Moanalua is a valley, a stream, an ahupuaa

Ahupua'a

In old Hawaii, ahupuaa was the common subdivision of the land. It is comparable to the tapere in the Southern Cook Islands. The traditional subdivision has four hierarchical levels:*mokupuni *moku...

, and a residential neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

. The valley extends inland from behind Āliapaakai crater (Salt Lake

Salt Lake, Hawaii

Salt Lake is a suburban neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of O‘ahu. The area is also known as Āliamanu after a nearby crater, although Salt Lake itself is in a crater called Ālia pa‘akai — meaning "salt pond" in the Hawaiian language...

) to the crest of the Koʻolau Range.

Neighboring areas include Māpunapuna and Salt Lake on the south, Fort Shafter

Fort Shafter

Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...

 on the east, and Red Hill and Hālawa Valley

Halawa, Hawaii

Halawa is a census-designated place in the ‘Ewa District of Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. Halawa Stream branches into two valleys: North and South Halawa; North Halawa is the larger stream and fluvial feature. Their confluence is within the H-3/H-201 highways exchange. Most of Halawa...

 on the west.

Moanalua is a part of the 15th District of the Hawaii Senate

Hawaii Senate

The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently...

, currently represented by State Senator Norman Sakamoto

Norman Sakamoto

Norman Sakamoto served as a Democratic member of the Hawaii Senate from 1996 to 2010. He represented Hawaii Senatorial District 15, comprising the communities of Aliamanu, Foster Village, Halawa, Hickam, Kalihi, Lower Aiea, Mapunapuna, Moanalua, Pearlridge, and Salt Lake on the island of Oahu...

. It is also a part of the 31st District of the Hawaii House of Representatives

Hawaii House of Representatives

The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Accord to Article III, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts...

, currently represented by Glenn Wakai.

Location

The Moanalua neighhborhood includes a portion that extends up Ala Aolani Street into the valley 21°22′0"N 157°53′36"W, and another part that extends eastward along the lower slopes of the interfluve (slopes between valleys) to Fort Shafter

Fort Shafter

Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...

 and into the small valley of Manaiki Stream. The latter part includes Tripler Army Medical Center

Tripler Army Medical Center

Tripler Army Medical Center is the headquarters of the Pacific Regional Medical Command of the armed forces administered by the United States Army in the State of Hawaii. It is the largest military hospital in the Asian and Pacific Rim region and serves a military sphere of jurisdiction that spans...

 above the neighborhood and Moanalua Gardens below it.

History

Samuel Mills Damon

Samuel Mills Damon

Samuel Mills Damon was a businessman and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, through the Republic of Hawaii and into the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:Samuel Mills Damon was born in Honolulu on March 13, 1845....

 inherited the ahupuaa (uplands-to-sea tract) of Moanalua in 1884 from Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop

Bernice Pauahi Bishop

Bernice Pauahi Bishop , born Bernice Pauahi Pākī, was a Hawaiian princess, philanthropist, alii, and direct descendant of the royal House of Kamehameha. She was the great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha I and last surviving heir...

, whose husband Charles Reed Bishop

Charles Reed Bishop

Charles Reed Bishop was a businessman and philanthropist in Hawaii.Born in Glens Falls, New York, he sailed to Hawaii in 1846 at the age of 24, and made his home there. Bishop was one of the first trustees of and a major donor to the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii...

 was a business partner of Damon. Before her, since the lands were won in battle by Kamehameha I

Kamehameha I

Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...

 they passed from Kameʻeiamoku to Ulumāheihei Hoapili

Hoapili

Ulumāheihei Hoapili was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted military and political advisor to King Kamehameha I, known as "Kamehameha the Great"...

, then to Prince Lot Lot Kapuāiwa (who became King Kamehameha V

Kamehameha V

aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief...

), and Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani

Keelikolani

Princess Ruth Luka Keanolani Kauanahoahoa Keelikōlani , was a member of the Kamehameha family, the founding dynasty of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She served as Royal Governor of the Island of Hawaii. As primary heir to the Kamehameha family, Ruth became a landholder of what would become the Bernice...

.

Damon later became one of the first trustees of the Kamehameha Schools

Kamehameha Schools

Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...

 established by the Bishops. The Damon estate sold much of Moanalua to commercial and residential developers in 1956.

Moanalua Gardens

Moanalua Gardens are inland from the Interstate H-201

Interstate H-201

Interstate H-201 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located on the island of O‘ahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The H-201 is also known as the Moanalua Freeway...

 which is known as the Moanalua Freeway, off Exit 3. One of its monkey pod trees is seen on Hitachi

Hitachi, Ltd.

is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...

's Japanese TV commercials, and is occasionally referred to as in Japan.

The gardens were a gift to the public from Damon and maintained by a trust since his death in 1924. It was one of Hawaii's earliest public parks although has remained privately owned.