The Royal Order of Kamehameha I objected to the first placement of the statue , pointing out that the shorefront has a history of being devastated by tsunamis . In fact , the area of the park was a residential community within Waiākea before the tsunami caused by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake . The state condemned the land and took possession in 1969
1960 Valdivia earthquake
1960 Valdivia earthquake
Wailoa River State Recreation Area