| The pineapple is believed to have originated
in the verdant lowlands of Paraguay. Carried
aboard 15th and 16th century trade ships, the fruit
was soon found growing as far away as Mexico, Australia,
China and India.
Christopher Columbus brought pineapples home
from his travels in the "New World" and
they soon became a gourmet delight savored across
Europe. Even George Washington grew them in his Mount Vernon hothouse.
No one is certain of when pineapples were first
grown in Hawaii, but historians believe that a Spanish
shipwreck in 1527 on the South Kona coast on the
Big Island of Hawaii brought tools, stores, garments
and plants, including pineapples, from Mexico to
Hawaii.
In later years, more Spanish explorers arrived
in Hawaii, planting pineapples among other fruits.
Francisco de Paula Marin, a Spanish adventurer
who arrived in Hawaii in 1794 and became a trusted
friend and advisor to King Kamehameha the Great,
experimented with raising pineapples in the early
1800's. The
"Wild Kailua" pineapple was found growing
in the Kona area as early as 1816.
Captain John Kidwell is credited with founding
Hawaii’s pineapple industry.
In the 1880’s he imported and tested a number
of varieties and selected Smooth Cayenne for its
cylindrical form and uniform texture.
It was Jim Dole, for whom Dole Plantation
is named, who pioneered the industry and became
popularly known as the "Pineapple King".
PHOTOS FROM THE BOOK The Story
of James Dole
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