Pago Pago, American Samoa
Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa.
Pago Pago is home to one of the deepest natural harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered from wind and rough seas, and strategically located. The harbor is also one of the best protected in the South Pacific, which gives American Samoa a natural advantage because it makes landing fish for processing easier. Tourism, entertainment, food, and tuna canning are its main industries. As of 1993, Pago Pago was the world's fourth-largest tuna processor. In 2009, the total value of fish landed in Pago Pago—about $200,000,000 annually—is higher than in any other port in any U.S. state or territory. It is home to the largest tuna cannery in the world.
Pago Pago is the main port of American Samoa. It is also home to the territorial government. The Greater Pago Pago Metropolitan Area encompasses some six villages strung together along Pago Pago Harbor. One of the villages is itself named Pago Pago, and in 2020, that village had a population of 3,000. The constituent villages are: Utulei, Fagatogo, Malaloa, Pago Pago, Satala and Atu'u. Fagatogo is the downtown area, referred to as "town", and is home to the territory's bicameral legislature, police department, the Port of Pago Pago, and many shops and hotels. The executive government's seat, Government House, is in Utulei.
In 2000, the Greater Pago Pago area was home to 8,000 residents; by 2010 the population had increased to 15,000.
Rainmaker Mountain, located near Pago Pago, contributes to a weather pattern that results in the city having the highest annual rainfall of any harbor in the world. It stands protectively over the eastern side of Pago Pago, making the harbor one of the most sheltered deepwater anchorages in the Pacific Ocean.
Historically, the strategic location of Pago Pago Bay played a direct role in the political separation of Western and Eastern Samoa. The initial reason that the U.S. was interested in Tutuila was its desire to use Pago Pago Harbor as a coaling station. The town has the distinction of being the southernmost U.S. capital, and the only one located in the Southern Hemisphere.
Etymology and pronunciation
The origin of the name Pago Pago is uncertain. One hypothesis suggests that it is derived from the Samoan language, where it is interpreted to mean "place of prayer."The letter "g" in Samoan sounds like "ng"; thus Pago Pago is pronounced "pahngo pahngo."
An early name for Pago Pago was Long Bay, which was a name used by the first permanent inhabitants to settle in the Pago Pago area. It was also called O le Maputasi in compliment to the Mauga, who lived at Gagamoe in Pago Pago and was the senior to all the other chiefs in the area.
For a brief period in the 1830s, Pago Pago was also known as Cuthbert's Harbor, named after British Captain Cuthbert, who was the first European to enter Pago Pago Harbor.
History
Pago Pago was first settled 4,000 years ago. The area was initially settled by Polynesian navigators, who established a vibrant community rooted in agriculture, fishing, and the distinct cultural practices of Samoan society. There is archeological evidence of people living in the Pago Pago Valley at least 1500–1300 years ago. The ancient people of Tutuila produced clay pottery known as Samoan Plainware. The majority of these open bowls had plain designs and featured rounded bases. Such pottery has been retrieved from sites in Pago Pago, including at Vaipito. The production of such pottery ceased approximately 1500 years ago. A site in the Vaipito Valley has also revealed more substantial elements, such as constructions made from rocks, like house foundations and terraces.Ceramic findings have been retrieved at Vaipito, an inland area within Pago Pago village. A deposit here is thought to be an old hill-slope below a living area where people threw away their waste. Numerous large ceramic pieces have been retrieved here. The layer with the ceramics dates back to the time between 350 BCE and 10 CE. Another site, Fo’isia, is located approximately 100 meters from Vaipito, at the same elevation inland in Pago Pago. During sewer line construction, the American Samoa Power Authority noticed many broken pieces of clay pottery. Five dates associated with the ceramics indicate a time range between 370 BCE and 130 CE.
