Hau‘oli Lā Hānau: Celebrating Local Company Anniversaries—July Edition
Every month, we celebrate the anniversaries of local companies and organizations. This month: A Hawaiian church, a media mainstay and a North Shore purveyor of delicious treats.
the original Carlsmith Ball office in Hilo, Hawai‘i
photos: courtesy of carlsmith ball
Kawaiaha‘o Church
Although nicknamed the “Stone Church,” Kawaiaha‘o isn’t built of stone, but of coral. Historians say Native Hawaiians dove 10 to 20 feet into the ocean to hand-chisel 14,000 half-ton slabs of reef, which they loaded into canoes to transport back to shore. Commissioned by King Kamehameha III in 1842, the historic church was a place of worship for Hawai‘i’s royalty. Notably, the publicly elected King William Charles Lunalilo was crowned and laid to rest within the church walls.
Carlsmith Ball
Carlsmith Ball, the oldest law firm in Hawai‘i, was founded as a solo practice in Hilo in 1857 by David H. Hitchcock. Since then, the law firm has expanded to Honolulu, Kona, Maui and Los Angeles. Hitchcock’s partner, Carl S. Carlsmith inherited the practice in 1890 and renamed it Carlsmith in 1911. After merging with the California law firm Ball, Hunt, Hart, Brown and Baerwitz in 1990, the firm became Carlsmith Ball. The founder’s daughter, Almeda Eliza Hitchcock, joined the practice in 1888, making her the first female lawyer in Hawai‘i.
ALMEDA ELIZA HITCHCOCK, THE FIRST FEMALE LAWYER IN HAWAI‘I
KHNL
Did you know that KHNL’s call letters are from the former Honolulu International Airport’s location code “HNL”? Although the station debuted as KTRG on July 4, 1962, KHNL officially became a news station in 1984. It began broadcasting University of Hawai‘i sports at that time. The local television station boasted the first fully digital newsroom in the world in 1995 and was the first newscast in the state to switch to high definition in 2008. After merging with KGMB and KFVE in 2009, KHNL became part of the Hawai‘i News Now broadcast.
Ted’s Bakery
When Ted Nakamura opened Ted’s Bakery in 1987, it was inside his father’s small grocery store on Sunset Beach, selling doughnuts, cornbread and a few pastries. Today, Ted’s is famous for pies, especially its chocolate haupia cream pie, blueberry cream pie, pumpkin haupia cream pie and liliko‘i cheese pie, sold in stores and supermarkets across the island. The bakery has also expanded its menu to serve more than baked goods, including plate lunches piled with local favorites like garlic shrimp, barbecue chicken and chicken katsu.
Did You Know?
Hank’s Haute Dogs
July 16, 2007, 10th
Hank’s Haute Dogs owner Henry Adaniya was the owner of Trio, a fine-dining restaurant in Evanston, Illinois, for 12 years before moving to Hawai‘i to open a hot dog diner. The fast food joint, now 10 years old, was featured on three network television shows: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Man vs. Food and Unique Eats.
