1900 Vintage Photos Of Oahu Including Personal Chinatown Fire Snapshots

Description

Original vintage photographs
Included in the set are over 30 personal images of the Chinatown fire of 1900 in Honolulu, three pictures of Kapiolani park, and several other downtown and family snapshots.
Obtained from the Pratt Collection
Chinatown fire of 1900
On January 20,1900, another planned fire cleansing was begun at Beretania between Nu`uanu and the old Kaumakapili Church. This time wind gusts spread the fire to the church and from there flames leapfrogged all the way to the wharf. The huge fire burned 17 days, destroying 38 acres and 4,000 homes (mostly Chinese and Japanese). After the disaster was brought under control, the Board of Health successfully set an additional 31 controlled fires. Four months later, Honolulu was deemed plague-free.
The 1900 fire had a major impact on Chinatown's demographics. Many Chinese residents, made homeless by the fire, left and settled elsewhere. Most businesses continued to be owned by Chinese, but many business owners did not return to Chinatown as residents.