Archaeological evidence indicates that the valley of the Anahulu
River near its mouth was the site of ancient Native Hawaiian
villages. At some point the river valley was abandoned but was
later repopulated in the early 19th century by King Kamehameha
I.
In 1898, Honolulu businessman Benjamin Dillingham built the
Hale'iwa Hotel on a small strip of land between the Pacific Ocean
and the Anahulu River. . Translated as "house of the frigate bird,"
Hale'iwa marked the endpoint of a railway system that led through
Wahiawa's sugar and pineapple fields. With the advent of the hotel,
tourism began on the North Shore. Enterprising plantation workers
set up small businesses in and around town, some of which are still
standing today.
The Anahulu Stream Bridge (aka the Rainbow
Bridge) was built in 1921.
For more information about the history of this
area, click
here.