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Geology Resources - Hawaii

Research Resources - Hawaii

The Hawaii Stone Industry

Printed Sources

(Please note: Many of the books listed below were found during searches of these two sources: (1) Melvyl: The Catalog of the University of California Libraries and (2) the Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.)

  • An Analysis of the Mauna Kea Adze Quarry Archaeobotanical Assemblage, by Melinda Sue Allen, 1981, 162 leaves. (“Notes: Typescript. Thesis (M.A.), University of Hawaii.”)
  • Archaeological Investigations of the Puu Moiwi Adze Quarry Complex, Kaho'olawe, by Patrick Carlton McCoy, Akihiko Sinoto, Atwood Makanani, Wailuku, Hawaii, Kaho'olawe Island Conveyance Commission, 1993, 204 pp.
  • Archaeological Reconaissance of the Proposed Quarry and Rock Crushing and Batch Plant Relocation Site, Kamoku, La'na’i Island, Hawaii, by Douglas Borthwick, Cultural Surveys Hawaii, 1990, 14 leaves. (“Prepared for La'nai Company, Inc." "February 1990.")
  • Archaeological Walk-through Reconnaissance Survey of the Proposed Hawaiian Cement Puunene Quarry, Located at Pulehunui, Wailuku, (Kula), Maui, by Joseph Kennedy, Halewi: Archaeological Consultants of Hawaii, 1990, 2 leaves.
  • Atlas of North America, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, 320 pp.
  • The B. P. Bishop Museum Mauna Kea Adz Quarry Project, by Patrick C. McCoy, Honolulu: Department of Anthropology, B. P. Bishop Museum, 1978. ( Hawaii State Historic Preservation Office. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Department of Anthropology.)
  • Barnes’ Hawaiian Geography, New York: A. S. Barnes, 26 pp.
  • Bibliography of the Geology and Water Resources of the Island of Hawaii, by Gordon Andrew Macdonald, 1947, 191 pp. (Hawaii Department of Public Lands Division of Hydrography Bulletin 10)
  • A Descriptive Bibliography of the Current Holdings in the Rare Bookroom of Hamilton Library Concerning Geographical Works, Maps, Atlases, and Exploration Literature, by Marc Allen Levin, Honolulu, Hawaii: The Associates of the Library of the University of Hawaii, Manoa, 1979. (“Occasional papers Associates of the Library of the University of Hawaii at Manoa 1”)
  • The Economic Geography of Hawaii, by Otis Willard Freeman, Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1927, 87 pp. (Research Publications ( University of Hawaii ) no. 2)
  • Environmental Impact Statement for Excavation and Quarrying Operation at Honokahau, 2nd, north Kona District, island of Hawaii, prepared by J. H. K. Tanaka, Inc., 1975, 9 leaves. (Alternate title: Excavation and Quarrying Operation at Honokahau 2nd, north Kona District, island of Hawaii, Hawaii )
  • Environmental Impact Statement for Excavation and Quarrying Use at Waihee, Oahu (R. M. Towill Corporation), Honolulu: The R. M. Towill Corporation, 1974, 16 leaves. (Alternate title: Excavation and Quarrying Use at Waihee, Oahu)

  • Geological Guide to the Island of Hawaii, by Richard Robinson, March 21, 2012, 366 pages, ISBN-10: 0985240016, ISBN-13: 978-0985240011.  (available on amazon.com)

