T. S. Dye & Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc.
735 Bishop St., Suite 315, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
Archaeological Assessment for the Proposed
Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless (VZW) HI3
Puna Telecommunication Facility-Church on a Sure
Foundation Cell Site, 16-1592 Pohaku Circle, Kea‘au,
Puna, Hawai‘i Island, TMK:(1)1–6–010:114 por.‡
Elaine H. R. Jourdane
Thomas S. Dye, Ph.D.
September 18, 2006
Applicant: Clayton Group Services.
Applicant’s Consultant: T. S. Dye & Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc.
Location: 16–1592 Pohaku Circle, Kea‘au, Puna, Hawai‘i.
Tax map key: (3)1–6–010:114 por.
Request: Proposed Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless Puna (HI3) Church on a
Sure Foundation Cell Site.
Direct Effect: No historic properties in Area of Potential Effect (APE) for direct effects.
Visual Effect: No historic properties in Area of Potential Effect (APE) for visual effects.
1
Introduction
At the request of Clayton Group Services, T. S. Dye & Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc.
conducted an archaeological assessment of a parcel for the proposed shared Verizon
Wireless and Cingular Wireless cellular site. The primary focus of the project was on the
discovery and appropriate treatment of historic properties within the area of potential
effect. The goals of the archaeological investigation were to determine whether the
installation of 120 ft. antenna pole and associated equipment at the Church on a Sure
Foundation would have direct or visual effects on historic properties.
‡ Prepared for Clayton Group Services, 970 North Kalaheo Avenue, Suite C-316, Kailua, HI 96734.
1
2
1.1
1
INTRODUCTION
Project Area
Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless propose the shared use of a new 120 ft. tall
monopole and equipment facility at the southwestern portion of the Church on a Sure
Foundation lot. The shared monopole will include up to twelve 8 ft. high Verizon Wireless
panel antennas with a finished height of ca. 111 ft. above ground. A 12 × 26 ft. pre-fabricated
Verizon Wireless equipment shelter and a diesel generator will be installed at ground
level on the south side of the monopole and the entire facility will be secured with a 7 ft.
high fenced enclosure.
Cingular Wireless has allocated space at the top of pole to mount up to twelve 8 ft. high
panel antennas in the future. A 12 × 24 ft. pre-fabricated Cingular Wireless equipment
shelter will also be installed at ground level within the facility on the north side of the
monopole in the future.
The roughly 1,000 ft.2 site is located on a portion of the 0.943 ac. parcel owned by the
Church on a Sure Foundation Assembly of God Inc. and identified as TMK:(3)1–6–010:114
(figs. 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless project location at the Church on a Sure
Foundation, Kea‘au, Hawai‘i, plotted on portions of the USGS 1997 Pahoa North and
1994 Mountain View quadrangles.
The project parcel contains a residence and a carport. The Church on a Sure Foundation sanctuary and recreational complex is located immediately north of the proposed
project site. The Church on a Sure Foundation was constructed in 1992. The proposed
Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless equipment shelter and antenna pole will be installed
in the southwestern portion of the parcel adjacent to the existing residence and carport.
Ground disturbance will include installation of the antenna pole, equipment cabinets,
and utility conduits (fig. 3).
1.2
Background Research
3
Figure 2. Location of Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless Church on a Sure Foundation site on a USGS infrared aerial photograph.
According to the FCC Nationwide Programmatic Agreement (NPA), the area of
potential effect (APE) for direct effects on historic properties includes the area of potential
ground disturbance during the installation of the tower, equipment shelter, and utilities.
The APE for visual effects on historic properties for a tower 200 ft. or less is the area
within ca. 0.5 mi. of the tower.
1.2
Background Research
This archaeological assessment includes the review of historic documents, maps and
archaeological reports on file at the State Historic Preservation Division library, the
Hawaii State Library and the State Bureau of Conveyances.
1.2.1
Natural Setting
The Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless project site lies at an elevation of 350–360 ft.
above sea level. The soils in the area are classified as a miscellaneous land type, Lava
flows, pahoehoe. This lava has a billowy, glassy surface that is relatively smooth. In some
areas the surface is rough and broken, and there are hummocks and pressure domes.
Pahoehoe lava has no soil covering and is typically bare of vegetation except for mosses
and lichens [14]. The project area receives an average rainfall of 120–160 in. annually [3].