Tongan rule
The island of Tutuila was part of the Tuʻi Tonga Empire from the invasion around 950 CE to when Tongans were expelled in 1250. According to Samoan folklore, a warrior from Pago Pago, Fua’au, is associated with driving the Tongans out of Tutuila. According to the legend, Fua’au's fiancé, Tauoloasi’i, was kidnapped and taken to Tonga while sleeping on an exquisite mat known as Moeilefuefue. Filled with anger at the loss of his fiancé and the renowned mat, Fua’au rallied the Tutuilans, encouraging them to revolt against the Tongan rule imposed by Lautivunia.During the period of Tongan rule, political opponents and defeated Samoan warriors were exiled to Pago Pago. The surrounding settlements effectively functioned as a Samoan penal colony. In response to the oppression, the Samoans, under the leadership of paramount chief Malietoa, eventually revolted against their Tongan rulers. According to one source, it was Chief Fua’autoa of Pago Pago who successfully expelled the Tongans from Pago Pago.
Old Pago Pago
Until 1722, Pago Pago, like several other villages in American Samoa such as Fagasā and Vatia, existed as a ridge-top settlement. This upland community, now part of the National Park of American Samoa, was strategically situated to provide safety during a period marked by inter-island conflicts involving Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, and Tonga. The elevated location offered protection from coastal raids, as attackers arriving by boat posed a significant threat to shoreline settlements. By 1772, the majority of families had relocated from the highlands to the coast, establishing new homes near the shoreline. However, oral histories indicate that a few households continued to reside or farm in the upland areas into the late 19th century. Archeological findings at the site of Old Pago Pago include ancient rock walls, building foundations, and graves. Some of these graves are believed to belong to chiefs or ceremonial figures, such as a taupou, with legends suggesting one may have been interred in a bonito boat. The remnants of Old Pago Pago are accessible via the Mount ‘Alava Trailhead at Fagasā Pass, just west of Vaipito Valley.When Westerners first visited Tutuila, the Mauga was the leading matai of Pago Pago.
19th century
In 1791, Captain Edward Edwards, leading the British warship HMS Pandora in the pursuit of the Bounty mutineers, arrived at Pago Pago Harbor. During their search, the crew stumbled upon a French military uniform belonging to one of Pérouse’s men, who had been killed at Aʻasu in 1787.In 1824, Otto von Kotzebue is believed to have discovered the entrance to Pago Pago Harbor, according to one source.
In 1830, a man named Norval "Salemi" from Massachusetts, lived in Pago Pago as part of High Chief Mauga’s household. Driven by a desire to share his faith, he translated portions of the Church of England Prayer Book into Samoan language and counted the Mauga of Pago Pago among his converts.
In 1836, the English whaler Elizabeth, captained by Cuthbert, became the first European vessel to enter Pago Pago Harbor. Captain Cuthbert is credited with ‘discovering’ Pago Pago and naming it Cuthbert Harbor.
In the 1830s, two missionaries were assigned to Tutuila Island: Reverend Archibald W. Murray and his wife to Pago Pago and Reverend Barnden to Leone. They landed at Fagasa Bay and hiked over the hill to the High Chief Mauga in Pago Pago. Mauga welcomed the missionaries and gave them support. RMS later moved to Pago Pago, becoming the second ship to enter Pago Pago Harbor. Under the auspices of Maunga, Murray established a wooden residence in Pago Pago, where he endeavored to exemplify Christian living.
In 1834, Matthew Hunkin arrived in Pago Pago and served as a companion to Archibald Murray, both residing under the patronage of High Chief Mauga. Together, they conducted visits to villages situated along the eastern end of Tutuila. Subsequently, both men relocated to Leone, where Murray undertook preparations to establish the Mission Institute for Pacific Islanders at Fagatele, situated on the outskirts of Leone.
Beginning in 1836, whaling vessels started calling at Pago Pago Harbor, quickly transforming it into a favored stopover. Crews found it to be a secure place to rest, take on supplies, and carry out repairs. As of 1866, whalers no longer visited the Samoan Islands as whaling activities had shifted farther north.