  • Geography of the Hawaiian Islands, by Charles Wickliffe Baldwin, New York: American Book Company, 1908, 128 pp.
  • Geography of the Hawaiian Islands, by Charles Wickliffe Baldwin, Rev., N.Y.: American Book Co., 1924, 131 pp.
  • Geology and Geophysics in Hawaii: Bibliography of Theses and Dissertations, 1909-1977, by Unni Havem Rowell, Honolulu: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii, 1978, 78 pp.
  • Geology and Ground-water Resources of the Honolulu Pearl Harbor Area, Oahu, Hawaii, by Chester K. Wentworth, Honolulu, Hawaii: Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu, 1951, 111 pp.
  • Geology and Ground-water Resources of the Island of Hawaii, by Harold T. Stears and Gordon A. MacDonald, Prepared in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey, Honolulu, Hawaii: printed in the territory of Hawaii, 1947, 363 pp. (Hawaii (Territory) Department of Public Lands Division of Hydrography Bulletin 9)
  • Geology and Ground-water Resources of the Island of Niihau, Hawaii, by Harold T. Stearns, Petrography of Niihau, by Gordon H. MacDonald, prepared in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey, Honolulu: 1947, 53 pp.
  • Geology and Groundwater Resources of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, by Harold T. Stearns and Knute N. Vaksvik, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii: printed by Maui Pub. Co., prepared in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey, 1935, 479 pp. (Hawaii Department of Public Lands Division of Hydrology Bulletin 1)
  • Geology and Ground-water Resources of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Supplement to the Geology and Ground-water Resources of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, (Wailuku, Maui), printed by Maui Publishing Company, Limited, 1935, 479 pp.
  • Geology of the Hawaiian Islands, by Harold T. Stearns, prepared in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey, Honolulu: Reprint of the 1946 edition published by the Advertiser Publishing Co., Honolulu, with supplement by Gordon A. MacDonald added. (“Called ‘Second print, with supplement.’”), 112 pp.
  • Geology of the State of Hawaii, by Harold T. Stearns, Palo Alto, Calif.: Pacific Books, 1966, 266 pp.
  • Hawaii, A Natural History: Geology, Climate, Native Flora and Fauna Above the Shoreline, by Serwin Carlquist, Illustrated by Sherwiin Carlquist and Jeanne R. Janish, 2nd ed., Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii: Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, 1980, 468 pp.
  • Hawaii, A Unique Geography, by Joseph R. Morgan, Honolulu, Hawaii, Bess Press, 1996, 244 pp. ISBN 1573060216 (“Updated ed. of Hawaii, a geography, Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1983.)
  • Hawaii in Pictures, by Lois Bianchi, New York: Sterling Pub. Co., 1966, 64 pp.
  • Hawaii, the Aloha State, by Helen Bauer and maps by Bruce S. McCurdy, 3rd ed. rev. and updated by Ann Rayson, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bess Press, 1982, 192 pp., ISBN: 0935848150 (paperback)  
  • Highway Geology of the Hawaiian Islands: Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai and Molokai, edited by Robert Michael Easton and Monica Gaiswinkler Easton, with contributions on Kilauea by Richard W. Hazlett, Brampton, Ontario, Canada: Easton Enterprises, 1987, 158 pp., ISBN 0969282400.

  • Illustrated Geological Guide to the Island of Hawaii, by Richard C. Robinson, CreateSpace, March 30, 2012, 294 pp., ISBN-10: 1475097603, ISBN-13: 978-1475097603.  (available on amazon.com)

  • The Industrial Service Encyclopedia of Resources, 11 Western States, Alaska, Hawaii, Philippines, San Francisco: Industrial West Foundation, 1944.
  • Initial Bibliography of Grove Farm Sinkhole Caves, Kauai (also known as Limestone Quarry Cave), by William R. Halliday, Hilo: Hawaii Speleological Survey of the National Speleological Society, 1993, 2 leaves. (Hawaii Speleological Survey of the National Speleological Society, #93-02.)

