Lihu'e, Hawai'i
Encyclopedia
Lihue or Līhue is a census-designated place
(CDP) and the county seat
of Kauai County, Hawaii
. Lihue is the second largest town on the Hawaiian
island of Kauai
. As of the 2000 Census, the CDP had a total population of 5,674 .
. Lihue is located in the ancient district of Puna, the southeastern coast of the island, and land division (ahupuaa) of Kalapaki. Royal Governor
Kaikioewa officially made it his governing seat in 1837, moving it from Waimea
; he gave the town its name after the land he owned on Oahu
by the same name.
With the emergence of the sugar industry
in the 1800s, Lihue became the central city of the island with the construction of a large sugar mill. Early investors were Henry A. Peirce
, Charles Reed Bishop
and William Little Lee
. The plantation struggled until William Harrison Rice
built the first irrigation system in 1856.
Subsequent plantation owner Paul Isenberg
helped German people emigrate to Lihue starting in 1881, with the first Lutheran church in Hawaii founded in 1883. Services were delivered in German
well into the 1960s. By the 1930s, George Norton Wilcox
became one of the largest sugar plantation owners, buying Grove Farm
from Hermann A. Widemann
. The Wilcox family home, Kilohana, has been converted into a restaurant
and gift shop
. The surrounding plantation now grows crops and livestock. A recently installed narrow gauge
tourist railroad with vintage diesel locomotives from Whitworth
and General Electric
offers tours of the plantation; horse
-drawn carriage
tours are offered as well. The grounds are also the site of luau
s, many of which are offshore excursions booked through NCL America. Lihue also houses the Kauai Museum, which details the history of Kauai.
, the CDP has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), of which, 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (11.11%) is water.
of 2000, there were 5,674 people, 2,178 households, and 1,420 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 898.3 people per square mile (346.6/km²). There were 2,399 housing units at an average density of 379.8 per square mile (146.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 22.8% White, 49.2% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 6.4% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 20.5% from two or more races. 6.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,178 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,906, and the median income for a family was $56,875 in 2000. Males had a median income of $38,713 versus $28,032 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $22,619. 4.6% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
, which houses the island's only big department store, Macy's
; and several big-box stores including Sears, K-Mart, Wal-Mart
, Home Depot and Costco
. There are also several car dealerships and restaurants.
, part of the University of Hawaii
system.
Lihue is also served by the Hawaii Department of Education. Two K
-5
elementary school
s — Wilcox Elementary School and Kaumualii Elementary School — serve the area. All of the area is zoned to Kamakahelei Middle School and Kauai High School
.
Island School
, a private pre-kindergarten to 12 school, is also located in Lihue.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Kauai County, Hawaii
Kauai County, Hawaii
Kauai County is a county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Kauai, Niihau, Lehua, and Kaula, in the state of Hawaii. As of 2000 Census the population was 58,463...
. Lihue is the second largest town on the Hawaiian
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. As of the 2000 Census, the CDP had a total population of 5,674 .
History
In ancient times, Lihue was a minor village. Līhue means "cold chill" in the Hawaiian languageHawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
. Lihue is located in the ancient district of Puna, the southeastern coast of the island, and land division (ahupuaa) of Kalapaki. Royal Governor
Governors of Kauai
The Governor of Kauai was the royal governor or viceroy of the island of Kauai and island of Niihau during the Kingdom of Hawaii. The Governor of Kauai was usually a Hawaiian chief or prince and could even be a woman. The Governor had authority over the islands of Kauai and Niihau, and it was up to...
Kaikioewa officially made it his governing seat in 1837, moving it from Waimea
Waimea, Kauai County, Hawaii
Waimea is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,787 at the 2000 census...
; he gave the town its name after the land he owned on Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
by the same name.
With the emergence of the sugar industry
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...
in the 1800s, Lihue became the central city of the island with the construction of a large sugar mill. Early investors were Henry A. Peirce
Henry A. Peirce
Henry Augustus Peirce was an American businessman and diplomat. Some sources spell his last name as Pierce.-Early life and business:...
, Charles Reed Bishop
Charles Reed Bishop
Charles Reed Bishop was a businessman and philanthropist in Hawaii.Born in Glens Falls, New York, he sailed to Hawaii in 1846 at the age of 24, and made his home there. Bishop was one of the first trustees of and a major donor to the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii...
and William Little Lee
William Little Lee
William Little Lee was an American lawyer who became the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:...
. The plantation struggled until William Harrison Rice
William Harrison Rice
William Harrison Rice was a missionary teacher from the United States who traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and managed an early sugar plantation.-Life:...
built the first irrigation system in 1856.
