The Pacific Tsunami Museum Archives

ARCHIVES

Survivor Stories

Tsunami Soundings

Keepers of the Clock--The Waiakea Pirates

Richard Nakamura, Historian for the Waiakea Pirates Athletic Club, tells us that Waiakea Town was a small, primarily Japanese community located on the banks of the Wailoa River. At its peak, some 5,000 people lived there. The Waiakea Social Settlement building was the hub of activities for children and adults in the area. Programs began by the Hawaiian Board of Missions in 1900 with kindergarten, Sunday School, youth gatherings and sports activities. The clock was erected in 1939 next to the Waiakea Social Settlement Gym to honor the memory of Mrs. E.E. Richardson by her sister, Martha E.R. Wakefield, then principal of Waiakea−Kai Elementary School.

By 1960 at least 40 businesses operated along both sides of Kamehameha Avenue in what was Waiakea town. On May 23, 1960, 1:05 a.m. a tsunami hit Hilo. Sixty-one people lost their lives and all of the businesses of Waiakea town were completely destroyed, along with hundreds of residences in the area. Estimates of property damage went as high as 50 million dollars.

In the wake of the 1960 tsunami, government safety zones were established and businesses and residences were not allowed to rebuild in these areas. For this reason, most of Waiakea Town was wiped off the map of Hilo.

The lone reminder of what was once a bustling community is the Waiakea Social Settlement Clock which stopped at 1:04 a.m. May 23, 1960.

In May, 1984, the Waiakea Pirates refurbished and erected the clock on its old cement stand on Kamehameha Avenue, after discovering it in a construction warehouse. And since then, periodically the clock is taken down for maintenance.

Jim Wilson, publisher of Hawaii Tribune-Herald tells us that he′d notice the clock on his daily drive from Keaukaha to work at the newspaper. One day, he noticed the clock was not in its place. He printed a notice in the paper offering a reward for information about "Who Stole the Clock?"

Soon Jim got a call from Jimmy Miyake to say that the Waiakea Pirates had the clock and were refurbishing it. Once the clock's whereabouts were explained, the Tribune donated the reward toward the restoration. Now the Waiakea Pirates always call Jim Wilson before they take down the clock!

To the Pirates, and the Hilo community, the clock is a landmark of Waiakea. It is indeed a symbol of the strength, courage and resilience of the residents of what was once Waiakea Town.