In 1837, Tutuila’s chiefs and Captain Charles Bethune of H.M.S. Conway reached an agreement on Pago Pago’s first documented commercial port regulations, finalized on December 27 of that year.
On May 9, 1838, the London Missionary Society established a church in Pago Pago.
In 1839, the Samoan Islands experienced its first recorded epidemic, which resulted in the death of High Chief Mauga of Pago Pago. After his passing, Manuma assumed the title. After the death of his stepbrother Pomale, Manuma provoked controversy within the Christian community by eloping with Pomale's widow. As a result, the aiga deposed him from his position. Nevertheless, Manuma was later reinstated, and he presided as the Mauga of Pago Pago until his death in 1849.
As early as 1839, American interest was generated for the Pago Pago area when Commander Charles Wilkes, head of the United States Exploring Expedition, surveyed Pago Pago Harbor and the island. Wilkes' favorable report attracted so much interest that the U.S. Navy began planning a move to the Pago Pago area. During his time in Pago Pago, Wilkes negotiated a set of "Commercial Regulations" with the matais of Pago Pago under the leadership of Paramount Ali'i Mauga. Wilkes' treaty was never ratified, but captains and Samoan leaders operated by it. Rumors of possible annexation by Britain or Germany were taken seriously by the U.S., and the U.S. Secretary of State Hamilton Fish sent Colonel Albert Steinberger to negotiate with Samoan chiefs on behalf of American interests. American interest in Pago Pago was also a result of Tutuila's central position in one of the world's richest whaling grounds.
On August 8, 1844, Archibald Wright Murray wrote a letter recounting how the Tutuilans, at one point, prepared to vacate their settlements and negotiate with the French while taking refuge in the highlands. Recognizing Pago Pago Harbor as the island’s most significant lure for European powers, they planned to cede it to France in return for a pledge safeguarding Tutuila’s independence.
In 1868 the Polynesian Land Company - the first major American enterprise in the Samoan Islands - was founded to speculate in real estate. Company agent James Stewart championed Pago Pago as the South Pacific’s best harbor and an ideal commercial depot, urged local chiefs to petition for U.S. annexation, and sought greater American involvement; Washington showed little interest, the firm’s holdings were auctioned, and the company collapsed.
In 1871, the local steamer business of W. H. Webb required coal and he sent Captain E. Wakeman to Samoa in order to evaluate the suitability of Pago Pago as a coaling station. Wakeman approved the harbor and alerted the U.S. Navy about Germany's intent to take over the area. The U.S. Navy responded a few months later by dispatching Commander Richard Meade from Honolulu, Hawaii to assess Pago Pago's suitability as a naval station. Meade arrived in Pago Pago on and made a treaty with the Mauga for the exclusive use of the harbor and a set of commercial regulations to govern the trading and shipping in Pago Pago. He also purchased land for a new naval station. High Chief Mauga of Pago Pago stated his wish for the village to be recognized as Tutuila Island’s capital.
In 1872, the chief of Pago Pago signed a treaty with the U.S., giving the American government considerable influence on the island. Later, also in 1872, German consul Theodore Weber arrived in Pago Pago soon after Richard W. Meade’s departure. He cautioned Mauga that the treaty with the Americans was not official and insisted that German interests in the harbor be safeguarded.
On August 7, 1873, Colonel Albert Barnes Steinberger—an associate of President Ulysses S. Grant and representative of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company—arrived in Pago Pago. He found that High Chief Mauga already regarded himself as under U.S. protection by virtue of his treaty with Richard W. Meade, though its terms had been largely neglected. No pilotage or watering facilities existed, and the buoys once placed by the USS Narragansett had long since drifted away. With the other members of the Treaty Board living 80 miles away in Apia, Mauga had been left unable to maintain the harbor on his own. Before moving on to Upolu, Steinberger insisted that at least Whale Rock, a hidden hazard to navigation, be properly marked with a buoy.
