EP002 - Hawaii - Kailua Historical Society - Dr. Paul Brennan

In this episode, Sean Thomas interviews the President of the Kailua Hawaii Historical Society, Dr. Paul Brennan.

Dr. Brennan is so knowledgeable and an expert in the history of Kailua. Dr. Brennan indicated he would like to complete more archeology in the area before it’s damaged or gone forever and lost to the people of Kailua. He discusses what he refers to as the "Queen’s Retreat", an archeological site which includes a Hawaiian Temple, the Queen’s Carriage way, and a place where the Royal Family of Hawaii bathed.

You'll learn about modern day Kailua, how Kailua was originally settled, how Kailua got it's name, the commercial and cultural development of Kailua prior to and after World War 2. and statehood in 1959.

Since 1981 when he and his wife arrived in Hawaii from Papua New Guinea, Dr. Brennan has focused his life’s work on preserving the oral histories of Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese immigrants, as well as Native Hawaiians in Kailua. He now has over 150 of these stored in the Society’s archive.

We discuss Japanese "Picture Brides", and how Dr. Brennan has conducted tours of Kailua free of charge for years.

Dr. Brennan shared touching and beautiful stories about Kailua and its residents and how the Society is helping address the homeless problem on Kailua.

We also discuss the future of the Kailua Historical Society which includes obtaining a permanent facility for the Society and several other key strategic objectives.

This is an exciting time for the Kailua Historical Society! I would love to be there as the Society develops these plans! There’s a lot of opportunity to help our Preservation Oak Dr. Paul Brennan and the Kailua Historical Society!

If you’re a listener in Kailua OR if you’re a listener researching family history in Kailua and you’re not already a member, please consider joining and supporting the society! The Kailua Historical Society’s website URL is Kailua Historical Society.org

I hope this program helps the audience understand how valuable the Kailua Historical Society is to the community and what kinds of excellent work they continue to do for their members and the public. The Kailua Historical Society is truly a value-add to the community and definitely one of our Preservation Oaks!