  • Island of Hawaii Geological Guide, by Richard C. Robinson, CreateSpace, April 9, 2012, 294 pp., ISBN-10: 1475151594, ISBN-13: 978-1475151596. (available on amazon.com)

  • Karsts of Oahu and Other Hawaiian Islands, by William R. Halliday, 1999, pp. 96-105.
  • A Location Guide for Rockhounds, (PDF) Collected by Robert C. Beste, PG, St. Louis, Missouri: Hobbitt Press, 2nd ed., December 1996, 148 pp. (Includes chapters on “Mineral Locations by State,” “Appendix and Glossary,” and “Bibliography.”)
  • Many Wests: Place, Culture, and Regional Identity, David M. Wrobel, Michael C. Steiner, editors, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1997, 385 pp. (#13. Noncontiguous Wests: Alaska and Hawai'i, by John S. Whitehead.)
  • Natural History of Hawaii, Being an account of the Hawaiian People, the Geology and Geography of the Islands, and the Native and Introduced Plants and Animals of the Group, by William Alanson Bryan, Honolulu, Hawaii, printed by the author, The Hawaiian Gazette Co., Ltd., 1915, 596 pp.
  • Petrography of the Island of Hawaii, U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 214-D, by Gordon A. Macdonald, Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1949, 96 pp.
  • Prehistoric Distribution of Stone Adzes on Hawaii Island, Implications for the Development of Hawaiian Chiefdoms, by Barbara M. Withrow, pp. 235-250, Asian Perspectives, vol. XXIX, no. 2, 1990.
  • “Quarrying in Hawaii,” by Kirk Miles, in Du Pont Magazine, vol. 29, no. 7-8, Midsummer, 1935, pp. 11-15.
  • The Relative Ages of the Hawaiian Landscapes, by Norman E. A. Hinds, Berkeley, CA: University Press, 1931. (Bulletin of the Department of Geological Sciences, vol. 20, no. 6)
  • Roadside Geology of Hawai'i, by Richard W. Hazlett and Donald W. Hyndman, Mountain Press Publishing Company, Incorporated, September 1996. Paperback, 317 pp., ISBN: 0878423443.
  • “Romancing the Stone Age, A Brief Look at Early Structural Hawaii,” by Joseph Kennedy, in Hawaii Pacific Architecture, vol. 3, no. 10, October 1996, pp. 6-7.
  • Seductions of Place: Geographical Perspectives on Globilization and Touristed Landscapes, edited by Carolyn Cartier and Alan A. Lew, London, New York: Routledge, 2005, 340 pp.
  • A Source Book in Hawaiian Geography, by Lorna Hooleia Jarrett, 1930. (Thesis (M.A.) University of Hawaii)
  • “Statue of Kamehameha, Honolulu” (Hawaii), in The Monumental News, December 1894.
    • “Statue of Kamehameha, Honolulu” (1894)

    “Statue of Kamehameha, Honolulu”
  • Stone Implements and Stone Work of the Ancient Hawaiians, by William T. Brigham, Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press, 1902, 100 pp. (Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, vol. 1, no. 4)
  • Stone Implements and Stone Work of Ancient Hawaiians, by William T. Brigham, Millwood, N.Y.: Kraus Reprint, 1974, 100 pp. (Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Ethnology and Natural History, vol. 1, no. 4)
  • Stones for Building and Decoration, by George P. Merrill, 3rd ed., revised and enlarged, New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1908, 540 pp.
  • Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1910, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1912-14, vol. 9, 1912. (“Reports by States, with statistics for counties, cities and other civil divisions... Hawaii”)
  • Ultramafic Inclusions in Basaltic Rocks from Hawaii, by Richard William White, Berkeley; Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International, [1965] 1981, 147 leaves.

List of Quarries in Hawaii & Quarry Links, Photographs and Articles

(The following list of Hawaii quarries is not a complete list of all of the historical quarries in the state, only the ones I have been able to locate. If you know of more historical quarries in Hawaii, please contact me. Peggy B. Perazzo)

  • Active Quarries in Hawaii, presented by Superpages.com.

