Keomoku Village

Old Plantation Village

Description

This abandoned settlement used to the bustling center of Lana`i, but has been abandoned since the early 1900s. The town was established in the 19th century, and really grew when the Maunalei Sugar Company began built a plantation in the area in 1898. Native Hawaiians believe that the plantation failed because the Sugar Company used stones from a scared heiau (ancient worshiping place) to construct part of a railway, and their plantation was cursed from then on. Whatever the cause of the demise of the village, it became abandoned and now serves visitors as a look into Lana`i history. There are a few remaining ruins to see here, including a renovated church called Malamalama.