Maui Author Introduces History of Haleakala

“Haleakala: A History of the Maui Mountain” contains more than 200 images– maps, vintage black-and-white and contemporary color photos. Photo courtesy of Engledow.

By Sonia Isotov

Maui author Jill Engledow will celebrate the publication of her new book “Haleakala: A History of the Maui Mountain” with a short presentation on the history of Haleakala National Park on November 30.

“Haleakala: A History of the Maui Mountain” contains more than 200 images– maps, vintage black-and-white and contemporary color photos. The book begins with the mountain’s geological formation and moves through history to current issues concerning the park at the mountain’s peak.

Within the book’s 177 pages are stories of ancient Hawaiian activities and beliefs about the summit, the natural world of Haleakala, early Western explorers, the Maui community’s efforts to establish a national park, the old horseback trail and early shelters.

Also included are stories of the Great Depression, when a new highway made it possible for anyone with a car to visit the summit, and Civilian Conservation Corps workers helped build trails and cabins within the crater. Rare photos illustrate the story of the Kipahulu Scientific Expedition of 1967, which led to the acquisition of the Kipahulu section of the park.

Jill Engledow. Photo courtesy of Engledow.

Engledow is a former reporter for The Maui News who left the paper in 1998 to pursue a freelance career. One of her first assignments was to research and write a history of Maui as seen through the pages of the paper. That series of stories and photos marking the paper’s centennial won the Maui Historical Society’s 2000 Preservation Award and a commendation from the American Association of State and Local History.

Engledow’s other books include “Island Life 101: A Newcomer’s Guide to Hawaii” and “Exploring Historic Upcountry.”

“Haleakala: A History of the Maui Mountain” will be available for sale at the publication party in November and also through Amazon.com and at www.mauiislandpress.com. It also will be at various Maui retail outlets, including the Bailey House and Haleakala National Park.

Its price is $29.95, plus shipping when ordered online. For more information, call Maui Island Press at 808-242-5459.

The public is invited to the event which runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, November 30, at the Maui Historical Society’s Bailey House Museum.