The project site has been graded and developed with the church complex and the
existing residence and carport.
4
1
INTRODUCTION
Figure 3. Proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless Cellular Site location plan,
courtesy of Clayton Group Services.
1.2.2
ahupua‘a
Traditional and Historic Land Use
The physical environment, historic properties, and history of Kea‘au have been well
documented in several studies, including those of Maly [11], Kelly et al. [9], and Walker
et al. [15]. The following information is a brief review that provides context for the project.
The proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless project site is located in the ahupua‘a of Kea‘au in the Puna district of Hawai‘i. Kea‘au is the northern most ahupua‘a in
the district and extends from the coast to an elevation of ca. 3,900 feet. Kea‘au was the
home of the deities, Kūka‘ōhi‘a laka and his sister Kauakuahiwi. Beckwith [1] relates the
following legend:
Ku-ka-ohia-a-ka-laka and his sister Ka-ua-kuahiwa (The rain on the ridges)
come from Kahiki to Hawaii and live, Ku with his wife at Keaau and Kaua
with her husband in the uplands of Ola‘a. When the sister brings vegetable
food from her garden to her brother at the sea, her stingy sister-in-law
pretends that they have no fish and gives her nothing but seaweed to take
home as a relish. In despair at this treatment, Kaua transforms her husband
and children into rats and herself into a spring of water. Her spirit comes
to her brother and tells him of her fate. He visits the uplands, recognizes
the spot as she has directed in the dream, and, plunging into the spring, is
himself transformed into the lehua tree which we see today. [1:17]
1.2
Background Research
5
Another famous story of the area involves Kamehameha I. During his campaign to
control the island of Hawai‘i, Kamehameha and his forces paddled their canoes from
Laupahoehoe to Papa‘i in Kea‘au where they encountered some men and women fishing.
Kamehameha attacked the villagers who escaped except for two men who stayed to
protect another man with a child. During the scuffle, Kamehameha’s foot was caught in
a crevice in the rocks and one of the fishermen hit him on the head with a canoe paddle
and fled. Because he escaped death he proclaimed the Kānawai Māmalahoe (Law of the
Splintered Paddle) making it safe for old and young to travel and rest along the road
sides [7; 8].
A description of the settlement pattern in Kea‘au is provided by Maly [11].
In the context of Hawaiian settlement and expansion, Kea‘au was one of
the favored lands of Puna. Much of Kea‘au and it’s neighbor Ōla‘a, with
which the residents shared a close relationship, has rich soil. Also, the large
pond—modified into a loko i‘a or fishpond,—and numerous marshy areas
and small ponds between Māwae in the north and Waikahekahe to the east,
made Kea‘au ideal for coastal settlement. The watered lowlands provided
inhabitants with resources—such as fresh water, marine protein resources,
and the ability to cultivate vegetable foods year round. The fertile uplands
provided residents with access to important agricultural complexes and other
natural resources important to sustaining the local and regional community.
Historical documentation recorded by nineteenth century residents, early
visitors and surveyors document the occurrence of extensive agricultural
field systems in the region generally extending from the 400 foot elevation
to about the 2,500 foot elevation . . . [11:12]
During the māhele three claims were awarded in Kea‘au. A 13.64 ac. parcel was
awarded to Hewahewa (LCA 8081, RP4360) and was described as a coffee kīhāpai which
was unfenced with no house. In 1865, the parcel was deeded to Bishop L. Maigret of
the Roman Catholic Church. Another agricultural plot was awarded to Barenaba (LCA
2327). The remaining ahupua‘a of Kea‘au was granted to William C. Lunalilo, son of
chiefess Kekāuluohi and chief Charles Kana‘ina (LCA 8559-B ‘āpana 16). Before the
māhele, Kana‘ina was the konohiki of the land. In 1865, Kea‘au was mortgaged by the
guardians of Lunalilo’s estate to Honolulu banker, Charles R. Bishop. In September 1872,
the ahupua‘a of Kea‘au was leased by Charles Kana‘ina and Charles R. Bishop, guardians
of the Lunalilo estate, to Obed B. Spencer. The lease was reassigned to Rufus A. Lyman in
September 1874 [11]. In 1882, the remaining ca. 64,275 ac. of Kea‘au ahupua‘a, was deeded
by the trustees of the Lunalilo Estate to Samuel Damon, William H. Shipman and E.