Subsequent plantation owner Paul Isenberg
Paul Isenberg
Paul Isenberg was a German businessman who developed the sugarcane business in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Paul Heinrich Friedrich Carl Isenberg was born April 15, 1837 in Dransfeld, Kingdom of Hanover, Germany...
helped German people emigrate to Lihue starting in 1881, with the first Lutheran church in Hawaii founded in 1883. Services were delivered in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
well into the 1960s. By the 1930s, George Norton Wilcox
George Norton Wilcox
George Norton Wilcox was a businessman and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii.-Life:George Norton Wilcox was born in Hilo August 15, 1839.His father was Abner Wilcox and mother was Lucy Eliza Hart...
became one of the largest sugar plantation owners, buying Grove Farm
Grove Farm (Lihue, Hawaii)
-History:German immigrant Hermann A. Widemann started one of the first sugar plantations in Hawaii known as Grove Farm in 1854.During the American Civil War, the demand for Hawaii sugar grew, but Widemann supported the Confederate States....
from Hermann A. Widemann
Hermann A. Widemann
Hermann Adam Widemann was a businessman from Germany who was a judge and member of the cabinet of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Hermann Adam Widemann was born in Hanover, Germany on December 24, 1822.As a teenager he went to work on a whaling ship...
. The Wilcox family home, Kilohana, has been converted into a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
and gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
. The surrounding plantation now grows crops and livestock. A recently installed narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
tourist railroad with vintage diesel locomotives from Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
and General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
offers tours of the plantation; horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
-drawn carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
tours are offered as well. The grounds are also the site of luau
Luau
A luau is a Hawaiian feast. It may feature food, such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer; and entertainment, such as Hawaiian music and hula...
s, many of which are offshore excursions booked through NCL America. Lihue also houses the Kauai Museum, which details the history of Kauai.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), of which, 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (11.11%) is water.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 89 | 87 |
| Norm High °F | 77.9 | 77.9 | 78.1 | 78.8 | 80.6 | 82.7 | 83.9 | 84.9 | 85 | 83.5 | 81 | 79 |
| Norm Low °F | 65.4 | 65.5 | 67.3 | 68.9 | 70.3 | 72.7 | 74 | 74.5 | 74 | 72.8 | 70.8 | 67.6 |
| Rec Low °F | 50 | 52 | 51 | 56 | 58 | 61 | 62 | 66 | 65 | 61 | 57 | 52 |
| Precip (in) | 4.59 | 3.26 | 3.58 | 3 | 2.87 | 1.82 | 2.12 | 1.91 | 2.69 | 4.25 | 4.7 | 4.78 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-hawaii/lihue-weather.asp | ||||||||||||
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,674 people, 2,178 households, and 1,420 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 898.3 people per square mile (346.6/km²). There were 2,399 housing units at an average density of 379.8 per square mile (146.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 22.8% White, 49.2% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 6.4% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 20.5% from two or more races. 6.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,178 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,906, and the median income for a family was $56,875 in 2000. Males had a median income of $38,713 versus $28,032 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $22,619. 4.6% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Transport
Lihue is served by the Lihue Airport, located in the CDP. The main seaport for Kauai is at Nawiliwili Bay, directly southeast of town.Facilities
The town is home to the county administration building; Kauai's largest shopping center, Kukui Grove Shopping CenterKukui Grove Shopping Center
Kukui Grove is an open air shopping center located in Lihue, Hawaii, United States. This shopping mall features Macy's, Sears, Kmart, Times Supermarkets, and Longs Drugs as its anchors. The mall is located at 3-2600 Kaumualii Hwy, Lihue, HI and is managed by CB Richard Ellis...
, which houses the island's only big department store, Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
; and several big-box stores including Sears, K-Mart, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Home Depot and Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
. There are also several car dealerships and restaurants.
Education
Lihue is home to Kauai Community CollegeKauai Community College
Kauai Community College is a public, co-educational commuter college in Līhue, Hawaii on the island of Kauai. It is one of ten branches of the University of Hawaii system anchored by the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in Honolulu and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and...
, part of the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
system.
Lihue is also served by the Hawaii Department of Education. Two K
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
-5
Fifth grade
Fifth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10 – 11 years old, and are preteens...
elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s — Wilcox Elementary School and Kaumualii Elementary School — serve the area. All of the area is zoned to Kamakahelei Middle School and Kauai High School
Kauai High School
Kauai High School is a public high school located in Lihue, Hawaii. It is named after the island Kauai, which is also known as the Garden Isle....
.
Island School
Island School (Kauai)
Island School is a private, co-educational, independent school on the island of Kauai in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The school is located behind the University of Hawaii's Kauai Community College campus near the community of Lihue.-History:In January 1977, Island School began with 12...
, a private pre-kindergarten to 12 school, is also located in Lihue.