Department of Accounting and General Services

Paniolo culture–rooted in the ways of Mexican-Spanish vaqueros—has a nearly two-hundred-year history in the Hawaiian Islands. In 1832, Mōʻī (King) Kamehameha III imported the first “cowboys” from the San Diego area of what was then the Republic of Mexico to tackle the problem of a growing cattle population running rampant over Honolulu. From these foreign roots grew a rich and skilled local cowboy tradition that at its peak in the early 1900s saw Hawaiian cowboys proclaimed world champion steer ropers at a major US competition. A robust ranching business in Hawai‘i has helped keep paniolo life alive, far from its continental origins, out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This year’s edition of our Archives Month poster reflects the uniqueness of paniolo culture in Hawai‘i.

Click on the image to the right to see a larger version or click on the link below the thumbnail to download a high-resolution PDF file.

Click on the links below for more information about our Archives Month:
  Hawaiʻi State Archivesʻ Archives Month 2019 Poster
  Reclaiming Kalākaua
  Hawaiʻi State Archives Lecture Series
  Display Case at the Archives
  Kindy Sproat’s Honesakala

See other Archives Month
Back to homepage

---

Hawaiʻi State Archives’ Archives Month 2019 Poster

 
Paniolo saddle and braiding
Part of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ music and photos collection, the first image shows the hand carved decorative work for a fancy Hawaiian saddle. The second image is of a kaulaʻili being braided by the hands of paniolo Henry Silva and his apprentice, Craig Evans. The kaulaʻili is made of rawhide and is commonly referred to by the paniolo as “skinrope”. It predates the introduction of the nylon rope used today for roping. Photography by Lynn Martin.

Resources at the Archives:
State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Call No. DAGS8

Back to top

---

Hanalei, Kauai Flood, 2018
In the hours between April 14 and 15, 2018, Kauaʻi experienced a record-breaking rainfall of 49″ in a 24-hour period that broke the national 24-hour rainfall record of 43″ set in 1979 with Tropical Storm Claudette. This natural disaster flooded Hanalei and damaged multiple structures. Pictured here is a bison that got washed into the ocean during the floods and modern day paniolo Kainoa Wong roping the lost bison to safety.

Resources at the Archives:
Photograph by Anthony Quintano, Capitol @50 Manuscript Collection, Call No. U-218

Back to top

---

Hawaiʻi Register of Brands

Page 20 from the Register of Brands book from Hawaiʻi island. Notably Eben Parker Low’s brand can be seen here. Also known as “Rawhide Ben”, Low was the great grandson of John Palmer Parker I and grew up on Parker Ranch. In 1908, Low sent Archie Kaʻauʻa, Jack Low, and Ikua Purdy to the Frontier Days World Championship Roping Competition in Cheyenne, Wyoming to represent Hawaiʻi. Purdy placed first, Kaʻauʻa third, and Low sixth in the Steer Roping Championship, breaking Wyoming’s streak on the championship title.

 

 

Resources at the Archives:
Governor of Hawaii, Registers of Brands, 1888-1892, Call No. 068-13

Back to top

---

Oʻahu Register of Brands

Pages 2, 4, and 8 of the Register of Brands book from Oʻahu island.

 

 

 

 

Resources at the Archives:
Governor of Oahu, Registers of Brands, 1888-1892, Call No. 077-19

Back to top

---

Reclaiming Kalākaua

In celebration of Archives Month 2019, the Hawaiʻi State Archives presents “Reclaiming Kalākaua”– an illustrated research presentation by author Dr. Tiffany Lani Ing with a supplemental address on primary source research by Dr. Ronald Williams Jr. of the Hawaiʻi State Archives. The event will include oli, hula, and a mini-exhibition of original documents and artifacts from the 1881 voyage around the world by His Hawaiian Majesty Mōʻī David La‘amea Kamanakapu‘u Mahinulani Nalōia‘ehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua.

