Did you know that cowboys were living and working in Hawai‘i before there were cowboys in many Western Territories of the U.S.? Vaqueros of Mexican, Indian and Spanish descent came from Mexico to Hawai‘i by 1830 to teach the Hawaiians how to handle horses and herd the cattle that were running amok around the islands. The Hawaiian-ized version of Espaniolo, or Spaniard, became “paniolo” as these cowboys are still known today.

Cattle ranching in Hawai‘i began in 1793 when Capt. George Vancouver brought cattle on his ship from California to Hawai‘i as a gift to King Kamehameha I. He advised the king to place a kapu (taboo) on their slaughter for 10 years so they could multiply. What eventually took place was the cattle numbers grew so much that they became a dangerous nuisance. Then, in 1803 horses were introduced to the Hawaiian Kingdom when Richard Clevedon offered them as a gift to the king.

By 1820, the cattle were being hunted for their hides as well as for tallow and meat, which became very important to Hawaii’s trade as the natural resource of koa and sandalwood trees was dwindling. Up in the hills, hunters would track down the pipi ‘ahiu (wild cattle), kill them, cut the meat and salt it down. Then they would pack it down to the villages for local trade and out to the sea harbors for international trade. Some of this meat was delivered to Chile by ships that then headed north to California to pick up more goods to bring back to Hawai‘i.

As the importance of the cattle trade flourished, there became a great need for handling the beasts, so King Kamehameha III brought the Mexican vaqueros from Vera Cruz over to the Big Island in about 1830. According to various sources, American cowboys arrived in Texas in 1845, the Pacific Northwest in 1846, and in California by 1848. An outstanding film has been produced by Hawai‘i filmmaker Edgy Lee about the history of the Paniolo in Hawai‘i, and its first showing was at the Smithsonian before both houses of Congress. Copies of this film are available for purchase at the ranch.

In 1831, the same year that Dr. Dwight Baldwin arrived in Hawai‘i, another very interesting man arrived here, this one from Mexico. Joaquin Armas was hired to be the “King’s Bullock Catcher,” and for 10 years, that’s just what he did on the Big Island. The natives called him Wokene or Huakini Paniolo, in an attempt to say his name. He would sometimes stay up in the mountains for several months, waiting for the King’s messenger to press him for a specific number of hides to be used for trade. His brother, Felipe, joined him in Hawai‘i and by 1841 they both came to Lahaina on Maui.

Huakini, who most likely first met Dr. Baldwin in Waimea on the Big Island, hooked up with him in Lahaina. Baldwin secured a pasture lease for Armas on the northern coast of West Maui at Honokohau and Kahakuloa, where the brothers could hold their “bullocks” for slaughter after they were caught. (There is a surfing beach near this area still called, “Slaughter House.”) Armas cut a very colorful figure with his wide-brimmed hat, bright bandana, polished buttons down the sides of his trousers, and jingling spurs.

Huakini and Felipe would frequently lead their captured cattle through the streets of Lahaina on the way to the slaughter house by horse. At times, the cattle would get loose from the horses and “clear the streets,” as Dr. Baldwin related. One time, the good doctor was forced to take a plunge in the canal from the bridge near his mission house, leaping to safety away from a furious bull. His children were very amused.

It would take most of the 19th century before there were organized ranches in Hawaii, handling the cattle and fencing off areas for them to graze. In 1888, Henry Perrine Baldwin and a group of O‘ahu businessmen put their business interests and about $120,000 together to form what we now know as the Haleakala Ranch. This was the beginning of the Baldwin Family’s multi-generational ranching on Maui.

We have much to share for the discerning visitor who wants to acquire real information – generations of the Baldwin Family involvement in ranching, the Hawaiian paniolo tradition, panoramic views and native eco-systems – in this unique area.
– Peter Baldwin