There are two names for Ewa, either ‘Ewa with the ‘okina or Ewa without the ‘okina. ‘Ewa with the ‘okina means crooked or unequal in Hawaiian. Ewa without the ‘okina means strayed or wandering. The Hawaiian legend of the land starts with two ancient Hawaiian gods, Kāne and Kanaloa. When they discovered the Ewa plains, they liked the large flat area, so they threw a stone to mark a boundary. When they went searching for the stone, they could not find it. So, the land became known as Ewa, or the stone that strayed. In other versions, the area was named ʻEwa because the stone was thrown crookedly. In 1877, Irish businessman James Campbell bought 40,000 acres of land in the Ewa plains, which included Kapolei. The sugar and pineapple plantations boomed. Thirty miles of train track were soon laid, connecting Ewa to the Oahu Railway, which would transport sugar, molasses, livestock, people, and about anything else to the region. People from Japan, the Philippines, and Korea soon joined the Hawaiians to farm the fields, moving into newly built plantation villages. By the 1980s, the booming sugar industry started to bust. Now, with the planned construction of thousands of residentials units over the next couple of decades, Ewa Beach and Kapolei are beginning to bustle again. Kapolei & Ewa Beach 248 Into pau hana (happy hour) to celebrate the end of a hard work week? Kapolei has you covered! Check out Longhi’s Ko Olina, Brick Oven Pizza, Moani Island Bistro & Bar, Monkeypod Kitchen, Kapolei Golf Club Restaurant, Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, Ramen-Ya and Longboards Bar at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Grille. The latter (808-679-4700) presents signature island cocktails and Hawaiian-style appetizers. Na Opio Kai at The LineUp at Wai Kai
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