Tutuila Island was acquired by the United States through a treaty in 1877. One year after the naval base was built at Pearl Harbor in 1887, the U.S. government established a naval station in Pago Pago. It was primarily used as a fueling station for both naval- and commercial ships.
During the Tutuila War of 1877, all buildings in Pago Pago were destroyed. The war emerged during a tumultuous period, where Samoans were sharply divided over the future direction of their government. In response to the growing threat posed by the Puletua—a rising opposition faction—the Samoan leadership based in Apia sent Mamea to Washington, D.C. to negotiate an agreement with the U.S. While Mamea was abroad, the Puletua launched a rebellion, escalating the situation into full-scale war in Tutuila. To regain control, government forces stationed in Leone advanced toward Pago Pago, where the rebel leader Mauga was headquartered. The troops burned every building in Pago Pago and pursued Mauga along with several hundred followers to Aunu’u Island. The Puletua faction on Tutuila, led by the former U.S. Consul to Samoa, S. S. Foster, who had moved to Pago Pago after his dismissal, and Mauga, found Aunu’u incapable of supporting their forces. Consequently, they returned to Tutuila where they soon surrendered.
In 1878, the U.S. Navy first established a coaling station, right outside Fagatogo. The United States Navy later bought land east of Fagatogo and on Goat Island, an adjacent peninsula. Sufficient land was obtained in 1898 and the construction of United States Naval Station Tutuila was completed in 1902. The station commander doubled as American Samoa's Governor from 1899 to 1905, when the station commandant was designated Naval Governor of American Samoa. The Fono served as an advisory council to the governor.
Despite the Samoan Islands being a part of the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany maintained a strong naval presence in the area. Twice between 1880 and 1900, the U.S. Navy came close to taking part in a shooting war while its only true interest was the establishment of a coaling station in Pago Pago. The U.S. quietly purchased land around the harbor for the construction of the naval station. It rented land on Fagatogo Beach for $10/month in order to store the coal. Admiral Lewis Kimberly was ordered to Pago Pago while in Apia waiting for transportation home after the hurricane of 1889. In Pago Pago, he selected a site for the new coaling station and naval base. In June 1890, the U.S. Congress passed an appropriation of $100,000 for the purpose of permanently establishing a station for the naval and commercial marine. With the appropriation, the State Department sent Consul Harold M. Sewall from Apia to Pago Pago to buy six tracts of land for the project. Some parts were previously owned by the Polynesian Land Company, while other tracts were still owned by Samoan families. For the defense of the harbor in event of a naval war, the U.S. Navy wanted to purchase headlands and mountainsides above the Lepua Catholic Church which directly faced the harbor's entrance.
In 1883, a conflict began at Pago Pago Bay between Mauga Lei and Mauga Manuma. The dispute revolved around the entitlement to the title "Mauga". Mauga Lei's actions led to widespread dissatisfaction among the residents of Fagatogo and Aua, culminating in the Taua o Sa’ousoali'i conflict. The residents of Fagasā joined Pago Pago village in an effort to overthrow Mauga Lei and support Manuma. The uprising forced Mauga Lei's forces to Aunuʻu. Mauga Lei, who had a close friendship with King Malietoa Laupepa, secured intervention through two warships to resolve the hostilities. Intervention came in the form of a peace mission led by HMS Miranda, under Captain William A. Dyke Acland, and supported by the German gunboat SMS Hyäne. Both Mauga Lei and Mauga Manuma were summoned to a peace conference aboard the HMS Miranda. Both initially resisted boarding the ship but eventually relented after diplomatic pressure. The agreement that followed emphasized reconciliation and required both parties to disarm publicly. The conflict led to the deaths of 12 people.
