`Aiea

`AIEA

Hawaiian Name Meaning:
`Aiea was named for a small Hawaiian bush which was used to extract grasses to bind the pili together.

Location/Land Area:
`Aiea has a total area of 4.5 km² (1.8 mi² ). 4.3 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.71% water. Although `Aiea is officially only the small 4.5 kilometers² noted above, a lot of residents in Hawai`i, when describing "`Aiea," are talking about the coastline between West Loch (of Pearl Harbor) and `Aiea Bay and the associated land rising up north into the Ko`olau Mountain Range.

Population: 9,019 (2000 Census)

History:
`Aiea was originally the name of an Ahupua`a, or Hawaiian land district, where ancient Hawaiians once harvested loi, fished and lived in grass huts. It stretched from `Aiea Bay (part of Pearl Harbor) into the mountains to the north. `Aiea came late to the sugar boom. It wasn't until 1898 when the sugarcane plantation was opened in the district by the Hawaiian Plantation Company. A year later in 1899, BF Dillingham obtained the rights to put in a railroad that started Aiea. He named it the O`ahu Railway and Land Company (OR & L). As `Aiea has several miles of shoreline at Pearl Harbor, the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor greatly affected the town—the OR & L no longer ran and the waterfront became off limits. After the plantation shut down after World War II, the mill was converted into a sugar refinery. Meanwhile, developers started building a town on the former sugar cane fields. Houses began springing up along `Aiea's hills and large subdivisions would follow. The town's sugar history came to a close in 1996, when C&H closed the sugar refinery. In 1998, the 99-year old sugar mill was torn down by a private company, despite protests from town residents and the County government. Today, `Aiea is home to a mixture of commercial and industrial businesses, and residences.

Interesting Facts: The only city in the world that is spelled using only vowels.

Landmarks: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Aloha Stadium, `Aiea Heiau

Famous People: Derek Tatsuno