Island History: Kaua‘i Treasurer K. C. Ahana

Born in Hule‘ia Valley, Kaua‘i, and educated at Lihu‘e Grammar School and Saint Louis College (precursor to Saint Louis School and Chaminade University), K. C. (Koon Chong) Ahana (1893-1964) was Kaua‘i County’s elected treasurer for 39 1/2 continuous years, from 1919 to 1958.

Following his graduation from Saint Louis College in 1911, Ahana was hired on Kaua‘i by Frank Crawford, the Lihu‘e branch manager of Bank of Hawai‘i and the Lihu‘e Postmaster.

To get to work at the bank and post office in Lihu‘e, Ahana would ride one of his father’s horses from his home in Hule‘ia, and he’d return home on horseback at pau hana each evening.

In 1912, after Sheriff William Rice appointed him Kaua‘i weights and measures inspector on a contract basis, Ahana would travel around Kaua‘i by horse and buggy, checking the accuracy of scales, yardsticks and other measures. (In 1914, he bought his first car, a secondhand Buick from J. B. Fernandes.)

A year later, Ahana became clerk to both Kaua‘i County Auditor Carl Maser and Kaua‘i County Clerk J. M. Kaneakua, as well as a court reporter and Chinese interpreter, first under Judge Lyle M. Dickey and later Judge William C. Achi Jr.

Then in 1919, Ahana was elected county treasurer, defeating Abraham G. Kaulukou, who went on to a long career as county attorney.

While campaigning, Ahana became the first-ever Kaua‘i candidate for public office to go house-to-house to meet voters — at that time, less that 2,000 on the island.

Ahana sometimes began speeches in the Hawaiian language to garner Hawaiian votes. “‘Oia‘i‘o no, a‘ole wau he Hawai‘i maka poko aka, he Hawai‘i no wau maka pu‘uwai, pu‘uwai hamama,” he’d tell Hawaiians at community political rallies, which in English meant, “It is true that I am not Hawaiian by blood, but I am Hawaiian at heart, openhearted.”