Maunaloa, a quiet company town known for its pasturelands and dirt roads first picked up steam in 1923 when Libby's (later Dole) leased nearby land and began its pineapple operations here. Over the years, attempts to encourage tourism included the opening of the nearby Kaluakoi Hotel in 1977 and incredibly, safari tours offered at the now closed Molokai Ranch Wildlife Park (think giraffes and other exotic animals roaming in Hawaii). The local Molokai Ranch arena once hosted the annual and very popular Hawaiian Paniolo Heritage Rodeo & Festival.