Hilo

Hilo lies on the rainy eastern coast of Hawaiʻi Island, beneath the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Streams descending from the mountains reach a broad bay, while fertile valleys and coastal settlements supported Hawaiian communities. The bay faced the Pacific on the windward side of the island. The district was governed by chiefs whose alliances and rivalries shaped the island’s political life.

After the death of Kalaniʻōpuʻu, chiefs competed for control of Hawaiʻi. In 1790 Keōua defeated and killed Keawemaʻuhili, who held Hilo, before attacking lands held by Kamehameha. The struggles continued until Kamehameha secured the island and began campaigns against other islands. Hilo later served as one of his seats of government in the kingdom that emerged from those conflicts.