John Davis Paris
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John Davis Paris (September 22, 1809 – July 28, 1892) was an American Christian missionary to the
island of Hawaii Hawaii is the List of islands of the United States by area, largest island in the United States, located in the Hawaii, state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcani ...
. Coming to the island by accident, he supervised construction of several historic churches, some of which survive today.


Life

John Davis Paris was born on September 22, 1809, in
Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...
. His father was George Paris and his mother was Mary Hudson. He graduated from
Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participat ...
in Indiana in 1833, and
Bangor Theological Seminary Bangor Theological Seminary was an ecumenical seminary, founded in , in the Congregational tradition of the United Church of Christ. Located in Bangor, Maine, and Portland, Maine, it was the only accredited graduate school of religion in Northe ...
in 1839. He married Mary Grant in October 1840, and they had two daughters: Anna Matilda (1843–1917) and Mary Aletta. Mary and John embarked in November 1840, and arrived in
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
on May 21, 1841, on the ''Gloucester'', along with the ninth company sent by the
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian mission, Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the l ...
. Other members of this company included
William Harrison Rice William Harrison Rice (October 12, 1813 – May 26, 1862) was a missionary teacher from the United States who settled in the Hawaiian Islands and managed an early sugarcane plantation. Life William Harrison Rice was born on October 12, 1813, i ...
and
Daniel Dole Daniel Dole (September 9, 1808 – August 26, 1878) was a Protestant missionary educator from the United States to the Hawaiian Islands. Life Daniel Dole was born September 9, 1808, in Skowhegan, Maine. His father was Wigglesworth Dole (1779 ...
and their wives. They and the Rice family had been assigned to the
Oregon Territory The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Oreg ...
, but were told that an uprising had wiped out the mission station there, so were advised to stay in Hawaii. The family was assigned to the remote southernmost station at Waiōhinu in the Kaū district of the
island of Hawaii Hawaii is the List of islands of the United States by area, largest island in the United States, located in the Hawaii, state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcani ...
. There Paris built the Kauahaao Church (named for a nearby spring). Mary Paris died in 1847, and John Paris returned to the United States with his two young daughters on the ship ''Montreal'' in 1849. In September 1851 Paris married Mary Carpenter (1815–1896) of New York. They decided to return to Hawaii, left in November and arrived in March 1852. This time he was posted to the slightly less remote
Kona District Kona is a ''moku'' or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii, known for its Kona coffee and the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. In the administration of Hawaii County, the ''moku'' of Kona is divided into North Kon ...
on the same island. They had a daughter Ellen (known as Ella) Hudson (1852–1938) and a son John Davis, Jr. (1854–1918).


Kona churches

A large stone church had been built in 1839 on land donated by Chiefess Kapiolani, in an area known as ''Kuapehu'', inland from the town now known as Nāpoopoo, on the south end of
Kealakekua Bay Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii about south of Kailua-Kona. Settled over a thousand years ago, the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites such as religious temples ( heiaus) an ...
but it had fallen into ruin after six years without a pastor. Paris built a smaller but longer-lasting stone church called Kahikolu on the foundation of the old one. In the
Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a critically endangered Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family, originating in and native to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the native language of the Hawaiian people. Hawaiian, along with English, is an offi ...
''kahikolu'' was the name for the
Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...
. He also rebuilt a house at a cooler, higher elevation which he called Mauna Alani, on Kapiolani's former house site. A cistern and kitchen were completed in 1852, and a two-story house built of wood from mountain forests was finished in 1853. Paris also constructed a kiln to bake coral, which was made into lime mortar. This material would prove to be stronger than the previous materials. The workers trained in these new techniques were applied to more projects in the area. Paris supervised the construction of a smaller church known as Hale Halawai O Holualoa ("the meeting house at Holualoa", now known as "Living Stones Church") completed in 1855 on
Holualoa Bay Hōlualoa Bay is a historic area between Kailua-Kona and Keauhou Bay in the Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii. The community now called Hōlualoa is uphill (''mauka'' in the Hawaiian Language) from this bay. The name means "long sli ...
. He also had Helani Church built at Kahaluu Bay in 1861; this church was one of the first to use a native Hawaiian as a pastor. In 1863 he hosted
Rufus Anderson Rufus Anderson (August 17, 1796 – May 23, 1880) was an American minister who spent several decades organizing overseas missions. Personal life Rufus Anderson was born in North Yarmouth, Maine, in 1796. His father, also named Rufus Anderson, ...
from the American board, on a tour of the island's missions. Paris mentioned he was saddened by how the land was being bought up by outsiders. Over his career Paris would be involved in the construction of several more churches, adapting his building materials to suit the location. Churches at higher elevations, such as Central Kona Union, Pukaana Church, and Mauna Ziona in North Kona, were made from wood instead of stone. His last church was Lanakila Church in Kainaliu, started in 1865 and completed in 1867. He is known as one of the most prolific church builders of his time. In 1870 Paris and his wife moved to
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
, where he founded the theological department of the North Pacific Institute. In 1874 he retired and moved back to Kona, where his son had become a rancher. He died on July 28, 1892, in the same house, and is buried in the cemetery of the Lanakila Church in Kainaliu.


