Main Spotlight: Breaking Barriers to Acquiring Commercial Properties
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
Mural created to show support after the Maui wildfires © Vancouver’s Downtown Association
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Join us in celebrating the culture and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our communities.
Native Hawaiians have lived and worked in the Pacific Northwest since the early 19th century. At Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington, Native Hawaiians played a critical role in the success of the Hudson Bay Company’s operations on the Columbia River, and the establishment of the region’s lumber, agriculture, and fishing economy.
Today, Vancouver’s Hawaiian history and heritage plays a crucial role in efforts to reenergize the city’s historic downtown. Vancouver’s Downtown Association partners with Native Hawaiian business owners and artists for the Great River Arts Festival and other initiatives as part of the organization’s commitment to spearheading an inclusive revitalization effort that celebrates the city’s diverse heritage.
Early Hawaiian Residents and Fort Vancouver
The Hudson Bay Company employed Native Hawaiian workers on forts, plantations, and other locations across the Pacific Northwest from 1829 to 1859. They were part of a circular trade economy that moved lumber and salmon to the Hawaiian Islands and imported products, like sugar, to the continent. They worked as gardeners, tended livestock, and went out on hunting trips to feed the world’s insatiable demand for beaver pelts. By 1849, Native Hawaiians outnumbered French Canadian laborers, the traditional workforce of the company.
Located on the north bank of the Columbia River, Fort Vancouver was an important base of operations for the Hudson Bay Company and home to many Native Hawaiian workers who played critical roles across the company and within the fort. While the majority of men were employed as cooks, fur trappers, mill workers, sailors, and soldiers, some women also worked as farm laborers or manufacturers for the company store, and forage for food in order to supplement the weekly food rations that the Hudson Bay Company provided.
Volunteers portray Hawaiian workers at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site’s Brigade Encampment event © National Park Service, photo by Troy Wayrynen.
The success of the Pacific Northwest economy from the 19th century to today would not have been possible without the contributions of Native Hawaiians. As the power of the Hudson Bay Company declined, Native Hawaiian immigrants continued to play an important role in shaping the culture of the Pacific Northwest. Today, approximately 114,000 people with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage live in Washington.
Celebrating Hawaiian Culture Today
Vancouver’s Downtown Association (VDA), the Main Street organization for Vancouver, Washington, is proud of their Hawaiian history, and is committed to celebrating Hawaiian heritage and supporting Hawaiian business owners. One way that VDA demonstrates this commitment is by partnering with Hawaiian-owned local business Local Boy Tatau, a tattoo shop in the downtown district, to host the Great River Arts Festival. During the annual event, local artists create murals across the district showcasing the cultural and artistic diversity of the region. “What was once a blank canvas has now been transformed into a living tapestry of colors, shapes, and stories,” said VDA Executive Director Michael Walker.
Local Boy Tatau identifies mural artists while VDA works with property owners to secure spaces for the artwork. “Local Boy Tatau brought not only a keen artistic vision but also invaluable connections within the burgeoning creative community,” said Michael Walker. “Their deep understanding of the local art scene made them the perfect ally for VDA’s mission to amplify artistic voices and revitalize downtown Vancouver.”
As part of the festival in 2023, VDA also partnered with the Ke Kukui Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Hawaiian and Polynesian culture in Vancouver, to collect donations supporting wildfire recovery in Maui. Also in 2023, the festival was awarded the Excellence on Main Street Award by the Washington Main Street Program. To date, the festival has added more than 35 murals to the downtown district.
Vancouver’s downtown is also home to the Ke Kukui Foundation’s 4 Days of Aloha festival, a vibrant celebration of Hawaiian arts and culture. The event includes cultural workshops, live performances, Hawaiian businesses, and a hula competition. The Ke Kukui Foundation’s cultural preservation efforts extend beyond Vancouver to nearby communities, like Camas, Washington.