  • The Big Island, the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island, Hawaii - Basalt Quarry presented by Michael W. Graves, University of Hawaii, Department of Anthropology in the "Technology" section of Introduction to Archaeology. The basalt quarried was used for making adzes, which was the main wood-working tool of the Hawaiians. (This link below is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
    <http://www2.soc.hawaii.edu/css/anth/faculty/graves/graves210/210wk10.htm>

  • Hawaii (Island of) - the Adze Quarries near the summit of Mauna Kea and other on the Island of Hawai`i, from “The ‘Rediscovery’ of the Adze Quarry,” by Patricia Tummons, Vol. 12, No. 11, May 2002, Environment Hawai`i, Inc.(The link from which the following information was obtained is no longer available.)
    <http://www.environment-hawaii.org/502the.htm>

    The author notes that there were many adze quarries that were located on the island which were no longer needed once foreign trade was introduced to the island. In the article the following publication is noted to have to some information in it that related to the adze quarries on the Island of Hawaii. (“Hawaiian Antiquities,” The Pacific Commercial Advertise, October 28, 1862.)

  • Hawaii - Hawaiian Cement, 99-1300 Halawa Valley Street, Aiea, HI 96701; (808) 532-3400 (present-day company)
  • Hawaii (Island of) - Stone Quarry - Mauna Kea Adze Quarry, Island of Hawaii, listed by Basalt and Andesite Source Universe in Hawaii.
  • Honolulu, Hawaii - the University of Hawaii Quarry Cave/Quarry, from “History and Status of The Moiliili Karst, Hawaii,” by William R. Halliday, Hawaii Speleological Survey, 6530 Cornwall Court, Nashville, TN 37205 USA. [PDF]

    In this article there is a mention of a basalt quarry. A limestone strata is also described noting that “The Moiliili Karst occurs in Pleistocene reef limestone.” (A map of the University of Hawaii Quarry Cave is included in this article.)

    Moiliili Karst Formations, presented by ExplorBiodiversity.com.

    This web site indicates that the University of Hawaii Quarry “was destroyed to create athletic facilities and a parking structure....”

  • Kailua Kona, Hawaii (Island of) - West Hawaii Concrete Quarries

    • According to their web site, they are the “leading producer of concrete and aggregate in Hawaii Island’s western side, operating 4 quarries and 2 fixed ready-mix plants.”

    • Kailua Kona, Hawaii - West Hawaii Concrete Quarries, from article entitled, “MDU Resources Acquires West Hawaii Concrete,” Rock Products, July 30, 2001. (The link from which the following information was obtained is no longer available.
      <http://rockproducts.com/news/rock_mdu_resources_acquires/>

      As of 2001, West Hawaii Concrete, Ltd., operated four quarries and two ready-mix plants on the island of Hawaii.

    • Kailua Kona, Hawaii – West Hawaii Concrete, LLC (circa 2003)  “Kona industrial park set for quarrying site,” by Andrew Gomes, September 20, 2003, in the Honolulu Advertiser,

    “Lanihau Properties LLC said it plans to develop a Big Island commercial and industrial park on 337 acres of North Kona land recently reclassified from conservation to urban use by the state Land Use Commission….”

    “The site is being used by West Hawaii Concrete, Jas W. Glover Ltd. and Hawaii Pre-Cast under a conservation-use permit that has allowed for quarrying and related activities since the 1960s.”

  • Kawaii, Hawaii - Kapaa Quarry (Bluestone, Hawaiian Quartz, and other stone) (The link from which this location was obtained is no longer available.)
    <http://www.kawainuimarsh.com/commercial/kapaaquarry.htm>
  • Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii – the Kahili Rock Quarry among the cliffs of Mokolea Point in the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

    • According to the Trails.com web site, the Kahili Rock Quarry is a part of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and can be accessed along the cliffs of Mokolea Point. (For more information, visit the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service web site.)

  • Maui, Hawaii - the Pohakulepo Quarry located in the Waikapu area on the Island of Maui, Hawaii, from News Release, “Knife River Corp. Acquires Pohakulepo Quarry in Hawaii,” Bismark, ND, dated October 18, 2004.(The link from which the following information was obtained is no longer available.)
    <http://www.mdu.com/news/news39.html>

    Knife River Corp. announced in this 2004 news release that Hawaiian Cement, a subsidiary of Knife River, would operate the quarry.

