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| Laupāhoehoe | |
|---|---|
| Name | Laupāhoehoe |
| Settlement type | Unincorporated community |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | United States |
| Subdivision type1 | State |
| Subdivision name1 | Hawaii |
| Subdivision type2 | County |
| Subdivision name2 | Hawaii County |
| Elevation ft | 20 |
Laupāhoehoe Laupāhoehoe is a small unincorporated community on the northeastern coast of the Island of Hawaiʻi, within Hawaiʻi County, noted for its historical harbor, coastal topography, and community institutions. The settlement lies along Hawaii Route 19 near Hāmākua, adjacent to features associated with Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and the Hāmākua Coast; it has been shaped by maritime events, volcanic geology, and regional transportation corridors. The community is associated with local schools, memorials, and a harbor park that attract visitors from across the Island of Hawaiʻi, the City and County of Honolulu, and neighboring Pacific islands.
Laupāhoehoe occupies a coastal position on the Hāmākua Coast of the Island of Hawaiʻi, situated between Honomū and Honokaʻa along Hawaii Route 19 and near the Hawaiian Islands' windward shore, with views toward Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The shoreline includes basalt cliffs and lava-formed platforms characteristic of shield volcanoes such as Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and lies within the climatic and ecological zone influenced by northeast trade winds and the Pacific Ocean; nearby geographic references include Hawaiʻi Island's °North Hāmākua and the broader Big Island topography. Coastal geomorphology in the area is comparable to other Hāmākua localities like Ahuʻapala and shares marine biota connections with the waters off Hilo and Kailua-Kona.
The community's history encompasses pre-contact Hawaiian settlement patterns, plantation-era developments, and 20th-century disasters associated with Pacific maritime and railroad infrastructure; historical narratives intersect with figures and events linked to King Kamehameha I, missionary activity by Hiram Bingham, and the plantation economy of Alexander & Baldwin. Laupāhoehoe Harbor and the adjacent shoreline were focal points during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for sugar and ranching transport connected to Hāmākua Sugar Company operations and the Hawaiian Railroad networks that tied to ports like Hilo Bay and Kawaihae Harbor. A pivotal event in local memory is the 1946 tsunami generated by the Aleutian Islands earthquake and the 1960 tsunami triggered by the Great Chilean earthquake, which caused loss of life and infrastructure damage and prompted federal and state disaster response measures involving agencies such as United States Geological Survey assessments and Federal Emergency Management Agency planning.
Laupāhoehoe's population reflects the ethnic and cultural mixtures common to the Hāmākua region, including descendants of Native Hawaiian communities associated with ʻohana who trace lineage to ʻIolani and pre-contact aliʻi, as well as immigrant groups connected to plantation labor histories such as families from Japan, Portugal, Philippines, China, and Korea. Census and county-level demographic surveys for Hawaiʻi County show patterns of rural population density similar to nearby communities like Honomū and Honokaʻa, with age distributions impacted by migration to urban centers including Hilo, Honolulu, and Kailua for employment and education. Community organizations and cultural institutions in Laupāhoehoe interact with regional entities such as Hawaiʻi County offices, Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, and nonprofit groups working on coastal resilience and heritage preservation.
Local economic activity in and around Laupāhoehoe includes small-scale agriculture, tourism linked to coastal parks and marine access, and services supporting residents and visitors traveling between Hilo and Waikōloa, with historic ties to the sugar industry once dominated by companies like C. Brewer & Co. and Hāmākua Sugar Company. Transportation infrastructure centers on Hawaii Route 19 (part of the Hawaii Belt Road) and local road connections to facilities like Laupāhoehoe Harbor and nearby boat ramps used for fishing and recreation, with intermodal connections to Hilo International Airport and regional ferry or charter services that serve the Hawaiian archipelago. Economic development and disaster mitigation efforts involve coordination among entities such as Hawaiʻi County Department of Public Works, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, and community-driven initiatives to diversify income sources and enhance coastal access.
Education and local services in Laupāhoehoe are anchored by institutions such as Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School and facilities maintained by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, which link to regional educational hubs in Hilo and higher-education institutions like the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Kapiʻolani Community College. Community facilities include Laupāhoehoe Point Park and memorials maintained in collaboration with Hawaiʻi County and cultural organizations that work with archives and museums such as the Lyman Museum and the Hawaiian Historical Society. Health and emergency services are accessed through providers in Hilo and county hospitals such as Hilo Medical Center, with public safety coordination involving Hawaiʻi County Police Department and county emergency management offices.
Cultural life in Laupāhoehoe reflects Native Hawaiian practices, plantation-era heritage, and memorialization of tsunami victims, with events and observances that connect to regional festivals in Hilo and the Hāmākua communities. Notable landmarks include Laupāhoehoe Point Park, community memorials honoring 1946 and 1960 tsunami impacts, coastal lava formations, and historic sites associated with maritime transport and sugar-era infrastructure, which are documented alongside collections at institutions like the Bishop Museum and the Hawaii State Archives. The community engages with broader cultural networks that include hula halau, ʻohana organizations, and partnerships with preservation entities such as the State Historic Preservation Division and nonprofit cultural trusts focused on the Hawaiian Islands' waterfront heritage.
Category:Populated places in Hawaii County, Hawaii