Our Mission:

ENRICH · INSPIRE · INFORM

The Kona Historical Society will preserve the history of Kona to enrich, inspire, and inform our community and visitors. We will do this through collecting, preserving, researching, interpreting, and disseminating the history of Kona.

The Kona Historical Society relies on support from donors like you to help us serve our mission

C.Q. Yee Hop Ranch Oral Histories Project

This oral histories project preserves the stories and lived experiences of individuals connected to the C.Q. Yee Hop Ranch and neighboring ranching communities in South Kona. Together, these narratives document a unique way of life shaped by ranching, family, and the diverse cultural landscape of Kona.

The history of the ranch traces back to Chun Quon, who was born in China in 1867 and arrived in Hawaiʻi in the late 19th century. After establishing himself as a merchant in Honolulu, he founded the Yee Hop Company and later C.Q. Yee Hop & Company. In 1913, he entered into a partnership with the Ontai brothers of Olelomoana Ranch, expanding operations across approximately 25,000 acres of land in South Kona.

While ranching was the primary focus, the discovery of abundant koa and ʻōhiʻa forests in the region led to the development of a thriving woodcraft industry. Through the Hawaiian Hardwood Company, these natural resources supported furniture production and contributed to wartime efforts during World War II. The ranch also provided employment for many local families, reflecting the interconnected relationships between land, labor, and community.

The oral histories in this collection offer personal perspectives that bring this history to life—highlighting daily life on the ranch, generational knowledge, and the enduring legacy of South Kona’s ranching communities.

Gladys Grace Ontai

This oral history interview with Gladys Kukana Grace Ontai documents her life and experiences growing up in South Kona, Hawaiʻi, in the early 20th century. The interview covers her family background of Native Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry, her upbringing under the care of her father and grandmother, and the subsistence lifestyle practiced in rural Kona communities. Key topics include ranching and cowboy life, coffee farming, kalo (taro) cultivation, and household labor, as well as the economic importance of lauhala weaving. Grace also discusses cultural practices such as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) use, traditional medicine, storytelling, and spiritual beliefs. Additional themes include education, migration to Honolulu for work, multicultural community interactions, and the transition from rural to urban life. The interview provides insight into intergenerational knowledge transfer, community cooperation, and the social and economic conditions of ranch-era Hawaiʻi.

Blue Kema

The oral history of Wallace Puako “Blue” Kema provides a vital firsthand account of life in rural South Kona during the early to mid-20th century, illustrating how communities sustained themselves through a blend of subsistence practices, ranch labor, and strong social networks. Through his experiences growing up in areas like ʻŌpihihale and working for rancher C. Q. Yee Hop, Kema reveals the everyday realities of paniolo culture, multi-ethnic community life, and informal economies that are often overlooked in traditional historical narratives. His recollections not only document disappearing practices such as fishing, farming, and resource sharing, but also highlight how local people adapted to environmental challenges like the 1950 eruption of Mauna Loa. Ultimately, this oral history is significant because it preserves the lived experiences and cultural knowledge of a generation whose stories deepen our understanding of Hawaiʻi’s social and economic transformations.

Medeiros, John Bernard Jr.

This oral history interview with John Bernard Medeiros, Jr., conducted in August 1999 in Honomalino, South Kona by Kuʻulani Auld, documents Medeiros’s early life, family background, and experiences growing up in rural Kona during the early to mid-20th century. The interview relates information spanning roughly the 1930s through the 1960s, with particular emphasis on Medeiros’s youth in South Kona and his transition into adulthood. He recounts his birth in 1927 at Kona Hospital and his upbringing, highlighting the importance of extended family networks, including the Kalani family. Medeiros discusses his experiences becoming a cowboy and his work on C.Q.Yee Hop Ranch, McCandless Ranch and Puʻuwaʻawaʻa Ranch, providing insight into ranching practices, labor conditions, and daily life within Hawaiʻi’s cattle industry. The interview also reflects on his grandparents’ involvement in ranch labor, particularly cowboy work for the Greenwell family, and offers perspectives on dairy operations and subsistence living. Overall, the narrative highlights themes of rural community life, multi-generational households, agricultural labor, and the social and economic structures that shaped life in the Kona district.

If you’d like to learn more about the C.Q. Yee Hop Ranch Oral Histories Project, please note that the Jean Greenwell Library & Archive is a privately funded and operated research archive.

While our collections do not circulate, we are committed to supporting the public by providing resources and research assistance whenever possible. As a first step, we encourage researchers to explore materials available through public and state-funded libraries and archives, which often offer broader collections and public access policies.

If you are ready to schedule a research appointment for a fee, please visit Our Collections page to schedule your visit.

For inquiries into our collections and finding aids, please email khs@konahistorical.org.