Kaona uprising

In 1866, a well-educated native Hawaiian named Joseph Kaona had asked Paris to use the new Lanakila church to store some bibles. At first, Paris welcomed the help. Kaona had grown up in the area, and served in the government of the
Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian:
ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi Latin epsilon or open E (majuscule: Ɛ, minuscule: ɛ) is a letter of the extended Latin alphabet, based on the lowercase of the Greek letter epsilon (ε). It was introduced in the 16th century by Gian Giorgio Trissino to represent the pronunc ...
, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...
as a district judge and in its House of Representatives in 1853. However, Kaona's erratic behavior alarmed Paris. Kaona claimed he was a prophet sent to warn of the end of the world. He predicted a lava flow would soon destroy everyone except his followers (called Kaonaites) after the earthquakes of April 1868. He had also predicted destruction a few earlier times, but after the appointed day passed, postponed it. Paris learned that Kaona had been sentenced to an asylum a few years earlier after claiming he could raise someone from the dead. Paris tried to lock the Lanakila Church, but the door fell off its hinges and Kaona claimed it was a miracle. When the Kaonaites occupied the church and refused to leave, a local judge ordered it closed and the occupiers evicted. Kaona told people to withdraw their children from school and join him in a communal home at the shore. Kaona had his followers chant
Psalm 150 Psalm 150 is the 150th and final psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Praise ye the . Praise God in his sanctuary". In Latin, it is known as "Laudate Dominum in sanctis eius". In Psalm 150, the psalmist ...
for seven days while beating drums made from sugar kegs and tin pots. They wore white robes and flew seven banners because they thought the number seven to be mystical. Although they attempted to pay rent, William F. Roy, the lease-holder of the land asked them to leave. When Sheriff R. B. Neville tried to evict them on October 16, 1868, they refused. Neville had been fire chief of Honolulu, but moved to Kona for what he hoped would be a quieter life. On his second try, on October 19, Kaona's followers clubbed Neville to death. Kamai, a native constable was killed trying to retrieve Neville's body. When word of the uprising reached Honolulu,
John Owen Dominis John Owen Dominis (March 10, 1832 – August 27, 1891) was prince consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii as the husband of Queen Liliuokalani from January 29, 1891, until his death that year. Family His father was a sea captain named John Dominis ( ...
was sent to the site with 200 troops. The Sheriff of
Hilo Hilo () is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaii County, Hawaiʻi, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. I ...
, J. H. Coney, also arrived with about 200 men, and the two groups captured the Kaonaites. At Kaona's trial in May 1869,
Albert Francis Judd Albert Francis Judd (January 7, 1838 – May 20, 1900) was a judge of the Kingdom of Hawaii who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii through its transition into part of the United States. Life Judd was born January 7, 1838, at ...
and David Kalākaua were appointed for the defense, but Kaona used his oratorical skills to defend himself. His charge was reduced to manslaughter and he was sentenced to ten years of hard labor. Kaona was pardoned when Kalākaua became king in 1874; he returned to Kona and died in 1883.


Legacy

Ella Hudson Paris translated many hymns into the Hawaiian language under the pen name "Hualalai" (for the nearby volcano
Hualālai Hualālai (pronounced in Hawaiian) is an active volcano on the island of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the westernmost, third-youngest and the third-most active of the five volcanoes that form the island of Hawaii, following Kīlauea ...
). The Kahikolu church has held an annual choral event since 1999 called ''Aha Mele O Hualalai'' in her honor. Son John Davis II (also known as John Davis Jr.) married Hannah Johnson (1855–1938), the granddaughter of John Davis (nephew of Isaac Davis). Hannah's sister Mary married the wealthy Hilo businessman
William Herbert Shipman William Herbert Shipman (1854–1943) was a businessman with an American background who was from Hawaii. He grew up and conducted his business on the island of Hawaii. One estate of his family was used to preserve the nēnē, an endangered species ...
, whose father had replaced the Paris family at Waiōhinu. The Johnson sisters were daughters of Eliza Johnson Roy (1821–1912), on whose property the Kaona followers were camped. John Jr. served in the Hawaii House of Representatives 1887–1898, and then the territorial Senate 1901–1905.
Jack London John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...
visited the family in 1907, and mentions a Paris daughter showing the visitors the nearby historic sites. The April 1868 earthquake, estimated to be the largest ever to hit Hawaii destroyed his church in Waiōhinu. Kahikolu Church was damaged on August 21, 1951, by an earthquake centered almost under the church. Kahikolu was abandoned in 1953 as a result of the damage, but reconstructed from 1982 to 1986, and re-opened in 1999. Kauahaao Church was rebuilt (with wood) in 1888, but demolished in April 1998. Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl has written a one-act play titled ''A Visit to Kalukalu'' which depicts Ella Hudson Paris visiting a local store in 1888, performed on location by the Kona Historical Society.


See also

*
List of Missionaries to Hawaii This is a list of missionaries to Hawaii. Before European exploration, the Hawaiian religion was brought from Tahiti by Paʻao according to oral tradition. Notable missionaries with written records below are generally Christians, Christian. Pr ...


References


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paris, John Davis 1809 births 1892 deaths People from Staunton, Virginia American Congregationalist missionaries Congregationalist missionaries in Hawaii Bangor Theological Seminary alumni Hanover College alumni People from Hawaii (island) American expatriates in the Hawaiian Kingdom