Pahala, Hawaii
Pahala (Hawaiian: Pāhala) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,378 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Pahala is located at 19°12′15″N 155°28′44″W / 19.204109°N 155.479005°W / 19.204109; -155.479005Coordinates: 19°12′15″N 155°28′44″W / 19.204109°N 155.479005°W / 19.204109; -155.479005.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all of it land.
Climate
History
Pahala was created by a sugarcane plantation. The area selected to house the sugar refinery had several key features:
a flat plateau on a sloping mountainous region.
direct access to a water well
a strategic central location to sugarcane fields.
In Hawaiian, Pāhala refers to the ashes of leaves from the hala tree (Pandanus tectorius). Long ago, when cracks were found in the sugarcane fields, workers would stuff them with hala leaves and burn them.
For years, Pahala consisted of a managers house, several plantation homes, a general store and the sugar refinery. Many of the sugarcane workers were housed in small camps in and around Pahala and in camps situated throughout the outer lying sugarcane fields. Many of these camps were self-sufficient. They consisted of 8 to 12 plantation dwellings with a small store. Some camps had specialty shops such as a blacksmith or a simple barbershop. As time passed some installed gas stations.