Elderts. By 1884, W. H. Shipman held all deeds to Kea‘au. The Verizon Wireless/Cingular
Wireless Church on a Sure Foundation project site is located within these lands.
In 1899, Shipman leased almost 4,000 acres of land to the Ola‘a Sugar Company
which incorporated in 1899, and started sugar cultivation in the Puna district. In 1900,
the Hilo Railroad Company extended its line to connect with the Olaa Sugar Company
mill in Kea‘au and even farther south to Kapoho. By the end of 1901, railroad lines in
Puna extended from Waiākea to Kapoho including branches to Pahoa and from the ‘Ōla‘a
mill to Kea‘au and to Mountain View. By 1956, Olaa Sugar Company owned ca. 24,500 ac.
and leased 7,800 ac. Of this total, 9.400 ac. were planted in sugar cane.
māhele
kīhāpai
‘āpana
konohiki
6
1
INTRODUCTION
Cattle were grazing in Kea‘au as early as the 1850s and Kea‘au Ranch included lands
in Kea‘au that were later cultivated with sugar cane.
According to information gathered by Clayton Group Services and T. S. Dye &
Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc., the recent land history records trace ownership of
the project site in 1939 to a larger parcel owned by W. H. Shipman. The larger parcel
was subdivided and new parcels were created between 1939 and 1953 when Ruddy Fah
Tongg is listed as owner of a 4,452.652 ac. parcel. Additional subdivision and new parcels
were created and in 1958 the Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless parcel was a part of a
larger parcel deeded to the Hilo Development company. More changes in ownership
and parceling occurred until 1989 when the parcel was acquired by the Church on a Sure
Foundation Assembly of God Inc.
1.2.3
Archaeological Background
There are no known archaeological surveys conducted for the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless Church on a Sure Foundation project site. However, several
archaeological investigations have been conducted in nearby areas of of Kea‘au. During
his survey of east Hawai‘i, Hudson [4] recorded several sites along the coast of Kea‘au,
although finding information on these sites was difficult.
Most of them are located along the coast between Keaau and Kapoho where
no one now lives, and it is difficult to locate descendants of the former
Hawaiian population of the area who might be able to shed light on the
nature and function of certain sites. [4:304]
pāhoehoe
Previous archaeological investigations in Kea‘au indicate that traditional Hawaiian
settlements were located along the coastline, with associated agricultural terraces and
burial sites on the upland slopes. Population centers were concentrated near trails
running between Hilo, Volcano and Puna. Also, much of the land surrounding the
proposed project site had been subjected to large scale sugar cultivation for over a
hundred years. In 1992, Franklin et al. [2] conducted an archaeological inventory survey
with subsurface testing of a 200 ac. parcel in Waikahekahe and Waikahekahe Nui, ca.
4.644 km southwest of the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless site. Two sites,
a pāhoehoe boulder and cobble alignment that extends out from a lava blister, site 50–10–
44–17848, and a stacked boulder and cobble retaining terrace, site 50–10–44–17849, were
found. Both sites were interpreted as agricultural use features of probable traditional
Hawaiian construction.
In 1993, Hunt [5] provided an archaeological assessment of the Shipman lands in
Kea‘au. His review showed that large portions of the project area had been cultivated
with sugar by the late 1800s which greatly modified the land. Features identified by Hunt
were associated with historic plantation activities, such as field clearing.
In 1994, Hurst and Schilz [6] conducted an archaeological survey of selected portions
of the Kea‘au Pahoa Bypass Road near Kea‘au town, located at least ca. 6.1 km north of
the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless project site. No significant cultural
remains were found during the survey.
In 1997, Walker et al. [15] conducted historical and archaeological investigations for
the proposed Kea‘au High School site. The survey covered ca. 75 ac. on the south side of
7
Kea‘au town, ca. 7 km north of the proposed Cingular Wireless/Verizon Wireless project
site. Only a 537 m long portion of the Hilo Railroad Company right of way, State site
50–10–44–21191, was found during the survey. The site was assessed as significant for
the information it contains on transportation networks and changes in the modes of
production of the sugar industry on Hawai‘i Island.
