Also known as the “Friendly Isle,” Molokai is known for having a slow pace, rural style, and rich Hawaiian culture. As recently covered in The Wall Street Journal, Molokai was formed by three separate volcanoes, as evidenced by the island’s environmental diversity compressed within its small land area. Lands that eventually became part of Molokai Ranch were assigned as part of the Great Mahele, Hawaii’s land division of 1848.
$260,000,000 USD | Maunaloa, Hawaii | Carvill Sotheby’s International Realty
Generations of History
In 1859, King Kamehameha IV established a sheep ranch on the west end at Kaluako‘i. His brother, High Chief Kapuāiwa gained title to the land that is now encompassed by Molokai Ranch when he became King Kamehameha V in 1863, and he expanded this holding through acquisition of more land and addition of other types of livestock.
Princess Ruth Keli‘iokalani inherited the land on Molokai from King Kamehameha V upon his death. When she died in 1883, the property passed on to Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the Kamehameha dynasty. Princess Pauahi’s inheritance excluded the land of Kaluako‘i in West Molokai, as these were granted to her husband Charles Bishop in 1875.
In 1897, Charles M. Cooke, son of the early missionary teacher, Amos Starr Cooke, along with a group of Honolulu businessmen, purchased 70,000 acres of land in fee simple from the trustees of Princess Pauahi’s estate. The business group leased another 30,000 acres from the Hawaiian government. In 1898, the businessmen started American Sugar Company Limited on Molokai. In 1908, Charles M. Cooke acquired 100% interest in the fee simple lands and subsequently established Molokai Ranch. George P. Cooke, son of Charles M. Cooke, succeeded his father to become the manager of Molokai Ranch. Under George P. Cooke, Molokai Ranch progressed through cattle grazing, sweet potato, and wheat crops. When the Ranch began producing honey, Molokai became the world’s largest producer of honey from 1910 to 1937.
Tidepools at Kawākiu Nui
By 1923, the Libby, McNeil & Libby Company had begun raising pineapple in the Maunaloa area on lands leased from Molokai Ranch. They continued operations until the operations were sold to the Dole Corporation in 1972. Del Monte, then known as California Packing Corporation, arrived in 1927 and made their headquarters at Kualapu‘u. They soon commenced large-scale pineapple cultivation, mostly on land leased from Molokai Ranch. Dole ceased its Molokai operations in 1976. Del Monte phased out its operations in the mid-1980s.
Kaluako’i Resort – Kaluako’i Resort and the surrounding 18-hole golf course is a prime oceanfront/hotel site.
In the early 1970s, Molokai Ranch, then owned by the Cooke family, entered into a partnership with Louisiana Land and Exploration Company for the development of the Kaluako‘i Hotel and Resort. After initial success, the cash requirements of these investments led to the eventual sale of Molokai Ranch stock to Brierly Investments Limited (later to become BIL International Limited), who became the sole stockholder in 1987. At that time, Molokai Ranch consisted of approximately 52,000 acres. The Kaluako‘i Hotel, under separate ownership, closed in 2000.
Maunaloa Town had its beginnings as a pineapple plantation town in 1923, when Libby, McNeil & Libby began to grow pineapple on land leased from Molokai Ranch.
In October 2001, BIL International, on behalf of Molokai Ranch, re-acquired 6,300 acres on the southwest corner of Molokai. In December 2001, Molokai Ranch acquired the land holdings of Kukui (Molokai), Inc., that included the abandoned Kaluako‘i Hotel, the Kaluako‘i Golf Course, and the undeveloped lands of the resort area. The golf course was renovated and re-opened in 2004 and closed in 2008. The hotel, golf course and most of the common facilities have yet to be re-opened.
Venue of the Annual Molokai Ranch Heritage Rodeo with Maunaloa Town in background.
Under the current ownership, not much has changed in recent years. While Molokai Ranch has continued to engage in active cattle ranching and utilities operations, reopening the Kaluako‘i Hotel and resort operations has not been a priority. The time has arrived to offer a new owner the freedom to realize the property’s potential and to create an enduring legacy.