LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Industrial Revolution was an opportunity to bring out the “toys,” said Chris Faye, curator at the Kaua‘i Museum. Wednesday, lunchtime traffic was stopped briefly on Rice Street as a Kikiaola Construction Company heavy duty forklift moved
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Industrial Revolution was an opportunity to bring out the “toys,” said Chris Faye, curator at the Kaua‘i Museum.
Wednesday, lunchtime traffic was stopped briefly on Rice Street as a Kikiaola Construction Company heavy duty forklift moved granite grinding stones into place in preparation for the Kaua‘i Industrial Revolution, Steam Power and Other Innovations, that will open at the museum, Friday.
“There will be a reception on Oct. 3 from 2 to 5 p.m. for this show that will run until April,” Faye said. “Oct. 3 is a Family Day, so there is no admission charge, but donations are always welcomed.”
As the forklift ground and beeped to the lunchtime din, Faye could not help but quip about the use of 21st Century technology to move ancient Chinese technology.
The granite grinding stones were used to get the juice out of sugar cane at the first sugar plantation in Koloa, said Scott Johnson, the engineer for the Grove Farm Homestead Museum locomotives.
“There used to be oak pegs in the holes on the granite wheels and the operator would have to feed the cane into the spinning pegs that would squeeze out the juice,” Johnson said. “Yes, it was one stalk at a time, and hand-fed. At the bottom, there is an area that is dug out where the juice would flow into collection vessels.”
Over the years, Johnson said the pegs made out of oak dried up and now they are reduced in size and slip out of its granite beds.
The exhibit will feature many of the items used in the production of sugar from its early start in Koloa until today, and is being held in collaboration with the Grove Farm Homestead Museum.
Johnson said many of the items from the Grove Farm museum will be rotated through the display period that runs from Friday until April 26, 2010.
“The granite stones and the ox cart that arrived aboard A Tow in Paradise flatbed came from the Koloa mill and after being replaced by more modern technology, were on display at a manager’s house,” Faye said. “This is a good time to bring out all those old toys and see how far we’ve come.”
For more information, call the Kaua‘i Museum at 245-6931.
