As stories go, Kaneohe is the name of the bamboo man who invented the bamboo nose flute known as the Hano-ihu.  Hano-ihu and his friend Pu'ili discovered the bamboo man in the forest of Wao, then a forbidden place to go.  It was here that the bamboo man taught Hano-ihu how to play the flute while Pu'ili discovered the whistling music of the bamboos in the distance.  Thus the flute was named after Hano-ihu and the bamboo sticks used in today's hula were named after Pu'ili.  (As told by the Castle High School students in their booklet "Ku'u Nani Ko'olau" dated 1976)

Lands in Kaneohe were redistributed under Kamehameha's reign in the late 1940's.  At that time commoners were able to retain parcels of land for personal cultivation.  Rice was once a major crop in Kaneohe and as many as 200 acres of rice paddies flourished in 1892.  Taro was also grown, from Kaneohe stream and up to the mountains, and in the Kahaluu district.  However, by 1952, due to both foreign and domestic competition, the industry took a dive.  Pineapple replaced the rice paddies but this industry did not survive in Kaneohe.  In fact, rumor says it had a negative impact on Kaneohe Bay, because in the process of stripping the land for the planting of the pineapple, the soil was washed in to the Bay which once had a sandy beach.

Many of the early residents of Kaneohe were Chinese and Japanese immigrants who worked for the plantations in the 1880's.  The Portuguese and Spanish immigrants gravitated toward the cattle business, many of whom later entered the dairy business.

In 1987 the footpath or horse trail that led from Pali lookout to Kaneohe town, known as the "Old Pali Road" became a navigable roadway.  At the lookout itself, one can see the beauty of Kaneohe town in its glory from the mountains to the sea.  In 1959, the Pali tunnel was completed.  This opened up developments in Kaneohe.

1960 saw the completion of the Likelike Tunnel (aka Wilson Tunnel), and 1967 brought the widening of Kamehameha Highway and the development of Kahekili Highway to accommodate commuter demands.  1998 brought the completion of H-3 which connects the Windward side of the island to the Leeward side, and the widening of Kahekili Highway.

Despite its growth, Kaneohe is still known as a highly residential area.  The warm ocean waters, the natural beauty of the Koolau Mountains, the exotic flowers and fruits, and the tradewinds, make Kaneohe one of the most beautiful places on Oahu.

Kaneohe is also a balanced community.  It is well represented by a number of social, fraternal, service, and community organizations.  There are numerous parks, public facilities, elderly and retirement homes, medical facilities, a hospital, schools, small businesses, and a regional shopping mall.

Kaneohe was a rural town with one mom & pop grocery store called Dote's which was located on the corner of Kamehameha Hwy. and Keaahala Road.  In 1947, Evans and Herbert Yim opened the first supermarket with 10,000 square feet of retail space.  Known as Yim Ah Lin's Supermarket, (aka Lin's), they provided a delivery service to your door if you were unable to come to the store.  They also provided a credit system which you could "charge" your purchases and pay at the end of the month.  Lin's was located where Star Market is now, on Kamehameha Hwy.  Four of the Yim brothers worked at the market in various capacities: Evans was the general manager, Herbert managed the meat department, Clarence was the bookkeeper, and Walter managed the retail goods.

Before the market was opened, Yim Chun Shee, mother and head of the Tim family, owned a bakery.  Her pastries were well known and are still spoken of with reverence today by those who remember.  After the bakery, she opened a "five and ten" store similar to Coronets and Woolworths.  This building eventually was replaced by the Kaneohe Medical Building when her youngest son Henry became a pediatrician.

Kaneohe had one theater.  When the theater burned down it was not replaced.  The theater was where Taco Bell now sits.  Years later, twin theaters were built and operated in Windward City Shopping Center in the lower level.  And now a complex is being planned to open in Windward Mall.

Would it surprise you to know that Kaneohe also had a pool hall and, of course, the former Honey's Cafe, owned by Don Ho's mother.  This is where many of the music stars and locals could "hang out" sing and be merry.  Honey's was located on the corner of Kamehameha Hwy. and Lilipuna Road.  Sam's Taxi was operated by Sammy or Sambo as he was known.  He was the official taxi for those who wanted to travel from Kaneohe to downtown Honolulu.  Sam would pick you up at your door and deliver you to your destination.  For your return trip, he had a stand on Alakea Street or nearby.  He would wait for you at an appointed hour before returning to Kaneohe.  Because the Old Pali Road was narrow and treacherous, and since people did not own cars, Sam's was the best means of transportation to Honolulu.

When Kaneohe was rice paddies and grazing lands, in the 1950's, the streams were filled with crawfish.  It was a favorite pastime to catch and cook crawfish.  Kaneohe Bay was also filled with clams, oysters, Hawaiian spiny lobsters, blue crab, Samoan crabs, white crabs, rock crabs, and many variety of fishes and opai.  The seafood was abundant and free.  Kaneohe Bay was also used for recreational fishing, sailing, and water-skiing.

Mango, mountain apple, "V", breadfruit, star fruit (five fingers), guava, and many other fruit trees flourished in Kaneohe.

Note:  This article is mostly from hearsay and word of mouth.  The article was printed in March 1999 and may contain outdated information.