Kauai's Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park: The Russians Are Coming! (HH W/O)
Written: Jul 13 '01 (Updated Oct 30 '01)
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Pros: historically interesting story
Cons: not really much to see but rocks, brush and bees
The Bottom Line: If you have some extra time going to or coming from Waimea Canyon, think about stopping here but it's not worth a separate trip.
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| jdhauer's Full Review: Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park |
This review is part of the "Helping Hands" Write Off hosted by bgoodday. All proceeds that this review generates will be matched by me and donated to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Please check out the other participants listed at the end of this review.
History
In 1816, George Anton Scheffer built a Russian fort on Kauai with the help of many Hawaiian construction workers. He was a Prussian doctor/Moscow policeman who didn't get along with anyone. Everyone hated him. For being such a disagreeable fellow, he still had something about him which made him irresistible to strangers, at least until they got to know him. He managed to be friendly with a Russian official who sent Scheffer to Hawaii to get him out of his hair. His mission? To make nice with King Kamehameha on Oahu and possibly give the Russians a toehold in the Hawaiian islands.
Scheffer (as usual) alienated himself so well that he went/fled to Kauai. Once there, he entered negotiations with King Kaumualii of Kauai.
This king gave his kingdom to King Kamehameha because he knew that Kamehameha was more powerful than he was and that if he was forced to go into battle, he'd lose everything. The wily Kaumualii did the expedient thing by surrendering without a fight, but he obviously didn't like having to answer to Kamehameha. He was a king in name only.
Kaumualii saw in Scheffer the chance to get the Russians involved on Kauai which possibly might restore his kingdom. Together, he hatched a wild scheme with the insane Prussian to get the Russians to provide the ships needed to conquer the other Hawaiian islands. Scheffer was power hungry and extremely full of himself. He knew that he couldn't really provide any ships and that the Russians wouldn't help, but he conveniently forgot that tiny fact.
Scheffer began building Fort Elizabeth which was named in honor of Russian Emperor Alexander I's wife. Unfortunately for him, the Russians heard about what was happening on Kauai. They didn't want a fort and they didn't want Scheffer, especially after Scheffer purchased a ship and sent the bill to Alaska which the Russians owned at the time. So, they sent a ship to Kauai and told Scheffer to get his butt off the island. Scheffer ignored the Russians and kept building.
Kauai's king smelled a rotten fish. He formed an alliance with some American businessmen to start a rumor that Russia and America were at war so they could get rid of Scheffer (a common theme among all who knew him it seems). He fled the island for Oahu where he was informed that he would be taken prisoner if he remained there. Understandably, he left Hawaii for Brazil where he changed his name to Count von Frankenthal.
The Park
The remains of the fort are located on the ocean side of Highway 50 after mile marker 22 on the island of Kauai. This is just to the east of Waimea at the mouth of the Waimea River and directly across from Lucy Kapahu Aukai Wright Beach Park
In 1864, 38 guns were removed from the fort. The walls used to be 30 feet thick. Now, what is left are some stacked lava rock ruins in the shape of a six pointed star. Aside from these rocks, some underbrush and some bees, there isn't much else to see on the 17 acres that comprise the park. There's a free self guided tour (and brochure but they were out the day we visited). There is no admission fee.
You can be in and out of the park in about 15 to 20 minutes because it doesn't take much time to climb around what is left of the fort. Be careful if you climb since the footing can be slippery and everything is covered in Kauai's famous red dirt. If you get the dirt on your white socks or tennis shoes, it's not going to come off. Also, watch out for the bees. There are multiple nests of them among the ruins of the fort.
The best part of the park are the views. You're right at the mouth of the Waimea River, directly across from the west bank where Captain James Cook first landed in the Hawaiian Islands. You also can get a look 17 miles to the west at the forbidden island of Niihau.
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The Helping Hands Write Off
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Thank you all for reading!
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Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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jdhauer
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