HONOLULU (KHON2) – In the ahupuaʻa of Waikīkī, which lies in the moku of Kona here on Oʻahu, stands a short road named for the son of a Chinese sugar plantation.
We are speaking of Ena Road.
John Ena Jr, son of a Chinese immigrant, was born in Hilo and moved to Oʻahu, eventually acquiring land in Waikīkī.
He worked as a clerk at TR Foster & Company which eventually became known as Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company.
Under the leadership of Ena, Inter-Island Steam and another steamship company named Wilder merged under the “Inter-Island” name.
Following the arrival of airplanes to the islands, Inter-Island Airways was then established, being renamed to Hawaiian Airlines in 1941.
Ena also served as under both King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani.
Following his passing, Henry Kaiser purchased his Waikīkī estate.
According to some stories, Waikīkī is believed to be the second settlement of Native Hawaiians following their arrival to Hawaii.
Meaning “red-hot, shy, or abundance,” the word Ena can be found in Waikīkī the further back in history we go.
In this area, where La Pietra Hawaiʻi School for Girls is located today, once stood the shrine named Papaʻenaʻena Heiau.
Believed to be constructed as a victory celebration by Maui chief Kahekili following his conquest of Oʻahu, Papaʻenaʻena Heiau is noted not just to have been a sacrificial shrine, but one also used to help signal for surf.
Stories share that the kahuna, or priest, at Papaʻenaʻena would fly a kite to signal the people of the wave conditions.
It’s believed that the last sacrifice at Papaʻenaʻena was the fallen rival of King Kamehameha I following his defeat, Kalanikūpule.
The heiau was eventually dismantled in the mid-1800s and the rocks were used to build a wall around Queen Emma’s Waikīkī property.
Did you know? Now you do!