| |
Banyan
Drive, aka "Hilo Walk of Fame." refers
to the more than 50 humungous banyan
trees, with long aerial roots dangling
from their limbs and filled with orchids
and ferns, which were planted some 60
to 70 years ago by visiting celebrities
and dignitaries. Visitors will find such
names as Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, and
Franklin Delano Roosevelt on plaques
affixed to the trees.
For many years celebrities visited Hilo
to have plant small banyan saplings that
have grown into giant memorials that
still stand in their honor. These trees
have withstood natural disasters such as
the several tsunamis that have
devastated much of Hilo, located on the
Big Island of Hawaii. The drive circles
the Waiakea Peninsula, near the Hilo
International Airport, where the largest
hotels on the Eastern side of the Big
Island are located.
In 1933, several park commissioners
decided that it would be a good idea to
have celebrities plant banyan tree
saplings along the peninsula. In 1934,
with the arrival of President Franklin
Roosevelt in Hilo, it was decided to
build a drive through the trees, then
only of crushed coral. At the time, the
peninsula hosted the Hilo Yacht club and
several homes. In late 1933, Cecil B.
DeMille was on the island filming "Four
Frightened People". Several of the
actors along with Mr. and Mrs. DeMille,
all planted trees in their own honor.
According to records, 8 trees were
planted in October of 1933. In addition
to the movie stars, one tree was also
planted by the famous baseballer, George
Herman "Babe" Ruth.
Planting of trees by celebrities
continued with an additional 10 trees
planted in 1934, 15 in 1935, 6 in 1936,
5 in 1937, 4 in 1938. Two trees were
planted in 1941, one in 1952 by Senator
Richard Nixon, and two in 1972, one by
Pat Nixon to replace the tree planted by
her husband and lost in an election year
storm and the other to honor her as
first lady. In 1991 Polly Mooney
replanted a tree lost to a tsunami
honoring Civitan International leader
Courtney Shropshire. Mrs. Mooney was
also honored by being the first woman
president of the previously
male-dominated Civitan. The tree bears
both their names.
Today, most of the trees with the
original plaques still thrive along
Banyan Drive, providing a continuous
canopy for a nostalgic and enchanted
stroll through Hilo history.
|
|
