M. M. O’Shaughnessy Old Plantation Days, June 2016

Past articles of Old Plantation Days in the Paradise Post have often recited the water systems, flumes, ditches, and tunnels developed by the Sugar Plantations, but who were the men and engineers that developed those systems?

One of the earliest engineers of fame (and at times infamy) was Michael Maurice O’Shaughnessy, or M. M. O’Shaughnessy.  I first heard of O’Shaughnessy after learning from my Kohala friends Mike Gomes and Rick Gordon about how he had engineered the Kohala Ditch.  The Kohala Ditch is actually more tunnel than it is “ditch” and spans some 22 miles from the deepest valley realms from Waikaloa to Honokane Nui and Pololu on the North end of the Island.  Today the ditch has more a use for tourism, with kayak rides along several miles of tunnel and open ditch.

However, I soon learned that there was more history to O’Shaughnessy at other sugarcane plantations even prior to the Kohala Ditch.  After unrolling a 1902 map of Hutchinson Sugar Company in the Olson Trust Archives in Papaikou, I was surprised to find the map being drawn and signed by O’Shaughnessy.  So prior to Kohala “M.M.” was in Kau designing the water systems there.  Not only did he engineer water sources but he also designed the narrow gauge railroad grade from Hilea Village to Honuapo and from Naalehu Mill to Honuapo.  This bay being one of the few deep water ports and wharf in the district.

M.M. was a civil engineer graduating from the Royal University of Ireland in 1884.  He emigrated to the United States in 1885 and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad.  In 1889 he moved to Hawaii and started his legacy of water and railroad construction for several plantations.  His name can be associated with systems at Olokele Sugar on Kauai, Ko’olau Ditch on Oahu, the huge Hamakua Ditch above Keanae Maui, and the Kohala and Hutchinson systems on the island of Hawaii.  Many of the systems were built for irrigation water, but others were built for transportation of cane to the mills and had nothing to do with growing a crop of cane!

Much if not all of these systems are still in use today and provide valuable irrigation water for crops other than sugarcane.  With H,C&S closing on Maui, the last sugar plantation in the State will convert its lands to other crops and the water that feeds them had its origin at the turn of the century though the hands and mind of O’Shaughnessy.

After leaving the islands, O’Shaughnessy moved back to California and took up work for the City of San Francisco.  Something that is so iconic to San Francisco was a result of the engineering of O’Shaughnessy.  Yes, believe it or not but the Streetcar system in the City was O’Shaughnessy’s design!

Now earlier in the article I mentioned the term “infamy” as to M.M.’s legacy.  Perhaps his greatest and most controversial projects was the Hetch Hetchy water system that supplied water to the city of San Francisco.  This system started with a Dam in Yosemite National Park.  John Muir, founding President of the Sierra Club was vehemently opposed to this project.  Muir and his fledgling Sierra Club lost their battle when in 1913 President Woodrow Wilson signed the Raker Act into law and construction began.  The dam was aptly named after O’Shaughnessy and after some 156 miles of ditch, tunnels and pipelines San Francisco got its water.  Through it though became a much stronger Sierra Club and public sentiment towards preservation of natural resources and the establishment of National Parks.

So when visiting Yosemite National Park, riding a street car in San Francisco, floating in a kayak in Kohala, or drinking a cup of coffee in Kau, remember that Michael Maurice O’Shaughnessy of Limerick and Tipperary Ireland had a hand in what you are experiencing!