'' in Leone may be the oldest building on
Tutuila Island. . Leone holds the distinction of being one of American Samoa's oldest settlements. It was the ancient capital of
Tutuila Island. The
Leone Quarry, recognized on the
U.S. National Register of Historic Places, is among the earliest excavation sites on Tutuila Island, with evidence of occupation dating back to around 200 CE. The first
petroglyphs to be found in the Samoan Islands were discovered at Leone’s lagoon. In 1980, Jeffrey Clark discovered a
potsherd on Malaloto Ridge in Leone, marking the earliest documented prehistoric ceramic uncovered in American Samoa. The
Tataga-Matau Fortified Quarry Complex, located on a series of ridges inland from Leone, has been the focus of an extensive multi-year research project. This site holds significant archaeological value for understanding the prehistory of Samoa. Its importance is further underscored by evidence that adzes produced at this quarry were widely distributed across the
Western Pacific. Adzes of distinctively Samoan typology - crafted from fine, dark basalt and originating in Leone - have been uncovered across a vast region, stretching from Lau in
Fiji to
Tokelau in the north and westward to the outer eastern
Solomon Islands. The chief explained that a group of Tahitians who had landed at
Sapapaliʻi — under the guidance of an Englishman called Viliamu — had already introduced the Christian faith to the local people. When Williams revealed that he was Viliamu, a grand celebration took place within the Samoan-style church at Leone, led by Chief Amoamo. In Leone, Williams went ashore and, though initially startled by what he saw as the people's savage appearance, he was nevertheless warmly welcomed. Later, Leone's Chief Amoamo served as the missionaries’ interpreter and played the most influential role in introducing the Christian faith to Tutuila Island. Williams’ visit made Leone the first village on Tutuila Island to formally receive Christian teachings. In 1836, Rev.
Archibald Wright Murray of the
London Missionary Society arrived on Tutuila Island. He stayed in both Leone and
Pago Pago before leaving the island in 1849. Reverend Barnden was also assigned to Leone in the 1830s. The missionaries chose to establish their headquarters at Leone. This was the beginning of the formal missionization of Tutuila. At the time, the village was twice as populated as
Pago Pago and served as capital of the
Western District. In 1836, Englishman
Matthew Hunkin married
Fatumalala Faiivae of Leone, the daughter of High Chief Faiivae of Leone. Hunkin was among the first Europeans to settle in the Samoan Islands. After building a boat for King
Tuimanua in
Manua, he lived with a family in Leone. The
London Missionary Society granted him the status of assistant missionary, and he later made an attempt to spread the gospel to
Niue. Hunkin resigned from the church in 1849 and went on to establish one of Tutuila's first shops in Leone. He also donated land to the church for mission houses in Leone. On October 11, 1839, Commodore
Charles Wilkes of the
United States Exploring Expedition visited Leone. Midshipman
William Reynolds was assigned surveying duty under Lieutenant Joseph Underwood. In the village, they were introduced to
Chief Tuitele, who was happy to welcome them as guests for the night. In his diary, Reynolds described the gentleness and civility of the villagers. He wrote: “I noticed in the men, a fondness & care displayed towards their children,” and went on to write: “While on the beach many huge fellows had infants & babbling youngsters in their arms.” He later questioned whether “these people have more claim to be good than we.” Reynolds promised Chief Tuetila that he would clothe “him as a Papalangi” (white person) if he would show up to their ship on their return. The chief came, but Captain Charles Wilkes refused to see Chief Tuetila. In 1840, John Jackson (William Diaper), an Englishman from
Ardleigh, arrived in Leone. He had been kidnapped months earlier on