When:    October 19, 2019, 2:00pm-3:30pm
Where:   Hawaiʻi State Capitol Building,
                 State Capitol Auditorium, Chamber level

This event was livestreamed on our Facebook page and can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiStateArchives/videos/449387725703923

Resources at the Archives:
Kalākaua’s Trip Around the World letters, Call No. FO&Ex-28
King Kalākaua’s Manuscript Collection, Call No. M-187

Back to top

---

Hawaiʻi State Archives Lecture Series

Where:	Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, No. 1 Capitol District Building 250 South Hotel Street Multi-Purpose Room, 1st Floor
When:	10/22, 2:00pm-3:00pm Introduction to the Hawaiʻi State Archives 10/23, 2:00pm-3:00pm Genealogy Research 10/24, 2:00pm-3:00pm Land Research 10/25, 2:00pm-3:00pm Legislative Research

In celebration of Archives Month this year, the Hawaiʻi State Archives will be presenting a series of talks about the primary sources held at the Public Archives; a place of unique and historical records from the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi to the current state government. A series of four one-hour informational talks on the most common research topics will be presented by Archives staff. All events are free and open to the public!

Back to top

---

Display Case at the Archives

We will be featuring original materials from our vault to highlight certain events, people, and/or collections in our research room here at the Public Archives. Now until the end of December, the theme of the display case will be Paniolo to echo our Archives Month. More information about the items on display for Paniolo:

Application for register of brand – sheep; with translation
S. W. K. Alapai Jr., 20 March 1883, South Kohala

 
 
 
 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. INT-4, Brands and Earmarks, Sheep (1882-1888)

---

John Cooper Searle Sr., “The Making of a Lariat”
Hawaiian Annual, 1928, pages 91-94

 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. DU 622 .A4, Hawaiian Annual 1928

Resources outside of the Archives:
Hawaiian Almanac and Annual, 1928 via eVols at University of Hawaii at Manoa

---

Part of bridle
Purported to have been made by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole during his imprisonment for involvement in attempt to restore Queen Liliʻuokalani to power, with note. [Date on note is incorrect. His imprisonment was in 1895.]
 
 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. Artifact 197, Artifact Collection

---

Passport to leave Hawaiian Kingdom issued to Joaquin Armas
One of the first “paniolo” in Hawaiʻi. Armas came to Hawaiʻi from San Diego, Territory of Mexico, in 1831, and was hire by Mōʻī (King) Kauikeaouli [Kamehameha III] to be a “bullock catcher.” Armas was sent to Waimea in 1832.

 
 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. 416-2, passport #160

---

Register of Brands, Island of Hawaiʻi

 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. 068-13, Hawaiʻi Register of Brands, 1888-1892, Governor of Hawaiʻi, Island Governors

Related materials at the Archives:
Call No. 077-19, Registers of Brands, 1888-1892, Governor of Oahu, Island Governors
Call No. 073-16, Livestock Registers, 1863-1887, Governor of Maui, Island Governors

---

Cattle Drive, Kahua Ranch, Hawaiʻi Island, August 1924
Reverse: Cattle-Ranching, Kahua Ranch, Hawaii, Aug 1924, Maude Jones Collection, Cattle Drive

 
 
 
 
 
 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. PP-13-06-003, Photograph Collection
Paniolo Online Photograph Exhibtion

---

Cattle Drive, Kahua Ranch, Hawaiʻi Island, August 1924
Reverse: Cattle-Ranching, Kahua, Hawaii, Aug. 1924, Maude Jones Collection, Cattle Drive

 
 
 

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. PP-13-06-002, Photograph Collection
Paniolo Online Photograph Exhibition

Back to top

---

Kindy Sproat’s Honesakala

Studio recording of Kindy Sproat singing Honesakala, accompanied by Haunani Apoliona on slack key guitar, recorded on February 22, 1987. A transcription of Kindy’s opening about the song – “He didn’t know who it was, I’ll tell you the story tho. K, ready? This song is called Honesakala, honeysuckles. And this song was written by Thomas Lindsey, who was a cowboy on the Parker Ranch. And he had a girlfriend that lived in Kohala, over the mountain from where he lived and its like 30 miles over the mountains. And he rode his horse over there to court her. And on the way, he passed these old homesteads in Kawaihae Uka and there are lots of honeysuckles growing on the stone walls and there he fashion leis and bouquets which he took to her and he was one of the very smart men, I guess, of the time so the Parker Ranch sent him to school. And he wrote this song in, in honor of his girlfriend. In Kohala that he didn’t get to marry because uh, she wed someone else.”

Listen to it here in mp3 format: Honesakala
Right-click and save to download the file.

Resources at the Archives:
Call No. DAGS8, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Folk Music Program Collection

Back to top