plantation was a major employer and community-growing enterprise from 1901-1991, and much of the history of Wahiawā Town is intertwined with this controversial enterprise.
Tropic Lightning Museum
Located in Wahiawā are several significant military installations: Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, and Naval Computer & Telecommunications Master Station - Pacific (NCTAMS-PAC). As such, Wahiawā and the surrounding areas have a high percentage of military residents as well as high occurrence of military-related community concerns (i.e., environmental impacts, housing demand, and jobs). The Tropic Lightning Museum is a valuable resource for military history and cultural context within the community and the Pacific.
Wahiawā Botanical Garden
"Cradled between the Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau mountain ranges in central O‘ahu lies Wahiawā Botanical Garden - the "tropical jewel" of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens. This 27-acre garden and forested ravine dates back to the 1930s when this land was used by sugar planters as an experimental arboretum. Highlights: Native Hawaiian plants, Aroid collection, Tree ferns, and Epiphytic plants," (from City and County of Honolulu)

Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC)

The Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC) is a project of the State of Hawaiʻi and Leeward Community College to contribute to the growth of Hawai‘i’s agricultural industry and entrepreneurial community.
Learn more at www.leeward.hawaii.edu/wvapdc.

Leeward Resources

Sites of Oahu by Elspeth P. Sterling (Compiled by); Catherine C. Summers (Compiled by)
ISBN: 9780910240734
Publication Date: 1993-01-01
Comprehensive collection of historical and cultural sites on Oʻahu; considered a definitive resource for place-based information.
O'ahu's Hidden History by William H. Dorrance
ISBN: 9781566472111
Publication Date: 1998-11-01
Historical context of select sites on Oʻahu. See Chapter 10: Hale’iwa to Downtown Honolulu for reference on Wahiawā Town.
Wahiawa by Lani Nedbalek
ISBN: 9780930117016
Publication Date: 1984-11-01
A historical account of the development of Wahiawā.
Kukaniloko birthstones state monument : Wahiawa, Oahu, (State site no.50-80-04-218) by Hawaiʻi Division of State Parks
Introduction to the state monument of Kūkaniloko, the Birthing Stones, a significant Hawaiian historical and cultural site.
The Kingdom That Grew Out of a Little Boy's Garden by Marion Mason Hale
A narrative account of the origins of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, which was an important part of the development of modern Wahiawā Town.