Fort DeRussy

Fort DeRussy, a green expanse in the middle of Waikīkī, was named for Brigadier General Rene E. DeRussy of the Corps of Engineers, who served with distinction in the American—British War of 1812. Begun in 1908 as a vital American bastion of defense, it later became a place of recreation and relaxation for U.S. military personnel and their families. The land stretching toward the foothills of Mānoa Valley had been planted in taro for many centuries, but as Hawaiian farmers in Waikīkī died off and demand for poi decreased, taro production had practically ceased by the 1870’s. Successful rice planting experiments then sparked a “rice fever” across the islands, and Chinese rice planters took over abandoned taro patches, turning Waikīkī into a vast rice plantation. For a few years, rice rather than sugar was king in Hawai’i. The disappearance of taro from Waikīkī marked not only an economic change but also a cultural one, since Hawaiian mythology says the first man was born of Hāloa, the sacred taro plant, and for ancient Hawaiians the planting and eating of taro formed the basis of existence and spiritual sustenance. When taro disappeared from Waikīkī, as it did from many other areas, so did the spirit of Hāloa. The nearby coconut grove is the oldest and last of its kind in Waikīkī today.

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii · United States