A Brief History of Aloha

In all honesty, the history behind Aloha's name is somewhat ambiguous and contested. The best guess is that the name came from the first post office which was established in 1912. Some believe John Caples, a railroad worker, chose the name. However, this claim was challenged in 1983 by Joseph H. Buck, who claimed that the town's uncle, the first postmaster, had given the name. Buck claims that his uncle named the town Aloha, after a resort at Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin. This would indicate that the name came from an American Indian word and not a Hawaiian one.

How did we get to Aloha? Buck's lore states that the two last letters of the name were transposed during the application process for the establishment of the postal office. We can laugh all we like about the way people pronounce this common Hawaiian word. It's possible that we have been spelling it incorrectly all along.

The historic district is currently being transformed. On the Universal Plaza Downtown, work is currently underway for the preliminary design phase. The Plaza will offer large event spaces that can accommodate large events. Conceptual plans include a splash pad, a tree canopy maze, and an art and tool-sharing pavilion. The City Center Urban Renewal Plan aims to create urban spaces that offer pedestrians active and passive recreational opportunities and to attract residents and tourists to downtown.