  • Oahu – Stone Quarry – Bellows Air Force Base, listed by Basalt and Andesite Source Universe in Hawaii. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
    <http://www.obsidianlab.com/basalt/basalt_universe.html>
  • Oahu – Basalt Stone Quarry – Makua - 19 Basalt Dike, Oahu, listed by Basalt and Andesite Source Universe in Hawaii. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
    <http://www.obsidianlab.com/basalt/basalt_universe.html>
  • Oahu, Hawaii – Reef Rock used for Buildings (Reef Rock / Coral Limestone / Basalt  (from Geology of Oahu, by Charles Henry Hitchcock, & Notes on the Tertiary Geology of Oahu, William Healey Dall, Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, XI, 15-60, Rochester, 1900, 46 pp. on Google Books)

    (pp. 29-30) “Oahu is mostly encircled by a fringing coral reef, whose limits are exhibited on plate 1.  At low tide one can walk a long distance on this reef in various directions, off the city of Honolulu, near Koko head, and Kaneohe bay…The Nuuanu channel is utilized for shipping, and the Pearl River outlet bids fair to form the entrance to the finest harbor in the Pacific ocean when the bar at the mouth has been removed.”

    “The loose character of the ordinary reef rock is shown in the large blocks used for stone walls and buildings.  A better quality is exhibited in the walls of the Kawaihao church, and the very best is a compact variety made by washing of limestone fragments into figures and cavities, which have been cemented by its own substance in solution….”

    “…The plain of Honolulu rests on coral limestone, beginning easterly near Moiliilii church and Paakea, and it has been covered by the basaltic flow of Kaimoki.  It crops out in many places within the settled district, as on the banks of the Nuuanu river near Palama chapel and seaward from the terminus of the tram railroad at Kapalama.  A very large excavation in it shows an abundance of corals and shells.  Boulders of basalt strew the surface of the unexcavated portion, and it may extend beneath the Kamehamaha schools and Bishop museum, being fully 20 feet above the sea.  The original floor of the crater of Aliapakai consists of coral, and it both overlies and is intercalated in the tufa that flowed from Makalapa, exposed along the railway in the southeast locks and the islands opposite.  Most of the islands and points about Pearl river consist of this material, as at Fords island, Pearl City peninsula, Laulaunui, etcetera.  About Ewa plantation the limestone area is 9 miles long and 1 ½ miles wide.  It shirts the shore and railroad the whole length of the southwest shore of Oahu.  At an abandoned quarry 3 miles north of Barbers Point (Laeloa) light-house the best quality of the sandstone is well developed, and was used in the erection of the Saint Andrews English cathedral.  Agassiz speaks of this material as a ‘massive coral pavement sandstone.”

    “There are three varieties of material at this locality:  At the base, the underlying rough reef loosely put together, a sandy limestone, and above all, the compact pavement sandstone, capable of affording a good polish.  The total height is about 16 feet.  This compact rock has been utilized also in the manufacture of quicklime.  It is a good place in which to observe the manufacture of the sandstones, for shells and corals are strewn over the beach in all stages from the live animal to worn cobbles, pebbles, sand, and firm rock.  Crystals of calcite are frequently seen in the consolidated rock.”

  • Waimanlo, Hawaii – Coral Sandstone Quarry

    According to the text describing the Hawaii Memorial Stone donated to the Washington Monument circa 1935/1936, the Hawaii Memorial Stone was created from coral sandstone quarried from Waimanlo, Hawaii. Below is an excerpt of the text describing the origin of the stone from the Washington Monument web site. (You can read about and view an image of the stone in the WAMO Stones Section 5 of the WAMO Photo Album.)

    “Additional documented material information: ‘Coral sandstone from Waimanlo, Hawaii donated by Grace Brothers, Ltd.’”

