Before it was developed, Kaimuki was a lava dome area known as "The Ti Oven" from ka (the), imu (earth oven), and ki (ti plant).

In the early 1900s, land sold for just three cents per square foot. By 1925, Kaimuki got its first paved roads, through red dirt and rocky landscapes still covered most of the area.

Liholiho Elementary School was originally called Cummins School, named after John A. Cummins (1834 - 1913), son of Thomas Cummins and High Cheifess Kaumakaokane.

A respected leader and politician, Cummins served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under King Kalakaua in 1890.