Papaloa Cemetery with Pali in the Background

Kalaupapa and Kalawao Settlements, Kalaupapa National Historical Park. By 1908, Papaloa cemetery was established and surrounded by a fence on the western shore at Kalaupapa. The cemetery is divided into several sections according to religious denomination.

On April 1, 1946, a tsunami struck the west side of Kalaupapa Peninsula and the mouth of the Waikolu Valley. The rising water level washed away several grave markers within Papaloa Cemetery in addition to destroying beach houses, utilities, and stone walls.