Structures and Monuments in Which Hawaiin Stone was Used

  • Washington, D.C. - the Hawaii Memorial Stone contributed to the Washington Monument (photograph and history), presented by the National Park Service. The information below is from the National Park Service files and is presented with a photograph of the contributed Hawaii stone.

    The National Park Service web site presents the memorial stones in placed in the interior of the Washington Monument. The Hawaii Memorial Stone entry can be viewed on the National Park Service’s web site in either the “Album” or the “Slide Show.”

    The Hawaii Memorial Stone in the Washington Monument can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 5.

    The Washington Monument web site has recently been redesigned. Below is an description that was available on the National Park Service web site in January 2008 that describes the Memorial Stones in the Washington Monument.

    “A unique feature of the Washington Monument is the 193 memorial stones that adorn the interior of the monument. Starting in July 1848 the Washington National Monument Society invited states, cities and patriotic societies to contribute Memorial Stones. The Society listed some requirements to be followed. They asked that the stone be durable, a product of the state’s soil, and meet the following dimensions; four feet long, two feet high and 18 inches thick. These stones pay tribute to the character and achievements of George Washington. These traits are not only admired by Americans but by people the world over as seen by the number of stones donated by foreign countries. Below is a list of stones donated by state. In the near future all the stones will be online.

    “While viewing the stones please keep in mind that the Washington Monument has undergone extensive renovation over the last three years. A key component of the project has been the restoration of the memorial stones. Over the years the stones have been damaged by moisture and vandalism. The pictures that follow show the condition of the stones before their restoration. In the upcoming months new images will be added highlighting the restored stones.”

    The following information relating to the Hawaii Memorial Stone can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 5.

    Name: Hawaii

    Level: 360-ft.

    Donor: State of Hawaii

    Dates: 1935/1936

    Original materials: coral sandstone, resin fills, gold leaf (on red ground) in letters

    Dimensions: 2' x 4'

    Sculptor/Carver: not known

    Original inscription: Hawaii Ua-mau-ke-ea O-ka-aina I-ka-pono

    Translation of text: The life of the land is preserved in righteousness. [MR]

    Documented material history:

    • 1935: “The Territorial Legislature March, 1935 appropriated $200.00 for polishing and shipping....The stone was shipped from Hawaii in August on the U.S.S President Coolidge to San Francisco, then by boat to New York, arriving finally in Washington in late September....” [MR]

    • 1935: “A new memorial stone—the first in many years—will soon be placed in the Washington Monument to honor Hawaii....It is coral sandstone, typical of Hawaii....[and] is 4 feet by 2 feet and is 6 inches thick.” [“Monument to Get Stone for Hawaii,” TES, December 22, 1935.]

    • 1936: “Completed February 26, 1936. There is no known date of dedication. The work of installation was begun on January 21, 1936.” [Anges Conrad, letter to Cornelius Heine, October 16, 1964, referenced by MR]

    Additional documented material information: “Coral sandstone from Waimanlo, Hawaii donated by Grace Brothers, Ltd.” [MR]

    Images:

    • 1935 photograph [TES, December 22, 1935.]

    • 1957 Allen photograph

    • 1974 photograph

    • 1980 photograph

    • 2000 NPS slides

  • Honolulu, Hwaii - Hawai`i --Spirit Protector Sculpture, located on the front lawn of the American Cancer Society's state headquarters in Honolulu. (photograph and history), from the American Cancer Society Inc. web site.

    According to this web site, the Hawai`i--Spirit Protector Sculpture (a statue of an Hawaiian owl or pueo) was created from native Hawaii bluestone by C. W. Watson.

    Another photograph of the sculpture is available on the Honolulu Star-Bulletin web site as a part of an article entitled, “Owl stands sentry over cancer patients,” in Hawaii’s World, By A. A. Smyser, dated Thursday, January 4, 2001.

Stone Carvers, Stone Cutters, etc., in Hawaii

(None available at this time.)

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