Fagatogo is the downtown area of Pago Pago (the territorial capital of American Samoa).[2] Located in the low grounds at the foot of Matafao Peak, it was the location of the first American settlement on Tutuila Island. It includes the sub-village of Malaloa.[3] Today, Fagatogo is the government, commercial, financial, and shipping center of Tutuila.[4]:1[5] It is also the administrative capital of American Samoa.[6] It is the location of the American Samoa Fono (legislature), and is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the territory's official seat of government.[7][8][9] Its population (as of April 1, 2010) is 1,737.
Fagatogo contains the Pago Pago port, the Pago Pago bus station and market, and the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago.[10] Fagatogo is also home to the governor's mansion, which sits on a hilltop just west of the Rainmaker Hotel site, in a section of Fagatogo called Utulei. This colonial mansion was built in 1903, during the naval administration. The 1917 Jean P. Haydon Museum is located a little further west. The old jail (built in 1911) and the police station sit just across the field from the Fono.[11] The architecture includes both 19th century clapboard buildings and newer, two-story, monotone concrete structures.[12]
The area around Fagatogo Market is considered the center of Pago Pago. Residents from all over the island travel to it by bus. Several landmarks are visible from the market: Mount ʻAlava, the canneries in Atu'u, Rainmaker Mountain (Mount Pioa), and Pago Pago Harbor.[13] Immediately next to the Fagatogo Market is the Fagatogo Square Shopping Center, a 12,000-square-foot (1,100m2) retail- and commercial center containing a number of large shops and restaurants.[14][15] Fagatogo is also home to the Pago Pago post office and the city's taxi services, museums, bars, and movie theaters.[2]
Fagatogo is recognized in American Samoa as having played the paramount role in the territory's political history. For example, it is where every agreement between the United States and American Samoa has been signed. It is jocularly called by some the "Washington, D.C. of American Samoa".[16]:2
Etymology
In the Samoan language, faga translates to “bay”, while togo means “mangrove tree.” A mangrove swamp was located in the village, which stretched from Fagatogo Market to the fuel dock. At the beginning of the 20th century, most mangrove trees had been removed in order to make room for a new wharf and coaling station constructed by the U.S. Naval Administration.[16]:5
American interest in Tutuila Island began with the American Samoan Treaty of 1878 which provided the United States with a non-exclusive right to establish a naval station on the Pago Pago Bay. The United States recognized the need to create a naval coaling station on the shipping route between Hawai'i and New Zealand, and shortly after the treaty proceeded to rent land in Pago Pago at $10 a month. In 1889, Rear Admiral L.A. Kimberly USN visited Tutuila and selected a site for a future U.S. naval station. Roughly 17 acres (6.9ha) of land were purchased for a total price of $3,241.79. The construction of the wooden-floored steel dock, storehouse and manager's dwelling did not commerce for another ten years. A water reservoir in the hills behind the station was also constructed, and the expansion of the site begun by filling in Pago Pago Bay to the edge of the fringing reef. The Naval Station was made up of 8 acres (32,000m2) on the shorefront as of 1907. The official U.S. Naval Station occupation began by the signing of the Deed of Cession by the High Chiefs on Tutuila- and Aunu'u Islands and the raising of the United States Flag on April 17 in 1900. By the end of the navy administration period in 1951, the Naval Station occupied 216 acres (87ha) and was made up of 105 structures. As of 2001, only twelve of the structures remained. Most remaining naval structures were entered onto the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as a part of the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila Historic District.[4]:2