In 1887, the Kaimiloa, a 171-ton steamer and the only warship in the fleet of King Kalākaua of Hawai‘i, was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Samoan Islands as part of the Hawaiian monarch's initiative to create a united Polynesian kingdom. The journey included visits to several key locations, including Pago Pago, which was an important trading hub at the time. Historical accounts document the trade of the Kaimiloa's cannons to the Samoans, with at least one of these cannons now preserved and on display at the Jean P. Haydon Museum.
In 1888, during the Samoan Civil War, German official Eugen Brandeis sought to enforce strict control over the Pago Pago Bay area. When Aua and Fagatogo fell into arrears under new tax laws, he imposed a US$300 fine on each and warned that nonpayment would bring war and the exile of village chiefs. The fines were promptly paid, with the proceeds remitted to the German treasury in Apia.
The 1889 Apia cyclone ended a decade-long dispute between the U.S. and Germany over the coaling facilities at Pago Pago. During the storm, British, German, and American warships anchored off the island of Tutuila as part of the Samoan crisis were all sunk. In 1889, author Robert Louis Stevenson also paid a visit to Pago Pago.
In 1892, Mauga Lei, High Chief of Pago Pago and a supporter of Malietoa Laupepa, spent extended periods in Upolu, leaving the bay area without his leadership. While Pago Pago remained loyal, Fagatogo - aligned with Mataʻafa - joined Aua in an effort to depose him. A confrontation followed: a canoe flotilla from Aua and Fagatogo advanced on Pago Pago but retreated under heavy gunfire. Warriors from Pago Pago and Fagasā then attacked Aua and Fagatogo, burning both villages; women and children took refuge at the Catholic mission at Lepua, and the flotilla withdrew to Aunuʻu.
On May 27, 1893, a branch of the LDS Church was established in Pago Pago. The church had first arrived on the island in 1863 and became formally organized on Tutuila in 1888.
In 1893, acting U.S. consul William Blacklock visited Pago Pago to assess the purchase of land at Blunts and Breakers Points for gun emplacements protecting the coaling station. Ongoing hostilities between Mauga of Pago Pago and Leʻiato of Fagaʻitua prevented a binding agreement; Blacklock secured only an option to purchase at a later date.
In 1898, a California-based construction and engineering firm was contracted to build the coal depot. The naval engineer in charge was W. I. Chambers. On April 30, 1899, Commander Benjamin Franklin Tilley sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on with a cargo of coal and steel for the project. The U.S. Navy was the only American agency present in the area, and it was made responsible for administering the new territory.
In 1899, Pago Pago became the administrative capital of American Samoa. Pago Pago and Tutuila Island were formally part of the Kingdom of Samoa until 1899, when they became U.S. territory. In December of that year, the Tripartite Convention formally partitioned Tutuila as a U.S. territory, thereby granting the United States control over Pago Pago.
In 1900, the Oceanic Steamship Company's steamers - the Sierra, the Ventura, and the Sonoma - shifted their port of call from Apia to Pago Pago.
On April 17, 1900, the first American flag was raised at Sogelau Hill above the site of the new wharf and coaling facilities in Fagatogo. For the ceremony, a group of invitees from Apia arrived with German Governor Heinrich Solf onboard. USS Abarenda, home of B. F. Tilley and his new government, was in the harbor. American consul Luther W. Osborn arrived from Apia, and many spectators arrived from American Samoa villages and other countries. Tilley was the master of ceremonies and began the program by reading the Proclamation of the President of the United States, which asserted American sovereignty over the islands. Next was the reading of the Order of the Secretary of the Navy, followed by chiefs who read the Deed of Cession, which they had written and signed. Before raising the flag, reverend E. V. Cooper of the London Missionary Society and reverend Father Meinaidier of the Roman Catholic Mission offered prayers. Students from the LMS school in Fagalele sang the national anthem. The two ships, Comoran and Abarenda, fired the national salutes. The Deed of Cession of Tutuila and Aunu'u Islands was signed on Gagamoe, and formalized the relationship between the U.S. and American Samoa. Gagamoe is an area in Pago Pago which is the Mauga family's communal and sacred land.