Kalawao County, Hawaii: History
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, the Republic of Hawaiʻi, the Territory of Hawaii, and the state of Hawaii all exiled persons suffering from Hansen's disease (leprosy) to the peninsula, from 1866 to 1969. The quarantine policy was only lifted after effective antibiotic treatments were developed that could be administered on an outpatient basis and patients could be rendered non-contagious.
Many residents chose to remain in their familiar community on the peninsula. The state promised that they could live there for the rest of their lives. As of 2015, the population consisted of the remaining patients, plus state employees and park staff. Tourists 16 years of age and older and personal guests of residents may visit with prior government permission, and the general public must be part of an official tour.
In 1980, the Kalaupapa National Historical Park was established to preserve the county's history and environment.
A Hawaii state law passed in 2026 provides that Kalawao County will cease to exist one year after the death of the last full- or part-time patient resident of Kalaupapa, and its area will then become part of Maui County. A preface to the law noted that, at the time of passage, there were four full-time and three part-time patient residents, the youngest of whom was then 83 years old.