Kaua‘i’s history took a peculiar turn in the early 19th century when Russian arms, construction materials and ships were sent to the island with the intention of helping Kaua‘i’s reigning monarch, King Kaumuali‘i, gain control of the Hawaiian Islands.
But in January 1815, a vessel belonging to the Russian-American Co. was shipwrecked on reefs off shore of WAIMEA . King Kaumuali‘i took possession of the vessel and its cargo. In response, the company offi ce helped arrange for the release of the company’s property and then, with the help of Kaua‘i residents, began to build the stone walls of PA‘ULA‘ULA O HIPO , or FORT ELIZABETH at Waimea. The site was declared a NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK in 1966. The ruins are at the Waimea River mouth off Highway 50.