The naval commandant, ship's crew, and officers all originally lived on board the station ship. A concrete building was built near the station dock in 1902 serving as the first customs house. This structure was replaced by the present-day larger customhouse in 1920, which is located along the waterfront to the southwest of the station dock, known as Navy Building No. 67. This Customhouse, which measures 150 feet (46m) by 80 feet (24m), is located on the waterfront. As with other Naval Station buildings of this period, it was made of locally manufactured concrete blocks molded to imitate rough-cut stone. Until the introduction of the commercial air transportation in 1959, the Customhouse operated as the point-of-entry for all visitors to American Samoa. This was also the site of the territory's only execution, which took place in 1939 when a condemned murderer was hanged here.[4]:4
The front portion of the present-day Jean P. Haydon Museum was originally the Commissary Store, known as Navy Building No. 43, which was erected in 1919. The rear portion of the museum was originally a garage (Navy Building No. 24). When the Department of Interior took over governance of American Samoa in 1951, the commissary in Fagatogo became the Pago Pago Post Office. A new post office was constructed across the William McKinley Memorial Highway in 1971, and the former commissary and garage were consequently converted into a museum, named after the wife of Governor John Morse Haydon. The west wing of the structure was extended in order to add an exhibit space, and a mural in front of the west wing was made by artist Sven Ortquist and depicts a scene from Samoan mythology. A traditional Samoan fale was set up in front of the museum entrance.[4]:4–6
Two 450-foot (140m) high radio towers were situated where the present-day Historic District Pedestrian Park is found, near the historic Radio Station known as Navy Building No. 38. This building now serves as the Territorial Registrar's Office and was erected in 1917 during World War I. The structure, which measures 60 square feet (5.6m2), was the first to be built with faux-rock cement blocks. This building was altered in the 1970s in order to accommodate Amerika Samoa Bank. The present-day malae (“Malae o le Talu”), a large grassy area on the south side of the road, serves as the ceremonial center for City of Pago Pago. During the Navy days, it was known as the Parade Ground and was the site of training and performances by the Fita Fita Guard and Band. A small bandshell was found at the far end of the malae. The former Parade Ground, which measures 220 feet (67m) by 500 feet (150m), is now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Naval Station Historic District.[4]:6–7
Present-day Department of Public Safety, which sits across from the malae, is a two-story white structure with an arched Mission Revival-style first-floor veranda. This building was originally erected in 1908 by the Fita Fita Guard and was known as the Fita Fita Barracks (Navy Building No. 31). Immediately west of the former barracks is the former Samoan Jail (Navy Building No. 72), which now serves as offices of Interpol and regional law enforcement agencies OTICIDE and SPICIN. Although it remains unknown when the jail originally was built, it was in existence by 1917 when the United States went to war with Germany. During the war, the commandant seized two German ships in Pago Pago Harbor and detained the crews in the jail. The building is a one-story structure of poured, reinforced concrete, similar to the floor of the Fita Fita Barracks. It measures 50 square feet (4.6m2).[4]:7 and 10
Fagatogo is home to The Fono (legislature).A portion of the docks at Fagatogo in Pago Pago Harbor. In the background is the tallest peak on Tutuila, Matafao Peak.
