Aina Haina

1951 - Aina Haina - (aka: Wailupe Valley) - The Hind-Clarke Dairy in Wailupe Valley has been developed into house lots and marketed as Aina Haina. The Wailupe Stream was first straightened out and renamed the Aina Haina 'canal'. The new Aina Haina Elementary School has been built on the site of the Hind-Clarke Dairy. The Aina Haina Shopping Center, sporting one of the first Foodland Stores, has opened. Holy Nativity Church has built their first chapel building. The houses are all brand-new, and there aren't many trees or shrubs yet. Our family home, at 5222 Papai Street, off of East Hind Drive, is designated with the red arrow. Directly across the street is the large open estate surrounding the home of Mona Hind, who owned and operated Hind Clark Dairy. Those too were soon subdivided into homes. Our family arrived in Aina Haina in 1949. Were you an early resident of "the land of the Hinds"? --Harry B. Soiria via Facebook.

Harry is the host of Oahu's longest running radio program, Territorial Airwaves.

East Hind Drive, 1949. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Ranch House Restaurant, 1950. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Ranch House Restaurant.

1950 - Aina Haina, East-side O'ahu, Territory of Hawaii. My father, Harry B. Soria, Sr., sits in our brand-new 1950
Austin of England sedan, in front of our home at 5222 Papai Street. The home was built in 1948, and we moved into it
in 1949. As you can see in the photo, Papai Street is still the highest street in Aina Haina, as there are nothing
but empty lots above us. Mona Hind's home sits at the top of the natural coral bluff where Opihi Street will eventually
connect with her driveway. Assorted homes were now coming up on the lower end of Opihi Street and along East Hind Drive.
West Hind Drive was also being developed with the elementary school, shopping center, and homes along West Hind Drive.
Holy Nativity Church was moving from the old Dairy location to the center of the valley facing Kalaniana'ole Highway.
This car served our family well for 16 years. My mother learned how to drive with it in 1950. I later learned how to
drive with it in 1964. I drove it on dates until it retired in 1966. My father called this Austin of England, the
"pregnant rollerskate" because of its appearance. Do you remember Aina Haina when there were only a few streets off
Hind Drive in lower Aina Haina? --Harry B. Soiria via Facebook.

Aina Haina aerial photo, 1951. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Smith residence, 713 Lawelawe St., 1956.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com