By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
Ryan Tamanaha takes his dog Ikona for a walk
near a rock wall marker at the Makiki Pumping Station.
Henry Vincent of Honolulu is curious about a "tombstone-shaped object in a rock wall as I drive past the Makiki Pumping Station just before you enter Roundtop Drive." Stone marker
remains a mystery
He even drew a lovely picture, which we would publish if we had secured the worldwide copyright to Vincent originals, but we didn't, so you'll have to stare at this original photograph and visualize it drawn in ballpoint on blue-ruled notebook paper.
Our team of experts has determined that the inscription reads "1912," and underneath that, maybe "H" and "O" and some other letters. It's pretty weathered.
The site is jointly maintained by the City Parks Department and the Board of Water Supply. Neither agency has a firm idea where the stone came from.
Best call comes from the BWS, which took over the site in 1930, the year after it was created.
Most likely, the stone originally said "Hon.W.W." and "1912" was the year the pumping site was created.
Stones such as this are often incorporated into new construction programs by historically sensitive wall-builders.
That's the long answer. The short one is we dunno. If you've got a clue, let's hear it.
By Burl Burlingame, Star-Bulletin