Taʻū Island while on a whaling voyage and managed to flee on a passing ship. Contemplating a future in Leone, he considered becoming a trader, noting that “the natives were all Christians in this place,” at least nominally, as mission work had begun four years prior. Jackson recounts that he found a woman he wished to marry, but when he asked the missionary to perform the ceremony, his request was denied on the grounds that he would likely not remain and might abandon his wife. Jackson ultimately departed for
Fiji, catching a vessel from
Pago Pago. In 1857, due to the large interest among locals for Christianity and its teachings, the
Fagalele Boys School was established. The school's purpose was to train locals to become missionaries. Later, the school became a part of the
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa (CCCAS). In 1862, the Roman Catholic Church was officially established in Leone. The Catholic church arrived in Leone under the stewardship of Father Elloy. The Catholics initially encountered strong opposition from some of the village chiefs. On October 8, 1873, U.S. consul
Albert Barnes Steinberger arrived in Leone and discovered that High Chiefs Tuitele and Sātele had approved a message from the Taimua — a seven-chief council in
Western Samoa — addressed to the President of the United States. This message sought advice on preserving Samoa's sovereignty and determining its governmental structure. In 1877, Leone played a central role in the
Tutuila War, a conflict driven by deep divisions among Samoans over their government's future. The
Apia-based leadership of the Samoan Islands, fearing the rise of the Puletua opposition, sent their delegate
Mamea to
Washington, D.C., to negotiate with the U.S. During his absence, the Puletua faction launched a rebellion, sparking a war in Tutuila. Government forces in Leone moved to quell the uprising, advancing on
Pago Pago where the rebel leader Mauga was located. They burned all buildings in Pago Pago and chased Mauga and his followers to
Aunu’u Island. Finding Aunu’u unable to support their forces, the Puletua returned to Tutuila and established a defensive position on the north coast. Reverend Charles Phillips of the
LMS persuaded Mauga to surrender, leading the Puletua to retreat to Leone. There, they submitted themselves for several hours before, after a lengthy trial, they were released upon paying fines. In 1883, the
Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) established a school in Leone which later got the name St. Theresa's School. On June 18, 1888, Elder Joseph Henry Dean founded the first branch of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Leone. In 1889, amid the
Samoan Civil War, American Colonel William Blacklock notified the U.S. Department of State that Edward Ripley — a chief from Leone — was urging Leone's residents to refuse recognition of
Malietoa Laupepa as Samoa's king. Identified as a
Tupua Tamasese stronghold, Leone continued flying the rebel flag and displaying resistance. In 1890, Alfred J. Pritchard, grandson of the missionary
George Pritchard, married Lemusu Fuiavailiili of
Savaiʻi and settled in Leone, where they opened a business. In the 1890s, the Roman Catholic Mission established a school for girls in Leone. In 1899, when Tutuila Island became part of the United States, the district known as Fofo ma Itulagi included much of the current
Western District. Its center was in Leone under the leadership of High Chief Tuitele. Two key orator chiefs, the Olo and the Leoso, represented the Western District. Leoso's residence in Leone bore the name O le Faletele i Sisifo, or "The Great House of the West". On April 17, 1900, four of Leone's traditional chiefs (PCs Tuitele Penikila and Faiivae Pauga Leta, and HTCs Olo Malaki and Le´oso Fiavivini (Tama Matua)), signed the
Deed of Cession. This officially formed the current relationship with American Samoa and the
United States. Leone is the only village to have had this unique recognition and honor.
