05-30-2014, 07:44 AM
quote:
Originally posted by leilaniguy I was told these lots were planned for plantation workers housing.
There are a few subdivisions in Puna that started out as plantation housing but HA isn't one of them.
quote:
http://www.hawaiianacres.org/history.php
n 1958, two mainland businessmen from Denver, Colorado, Glen I. Payton and David F. O'Keefe organized a Hawaii Corporation called Tropic Estates. They purchased 12,191 acres of land between Kurtistown and Mountain View from Big Island politician and businessmen, Robert M. Yamada.
The land was divided into 4,008 lots and put on the market for $500.00 to $1,000.00 each, with terms as low as $150.00 down and $8.00 per month. The project was named Hawaiian Acres. The lots sold very well.
HA, HPP, Beaches, others, were originally undivided and being used for different plantation crops from the mid-1800's to the 1960's. Until the late 1800's, Puna was a major supplier of coffee for the US. Then there was sugar cane and pineapples after that crop moved elsewhere. HA and HPP were subdivided by mainland investors that decided south Puna should become like suburbs in California. Only thing, in California, subdivision developers are required to put in all the infrastructure first. In Hawaii, that wasn't a requirement back then and the transplant developers thought the developments would grow themselves. And grow themselves, they have done. Only problem is just the number of bodies have grown, not the infrastructure.
"This island Hawaii on this island Earth"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*