These celebrations are part of a long history of Native Hawaiian culture in the Pacific Northwest. From the mill workers, sailors, and cooks of the 19th century to the small business owners, artists, and cultural leaders of today, Native Hawaiians play an important and celebrated role in shaping the region. “Through this collaborative endeavor, VDA and Local Boy Tatau have not only beautified the physical landscape but have also woven a richer, more inclusive cultural fabric for the entire community to enjoy and cherish,” said Michael Walker.
Redevelopment Resources, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter’s Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here >
Related News and Stories
Main Spotlight: Building Partnerships for Main Street Success
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Main Spotlight: How to Rehabilitate a Historic Building
Becky Axilbund, Executive Director at Main Street Middletown, MD Inc., shares lessons learned from their renovation of two downtown buildings.
Staff Spotlight: Celebrating Historic Preservation on Main Street
For Preservation Month, Senior Program Officer Lisa Mullins Thompson explores why preservation matters and how Main Streets can celebrate and protect their historic assets.
Nevada, Iowa © Main Street America
Main Street and Preservation Policy: Understanding the Advisory Council on Historic Preservations Report on Federal Historic Preservation Standards
Understanding the Advisory Council on Historic Preservations report on federal historic preservation standards.
Toccoa, GA © Steph Maley
Watch: How Delta Dirt Distillery is Adding Spirit to Main Street Helena, Arkansas
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
Main Spotlight: Building Upon a Civil Rights Legacy in Albany, Georgia
Learn how Albany, Georgia, recognizes their civil rights legacy and supports the African American community today.
Community Spotlight: Flood Recovery in Barre and Montpelier, Vermont
Kathy LaPlante shares her experiences visiting Vermont communities during their recovery from devastating floods.
© Tripp Muldrow
Main Spotlight: Getting Ready for the Unexpected with the Main Street Disaster Preparedness Toolkit
In honor of National Disaster Preparedness Month, we are providing some practical steps that Main Streets can take to prepare for the next, inevitable disaster.
© Adog
Main Spotlight: How Main Streets Can Preserve Historic Neon Signs
Learn the historic and cultural significance of neon signs, and strategies that Main Streets can use to preserve these unique assets.
A Match Made on Main Street: Channeling Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Dollars to Small-Scale Deals
Main Street America is leading a coalition urging that the EPA make available the GGRF funds for adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects because of the substantial greenhouse gas emissions reduction offered by such developments.
Main Spotlight: Celebrating and Preserving a Culture of Possibility in Allapattah, Miami
On May 9, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023 which included a cultural district located within a designated Main Street America community.
Miami, FL © NTHP
Main Spotlight: Mill Girls and the Iconic New England Mill
From 19th-century mill girls to Maine's mill redevelopments and the regional manufacturers of tomorrow, learn about the amazing history and promise of the New England mill.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
Main Spotlight: The Black Cowboy-Archeologist of Folsom, New Mexico
Learn the unique history of Folsom, New Mexico, and how they are working with New Mexico MainStreet today.
We Can’t Build Our Way To Net Zero
This article was published on January 10, 2023, by Next City, a nonprofit news organization focused on socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable urban practices.
Program Spotlight: Preservation, Salvage, & Reuse with the Minnesota GreenCorps Program
Learn how Rethos, the Coordinating partner for Minnesota Main Streets, has partnered with Reuse Minnesota and the Minnesota GreenCorps Program to encourage community-led preservation.
© Rethos
Main Spotlight: Four Steps Toward More Resilient Main Streets
Four recommendations that Main Street districts can apply right now to start preparing for the next natural disaster.
Main Spotlight: Is the Historic Tax Credit program a good opportunity for your Main Street?
Learn how Main Streets can partner with the National Trust Community Investment Corporation to take advantage of the Historic Tax Credit.
© Troy Thies
Main Spotlight: Sign Regulation
Ed McMahon shares recommendations and insights on how Main Streets can use sign design to improve sense of place on Main Streets.
Seeing the Glass as Half Full: Exploring the Reuse Opportunity for Houses of Worship on Main Street
Main Street organizations and other public-private partnerships can provide the focal point needed to fulfill the large number of roles required to reuse or redevelop a house of worship in a way that benefits the community.