In 1998, Masterson and Hammatt [12] conducted an archaeological inventory survey
for the proposed Keaau Elderly Housing Project. The survey was located ca. 7 km north
of the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless project area and covered 2.468 acres.
No archaeological sites were documented within the area.
There are no historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places
within the area of potential effect for the undertaking.
2
Results
On September 2, 2006, Elaine Jourdane of T. S. Dye & Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc.
conducted a field investigation of the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless
project site. The limits of the project area were clearly defined and ground visibility
was excellent. The proposed site is located west of an existing carport in an area that
has recently been graded. A bulldozer was parked on the church property and recent
bulldozer tracks are located on the project site as well as other areas of the church property.
No surface historic properties were observed within the proposed project site (fig. 4).
Figure 4. Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless proposed Puna Church site, looking
southwest.
A field inspection was also conducted by Clayton Group Services and the information
and photographs of the project site were reviewed. At the time of the Clayton Group
Service site visit the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless facility was located
within a grassed lawn area which was subsequently mechanically cleared.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Discussion and Conclusions
A review of the archaeological literature, historic maps, and documents shows that the
project site is surrounded by land which was subjected to large scale sugar cultivation for
many years and has been altered by the development of the Church on a Sure Foundation
complex. A field inspection determined that no surface historic properties exists within
the area of potential effect for the proposed Verizon Wireless/Cingular Wireless cellular
site and no subsurface deposits are likely to be found because of the past and recent land
alteration. Therefore the construction of the facility will have no direct effect on historic
properties. Since there are no known historic sites listed on the Register of Historic
Places within 0.5 mi. of the tower, the undertaking will have no visual effect on historic
properties.
Glossary
Entries for Hawaiian words are excerpted or paraphrased, where possible, from the
Hawaiian Dictionary [13], or from Lucas [10].
‘a‘ā Basaltic lava flows typified by a rough, jagged, spinose, clinkery surface. See also
pāhoehoe.
‘āpana Piece, slice, portion, fragment, section, land division, lot, district, sector.
ahupua‘a Traditional Hawaiian land division usually extending from the uplands to the
sea.
kīhāpai Small land division, smaller than a paukū; cultivated patch, garden, orchard,
field, small farm.
konohiki Head man of an ahupua‘a land division under the chief; land or fishing rights
under control of the konohiki; such rights are sometimes called konohiki rights.
See also ahupua‘a.
māhele Land division of 1848.
pāhoehoe Basaltic lava flows typified by smooth, billowy, or ropy surface. See also ‘a‘ā.
Bibliography
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[2] Franklin, L. J., P. H. Rosendahl, and L. Kalima (1992, September). Archaeological
Inventory Survey, Ainaloa Project, Lands of Waikahekahe Nui and Waikahekahe, Puna
District, Island of Hawai‘i (TMK: 3–1–6–04:21, 57). Prepared for Ainaloa Development
Corporation. Hilo, Hawaii: Paul H. Rosendahl, Ph.D., Inc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
9
[3] Giambelluca, T. W. and T. A. Schroeder (1998). Climate. In S. P. Juvik and J. O. Juvik
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[5] Hunt, T. L. (1993, July). Archaeological Assessment of Shipman Lands in Kea‘au, Puna,
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of Hawai‘i (TMK: 1–6–01 various parcels. Prepared for Na Ala Hele Program, State
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[12] Masterson, I. A. and H. H. Hammatt (1998, July). Archaeological Inventory Survey
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Prepared for Hawai‘i Island Community Development Corporation. Kailua, Hawaii:
Cultural Surveys Hawaii.
[13] Pukui, M. K. and S. H. Elbert (1971). Hawaiian Dictionary (Third ed.). Honolulu:
University of Hawaii Press.
[14] Sato, H. H., W. Ikeda, R. Paeth, R. Smythe, and M. Takehiro, Jr. (1973). Soil Survey of
the Island of Hawaii, State of Hawaii. Washington, D. C.: United States Department of
Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with the University of Hawaii
Agricultural Experiment Station.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
[15] Walker, A. T., K. Maly, and P. H. Rosendahl (1997, July). Historical and Archaeological
Research, Proposed Kea‘au High School Site, Land of Kea‘au, Puna District, Island of
Hawai‘i. Prepared for Group 70 International, Inc. Hilo, Hawaii: Paul H. Rosendahl,
Ph.D., Inc.