Imagine Hawaii in the mid-1800s: the islands were united under the leadership of King Kamehameha III, Christian missionaries had recently arrived on the islands, the first coffee was planted in Kona – and sugar cane was king.

Sugar cane production in Hawaii began at the Old Sugar Mill of Koloa, on the southern coast of Kauai, in 1835. This would mark the beginning of what would become the largest industry in Hawaii, though the plantation has long since been abandoned.

The old mill was a part of the first commercially successful sugar plantation in Hawaii, though it was eventually replaced by the current structure to the east in 1912.
Adam Foster/Flickr
Brian Vallelunga/Flickr
The initial location was selected due to the area’s rich, fertile soil, proximity to a booming sea port, and its proximity to the Maulili Pool, which allowed the waterfall to be utilized in producing power.
Adam Foster/Flickr
Steve Shupe/Flickr
The mill was founded by Ladd + Company, but only operated under the original ownership for nine years – before the mill was sold to Doctor Robert Wood, who was in charge of the operation through 1874.
Adam Foster/Flickr
Adam Foster/Flickr

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By 1898, the plantation was producing approximately 225,000 tons of sugar each year. In 1912, the old mill was replaced by a larger one to accommodate the demand for the product, and the rise of the sugar cane industry in Hawaii.
Adam Foster/Flickr
David Casteel/Flickr
The Koloa Sugar Mill continued production until it was closed in 1996, an impressive 161 years after the old mill was built.
Adam Foster/Flickr
Nicki Dugan Pogue/Flickr
And now? The mill sits abandoned, exposed to the elements, slowly crumbling to the ground, and becoming one with nature. The mill now stands as a striking reminder that everything must come to an end eventually – and that even the largest industries may eventually falter.
Gary Eyring/Flickr
Nicki Dugan Pogue/Flickr

Have you ever seen the abandoned Koloa Sugar Mill in person? Were you more creeped out or in awe of this incredible piece of Hawaiian history?

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