Immediately west of the Samoan Jail facing the parade ground is the old Bake Shop, known as Navy Building No. 45. The commandant called for the construction of a new bakery in 1913, claiming the existing bakery was a disgrace to the station and unsanitary. The bakery was therefore constructed in 1919 in this one-story building measuring 40 square feet (3.7m2). The present-day building now houses the Samoa Photo Express and Western Union. Further down the main street on the bayside is the Maota Fono complex, now the home of the American Samoa Legislature. The original Fono was across the malae in a former Naval barrack, now home of the Amerika Samoa Bank. When the Fono burned down in 1970, the Fono consequently moved to its new structures in 1973.[4]:10 and 12
Between present-day Scanlan's Inn and T&K General Merchandise is a cement path that leads up to the Catholic Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker. The cathedral was erected in 1959. A larger white church is situated slightly west of the malae, known as the Congregational Christian Church or Key to the Kingdom of Heaven (“O Le Ki O Le Malo O Le Lagi”). Built on the former location of an older London Missionary Society church, built in 1904. The cornerstone of this church was laid in 1933, but due to construction being interrupted by World War II, the church was not dedicated and completed until 1949. The church went through an extensive two-year renovation in 1994. In front of and slightly to the east is the refurbished High Court Building, originally known as the Naval Station Administration Building or Naval Building No. 21, constructed in 1904. When the structure was restored in 1998 at the cost of $1.2 million, much work was done to replicate the original exterior design and color scheme of the building. Much of the former interior woodwork was also preserved and restored, including the skylight and central staircase.[4]:12–15
The population is more ethnically diverse than any other village in American Samoa. A majority of the village's residents are Samoans, attributed to the members of original families. Also, immigrants from places such as Western Samoa, the Philippines, Tonga, Fiji, South Korea, Europe, China, and mainland United States are residents of Fagatogo. The village had 1,737 inhabitants as of the 2010 U.S. census, down from 2,096 which was recorded at the 2000 U.S. census. Around 85% of the village's residents were under 50 years of age.[16]:2 and 19
From 1980 to 1990, the population of Fagatogo grew from 1,944 to 2,323 inhabitants. The proportion of residents born outside of American Samoa was 23 percent in the early 1980s. This proportion increased to 41 percent between 1985 and 1990, and the proportion of residents born outside of American Samoa reached 52 percent in 1990.[17]
As of the 2000 U.S. census, 81.6% of Fagatogo's population were of Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Island race. 12.5% were Asian, while 3.6% were white.[18] As of 2020, Fagatogo has a Hispanic population that is higher than the rest of the island (2.3% of Fagatogo vs. less than one percent of A.S. being Hispanic).[19]
Fagatogo is the most developed village on Tutuila Island and the center of trade. Most of the village's original families carry on with traditional ways and depend on land and sea for daily needs. Others are employed with the Government of American Samoa or have positions within the legislature, executive or judicial branches. Homes are located on hills and mountain slopes where the land is fertile and ideal for planting fruit trees and vegetables. All types of produce are available at the Fagatogo Market.[16]:21–23
Fagatogo Square houses private businesses and government offices, as well as eateries and shops.[14] This mall is next-door to the Fagatogo Market, which is located in an area known as the center of Pago Pago. It is home to several restaurants, shops, bars, and often live entertainment and music. Souvenirs are often sold at the market when cruise ships are visiting town. Locals also sell handmade crafts at the dock and on the main street. Mount ʻAlava, the canneries in Atu'u, Rainmaker Mountain (Mount Pioa), and Pago Pago Harbor are all visible from the market. The main bus station is located immediately behind the market.[20][13] The Luman’ai Building houses the Pago Pago Post Office and various business offices. Pago Pago's museum, movie theater, bars, and taxi services are all located in Fagatogo, which is known as Downtown Pago Pago.[2]
The Fagatogo Blues Rugby Team has held the main shield for the American Samoa Rugby Union’s Annual Tournament for a number of years. Fagatogo is a regular competitor in the yearly Fautasi Race, held during the Flag Day celebrations and Moso'oi Festival. Female residents established the Fagatogo Teine o le Malaeoletalu cricket team. The team held the championship title in women's cricket for numerous seasons.[16]:19
Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa.
Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega Jr. was an American Samoan politician and attorney who served as the territory's third lieutenant governor, from 1985 to 1989 and non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, from 1989 to 2015. As a delegate, Faleomavaega served on committees and spoke on the House floor; however, he was not permitted to vote on the final passage of any legislation. He also was the father-in-law of former professional American football fullback Fui Vakapuna.
The flag of American Samoa consists of a red-edged white triangle pointing towards the hoist charged with a bald eagle clutching a war club and fly-whisk, with dark blue upper and lower triangles. Adopted in April 1960 to replace the "Stars and Stripes" as the official flag of the territory, it has been the flag of the Territory of American Samoa since that year. The colors used epitomize the traditional colors of the United States and Samoa.
Tofilau Eti Alesana was a Samoan politician who served as the fifth prime minister of Samoa from 1982 to 1985, and again from 1988 until his resignation in 1998.
