Over the past eight years, Laraine Moriguchi has scanned thousands of photos for the Kauai Historical Society.
And as a volunteer, she’s given hundreds of hours to the task.
Sounds boring, right?
Moriguchi says it’s just the opposite.
“It’s exciting,” she said Tuesday. “It’s your history. I love it.”
She enjoys it, even.
“I love to look at the old photos,” she said. “I think I’m doing a good service for the community.”
Moriguchi was one of about 100 people who attended the Kauai Historical Society’s annual membership meeting at the Historic County Building that also marked the society’s 105th birthday.
It was on May 7, 1914 that the first meeting of the Society was held.
So more than a decade later, they celebrated that occasion with a blessing, music, food, and lots of laughter and plenty of smiles and hugs. It was a fun affair that included a program on “Niihau Shell Lei” by Linda Moriarty.
Donna Stewart has been with the society 10 years and is today a research administrator.
“I’m so proud of the history here and being able to share it with people who come here,” she said. “It’s so rewarding when people come here looking for information and we can help them.”
She said it’s amazing to read the early accounts of the Society’s founding members.
“They wrote their experiences down and people come here and read them and go, ‘Wow, this is what Kauai was like a long time ago,” Stewart said.
Over the past century, the Society has been involved in many initiatives, including the preservation of the Haena caves, Menehune Ditch, Russian Fort, Alekoko Fishpond, and the original Koloa Sugar Mill site.
It was also instrumental in the founding of the Kokee and Kauai museums.
During the 70s and 80s, it supported the restoration of the Haraguchi Rice Mill, lobbied for repairs to the Hanalei Pier and worked on renovating the Historic County Building, which is where its small office is today,
“There’s a saying, ‘without history, there would be no future,’” reads a proclamation from Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “This saying rings true for the Kauai Historical Society which serves to not only preserve our past, but to also pave the way for what’s yet to come.”
The Society collects and protects the history and culture of Kauai and Niihau.
“May you continue to pave the path into our future for the next 100 years,” the mayor wrote.
Carrice Caspillo-Gardner, Gov. David Ige’s liaison on Kauai, presented a message from the governor.
He noted that through member efforts, the organization has assembled the island’s largest collection of historical records, photographs and manuscripts.
“You play an important role in helping our people understand and appreciate the past, better manage the present and prepare for the future,” Caspillo-Gardner read.
Reg Gage, a board member and a past Society president, likes being part of a collection of like-minded individuals.
”I feel as a group we can do more than we can do individually,” he said.
Randy Wichman, society president, came on board when Robert “Bob” Schleck passed away Oct. 15, 2018. He was 72.
“There was a big void,” Wichman said.
Schleck was a KHS member and volunteer since 1973, served on the board of directors several times and was twice president.
“Bob devoted his career to preserving Kauai’s culture and history and is remembered for his kindness, intelligence and responsible stewardship of Kauai’s past,” Wichman said.
This is Wichman’s second stint as KHS president.
He finds the minutes of meetings over the past 105 years a fascinating look at the island’s history. The Society keeps immaculate records, he said.
“When I took over as president, the first thing I did was go over the entire minutes,” he said. “I needed to be grounded into where we were and where we need to go and keep that continuity.”
At some point, he wants to publish those minutes.
“I think it would be a wonderful 105 years of what the Society has done,” he said.
For now, KHS is about to launch a corporate campaign, “Heart of History,” that highlights its many collections.
“People want to donate to something they really care about,” he said.
It also plans to pursue more grants.
“We’re about to enter into that arena and I’m excited about it,” he said.
Wichman said historical societies tend to be small groups of passionate people operating on a small budget and often on a volunteer basis.
It’s tedious work and often with little thanks, because many people aren’t interested in history.
But they continue their efforts with pride and professionalism.
“Because of this small group we are able to preserve the knowledge of our past,” Wichman said. “Every single one of these volunteers leaves a legacy, leaves their imprint, leaves their footprint, in the pages of history.”