Main Spotlight: Community Preservation in a Historically African-American Georgia Community
Learn about The Bottom, a historic African-American community in Thomasville, Georgia, and efforts to preserve it's history and share it's story.
Thomasville, GA © City of Thomasville
Community Spotlight: How Three New Mexico Main Street Communities Improved their Downtown Facades
New Mexico MainStreet partnered with Main Street America to utilize a NPS Main Street Facade Improvement Grant.
Gallup, NM © New Mexico MainStreet
Main Spotlight: Behind the Ribbon Cutting — The Merwyn Building
How do those amazing Main Street rehabilitation projects happen? And what policies and public support make them happen? In the Behind the Ribbon Cutting series, we look at a project or businesses from concept to opening day to break down the partnerships and funding brought to bear and recognize how we can advocate for policies and resources for revitalization across the country.
Astoria, OR © ADHDA
Mapping Main Streets: New Directions in Spatial Data
Main Street America's GIS intern shares the results of a project to map the boundaries of all designated Main Street districts.
Community Spotlight: Stories of Disaster Preparedness from the National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders
Main Street America welcomed the National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) to our Twitter channel to share stories of resiliency in Latino communities.
Community Spotlight: Disaster Preparedness in the Allapattah District of Miami, Florida
Main Street America welcomed to our Instagram Stories the Allapattah Collaborative CDC, a Main Street program in Miami, Florida.
Miami, FL © Allapattah Collaborative CDC
Main Spotlight: Preparedness Month on Main Street
We sat down with Lindsey Wallace, Director of Strategic Projects and Design Services and manager of the the National Park Service Main Street Community Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Program, to learn more about her perspective on disaster preparedness on Main Street.
Pandemic Recovery Efforts in Georgia: Progress on the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Main Spotlight: Improving Building Codes for Main Street
The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Main Street Task Force is working to increase education, compile examples and data, and provide recommended changes at the national level where necessary.
Partners in Preservation 2018: Projects in UM Communities
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Historic Real Estate Finance Training
The Main Street America Institute (MSAI) partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) to offer Historic Real Estate Finance, part one of a two-course certificate program, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Community Spotlight: Annual Texas First Lady Main Street Tour
Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott joined Texas Main Street and Texas Historical Commission staff, management and Commissioners to welcome Temple and Pearsall into the 89-city Texas Main Street network.
Grants to Green Maine Channels Yankee Ingenuity to Reduce Energy Costs
As part of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta’s Grants to Green program, Maine was designated one of two national replication sites.
Determined Advocacy Preserves the Historic Tax Credit
After more than five years of consistent advocacy, the 20 percent historic tax credit (HTC) has survived the most significant rewrite of the tax code in more than 30 years.
Network Spotlight: Main Streets Raise Money to Help Hurricane-Affected Communities in Texas
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Main Street merchants in two communities in Michigan and Kentucky, as well as a fellow Texas Main Street community, jumped in to help their Texas colleagues.
Why Main Street Doesn’t See More Historic Tax Credit Financing and What Can Be Done About It
In the midst of this human and cultural disaster, the Main Street program, managed by the Ellicott City Partnership, collaborated with Preservation Maryland to provide a variety of disaster relief financing that helped expedite the recovery.
Partnering for Good Design
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Farmers Market Impact
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
National Parks and Main Street
With 413 National Park areas¹ and over 1,000 Main Street America programs, it’s no surprise that many of the communities following the Four Point Approach serve as gateways to our national parks.
Vermont’s Downtowns Build Back Stronger after Floods
Eight historic downtowns in Vermont turned massive flooding into opportunities to build back stronger than before the flood.
Storytelling & Community in Jonesborough, Tennessee
As living pieces of American history, our Main Street communities each have a story to tell. It’s up to us to bring those stories to life.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Historic Tax Credits: A Good Return for the Money
We measure the effectiveness of our last marketing campaign, weigh whether the investment in new street lights outweigh the political capital spent, and debate if the thousands of volunteer hours are worth the impacts created by a one-day event.
Improving Performance in Main Street Iowa Communities
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