American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is a public land-grant community college in the village of Mapusaga, American Samoa. Only legal residents of American Samoa who have graduated from high school or obtained a General Equivalency Diploma are admitted to ASCC.
The American Samoa Senate is the upper house of the American Samoa Fono. The Senate, like the lower House of Representatives, is a nonpartisan body. It is composed of 18 senators, serving a four-year term.
Utulei or ʻUtulei is a village in Maoputasi County, in the Eastern District of Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. Utulei is traditionally considered to be a section of Fagatogo village, the legislative capital of American Samoa, and is located on the southwest edge of Pago Pago Harbor. Utulei is the site of many local landmarks: The A. P. Lutali Executive Office Building, which is next to the Feleti Barstow Library; paved roads that wind up to a former cablecar terminal on Solo Hill; the governor's mansion, which sits on Mauga o Alii, overlooking the entrance to Goat's Island, and the lieutenant governor's residence directly downhill from it; the Lee Auditorium, built in 1962; American Samoa's television studios, known as the Michael J. Kirwan Educational Television Center; and the Rainmaker Hotel. Utulei Terminal offers views of Rainmaker Mountain.
Aūa is a village on Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is located along American Samoa Highway 001, and is the southern terminus of American Samoa Highway 006. Aūa is located at the foothills of Mount Peiva on the eastern shore of Pago Pago Bay. The hamlet of Leloaloa is also a part of Aūa.
The Constitution of American Samoa is the constitution that defines the government of American Samoa. Unlike constitutions of a state, it is subject to unilateral change by the federal government. Constitutional documents of the territory include the treaties that created it and the 1960 constitution approved by the federal government and popular referendum.
Edmund Beardsley Underwood was a Commodore in the United States Navy. Born in March 1853, at Humboldt Bay, in California, he was the son of U.S. Army Lieutenant Edmund Underwood and Mary Moore Beardsley. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1873. He was Commandant of American Samoa from May 5, 1903 to January 30, 1905. He retired in 1910.
Leone is the second-largest city on Tutuila Island's west coast. The village is on the south-west coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. Leone was the ancient capital of Tutuila Island. Leone was also where the Samoan Islands’ first missionary, John Williams, visited on October 18, 1832. A monument in honor of Williams has been erected in front of Zion Church. Its large church was the first to be built in American Samoa. It has three towers, a carved ceiling and stained glass. Until steamships were invented, Leone was the preferred anchorage of sailing ships which did not risk entering Pago Pago Harbor. Much early contact between Samoans and Europeans took place in Leone.
United States Naval Station Tutuila was a naval station in Pago Pago Harbor on the island of Tutuila, part of American Samoa, built in 1899 and in operation until 1951. During the United States Navy rule of American Samoa, from 1900 to 1951, it was customary for the commandant of the station to also serve as Military Governor of the territory. Benjamin Franklin Tilley was the first commandant and the first officer responsible for the naval station's construction.
John Fredrick Parker was a Captain in the United States Navy and one-time Governor of American Samoa from May 21, 1908 to Nov. 10, 1910. John F. Parker was born in Ohio in 1853. He graduated from Annapolis in 1874 and married Elizabeth Scott Lord, niece of President Benjamin Harrison. He served as governor of Samoa from May 21, 1908 - November 10, 1910. He was stationed in Manila during the Spanish–American War. During President Benjamin Harrison's term he served as an aid. He died of Bright's disease at his home December 12, 1911.
John Morse Haydon was the governor of American Samoa from 1969 to 1974. Haydon attended the University of Washington. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and flew 35 combat missions over Germany. Haydon was commissioner of the Seattle Port Commission from 1960 to 1969, and president in 1963, 1968, and 1969. He was a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Fisheries from 1965 to 1967, and on Commerce and Economic Development from 1965 to 1969. On August 1, 1969, he was appointed Governor of American Samoa by the Interior Secretary and he served until October 1974.
