The bronze plaque honored Amelia Earhart's solo flight between Hawaii and the West Coast in 1935. She was the first human being to do so. It was designed by artist Kate Kelly, and, as far as bronze plaques go, it was a humdinger.

On the plaque, Earhart's aircraft flies isolated and tiny, high above a featureless ocean. It was Kelly's last major commission. Other Kelly works have been displayed at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and McCoy Pavilion.

It was installed on Mar. 14, 1937, at a swank roll-out featuring the Royal Hawaiian Band and a speech by Kauai judge Carrick Buck, the only female judge in the Territory of Hawaii.

The plaque was funded by a woman's group headed by Benigna Green as a way of recognizing female inroads into male-dominated fields.

The plinth upon which the boulder rests contains a time capsule buried at the same time. A request by a local aviation museum to open it on the 50th anniversary of Earhart's flight was turned down by the city.

The plaque was restored by city art conservator Laura Gorman. Part of the job included removal of graffiti scratched into the surface. The city appropriated $3,800 for the task.

The tribute to Earhart was reinstalled the first week of November.