Lealaialoa Fredrickus Michael Kruse is the Chief Justice of the High Court of American Samoa. Kruse made history as the first person of Samoan descent to be appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of American Samoa. Kruse earned his AB degree from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and later obtained an MCL degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. He practiced law for 11 years at the firm of Kruse, Sunia, and Ward in Pago Pago before being appointed Chief Justice by U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Donald Hodel. In January 2009, Kruse was chosen to serve as Secretary of the Pacific Judicial Council, a group comprising judges and justices from across the Pacific region.
The Samoa News is a newspaper published in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
The Jean P. Haydon Museum is a museum in Pago Pago dedicated to the culture and history of the United States territory of American Samoa. It contains a collection of canoes, coconut-shell combs, pigs’ tusk armlets and native pharmacopoeia. It also houses exhibits on natural history, tapa making, traditional tattooing, as well as a collection of war clubs, kava bowls, and historic photographs. Constructed in 1913 as U.S. Naval Station Tutuila Commissary, the building was home to Tutuila Island's Post Office from 1950 to 1971. The museum has displays of various aspects of the Samoan Islands’ culture and history. It is the official repository for collections of artifacts for American Samoa. Funded by the American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture and the Humanities, it is the venue used for numerous of the cultural resource activities in American Samoa.
Vailoatai is a village in southwestern Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. It is located on the eastern end of Leone Bay. The village is known for its beautiful malae, nested along the island's rugged southern coast and lined by the fale tali mālō of its village chiefs.
Feleti Barstow Public Library is the main library in American Samoa, and is located in the village of Utulei in Maoputasi County. It is the central public library for the territory and is situated immediately across from the Office of Tourism, next to the Executive Office Building, and just behind Samoana High School. Besides a permanent display depicting American Samoa’s involvement in the Apollo Space Program, the library has also worked with the American Samoa Historic Preservation Office (ASHPO) since 2000 at creating a historic Polynesian Photo Archive. The goal of the project has been to electronically catalog and archive around 6,000 still and moving images of Polynesia which were collected by the American Samoa Government. The library has an extensive Pacific Collection which houses articles, books, and reports relevant to Pacific- and Samoan history. A large collection of photographs are stored in its Polynesian Photo Archive, which is a subset of their Pacific Collection.
Malaloa is a sub-village of Fagatogo and is located at the end of Pago Pago Harbor in American Samoa. It is located in-between Fagatogo proper and the village of Pago Pago. Cruising boats entering and leaving Pago Pago should clear at Malaloa Marina. The Malaloa Marina was opened for cruisers’ use and has added a customs wharf to handle inbound and outbound clearances.
References
↑ Gray, John Alexander Clinton (1980). Amerika Samoa. Arno Press. Page 95. ISBN9780405130380.
1 2 3 Grabowski, John F. (1992). U.S. Territories and Possessions (State Report Series). Chelsea House Pub. Page 51. ISBN9780791010532.
↑ Krämer, Augustin (2000). The Samoa Islands. University of Hawaii Press. Page 440. ISBN9780824822194.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Enright, John (2001). A Walking Tour of Historic Fagatogo: Tutuila, American Samoa. American Samoa Historic Preservation Office.
↑ Leib, Amos Patten (1972). The Many Islands of Polynesia. Schuster Merchandise &. Page 61. ISBN9780684130101.
↑ Lansford, Tom (2019). Political Handbook of the World 2018-2019. CQ Press. Page 1730. ISBN9781544327112.
↑ Census of population and housing (2000): American Samoa Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics (2000). DIANE Publishing. Page 147. ISBN9781428985490.
↑ Rogal, Samuel J. (1997). A William Somerset Maugham Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. Page 244. ISBN9780313299162.
↑ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 79. ISBN 9829036022.
↑ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 82. ISBN 9829036022.
↑ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Pages 79-80. ISBN 9829036022.
↑ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 175. ISBN 9829036022.
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