20th century In the early 1900s, the Roman Catholics established the Marist Brothers School in Leone as a consequence of the unification of all Tutuila public schools. The Girls School at Leloaloa and the Boys School at
Anua,
Atu'u were also soon constructed. The all-girl secondary school was constructed by the
London Missionary Society (LMS) on the edge of
Afao, in Atauloma, which was completed by the year 1900. The building was situated on a by concrete slab which faced the sea. It functioned as an educational institution until the 1960s, and in the 1970s, it was leased to the ASG Government, which converted the building into apartments. It fell back in the hands of the LMS in 1995. In 1902, Governor
Uriel Sebree requested US$5,000 from the U.S. Navy to establish a public school system in American Samoa. When funds did not materialize, he arranged a government subsidy with the Roman Catholic mission to open a non-sectarian boys’ school near Leone, though he regarded reliance on religious bodies for schooling as undesirable. In 1903, Fiji William of the schooner Mata’afa tested
Pago Pago’s standing as the designated entry port for American Samoa by docking in Leone without proper authorization. His actions led to an arrest, a court conviction, and a $50 fine. The ship's owners, Grevhsmuhl and Company of
Apia, protested this newfound enforcement — seeing it as an imposition on what had been a free port—and appealed to the U.S. Secretary of the Navy for repayment. In 1905, the
Marist Brothers began their mission in American Samoa, starting in the village of Leone, where they established a school. In 1905, the villages of Leone and
Pavaʻiaʻi were the first to complete properly protected water works. The transmission of
filariasis was known to be mosquito-borne, but the mosquito was believed to pass it on to humans by contaminating drinking water. Doctors and biologists believed the answer to the problem laid in providing villages with pure water. In the early 20th century, the
Mau movement became intertwined with the Ripley family's commercial ambitions in Leone. In July 1920,
Samuel Sailele Ripley returned to Leone from California for the first time since 1904 with plans to establish a copra plantation on his family's land. However, the Native Lands Ordinance of 1900 prohibited the sale of Samoan land, and the U.S. Navy held a monopoly on copra production in the area. Faced with these obstacles, Ripley aligned himself with the Mau movement and enlisted
C.S. Hannum, his wife's former employer in California, to serve as the movement's legal advisor. Hannum initiated extensive correspondence between Samoa and Washington D.C., advising the Ripleys to challenge the legitimacy of the U.S. Navy's authority in Samoa by claiming it was unofficial, thereby rendering its laws and taxes invalid. The Ripley family sought a comprehensive congressional investigation to stop the U.S. government from exploiting the Samoan people. Samuel Ripley was actively involved with the Mau movement from July until November 1920, when Governor
Waldo A. Evans deported him and his wife. A year later, Ripley attempted to return, arriving in
Pago Pago, but Governor Evans intercepted him at the dock and deported him once more. Ripley was permanently barred from returning to Samoa and later became the mayor of
Richmond, California. In 1920, the roads were in such condition that a roundtrip from Leone to Pago Pago, a distance of around , took an entire day. In 1922, the Leone Rapid Transit began operations, announcing two trips per day at a round trip fare of $2.00. It was a result of $30,000 earmarked for road construction by Governor
Waldo A. Evans. A June 8, 1922 report states there was a bus service from Pago Pago to
Utulei and from Utulei to Leone. The Leone Rapid Transportation also operated between
Fagatogo and Leone. Road conditions were such that it took the whole day to cover the distance of between Leone and Fagatogo. In June 1921, Sake, a resident of Leone, was shot and killed in a dispute over a gambling debt. The perpetrator, Toeupu of
Vaitogi, became the first person in American Samoa to be sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed on July 1, 1921, less than a month after the crime. From the 1920s until just after
World War II, Leone became renowned for its
siapo mamanu, a form of barkcloth art. At the center of this thriving tradition was a group of women siapo makers who not only supplied local demand but also produced vibrant, multi-colored pieces for export. Under the leadership of artist
Kolone Fai’ivae Leoso, these women created thousands of siapo. Leoso's designs often drew inspiration from the stained glass windows of the Leone Congregational Church. During the late 1920s, they developed an economic connection with
Mary J. Pritchard, the daughter of a Samoan mother and a white American father. Pritchard learned the art of siapo from the Leone women and became their link to broader markets, exporting products to traders in
Honolulu, Hawai'i. This relationship contributed to Leone's growing reputation for siapo artistry. Leoso, a key figure in this artistic movement, continued to influence the style and production of siapo until her death in 1970. In 1932, Leone was selected as one of four meeting places for the
Bingham Commission of the
U.S. Congress, which was sent to Pago Pago to study and report on complaints by Samoans against the
Naval Administration. As a result of the commission's review, major changes were implemented by the Naval Administration for the betterment of both Tutuila Island and
Manu'a. The Bingham Commission's hearings resulted in two major reforms: A Bill of Rights was created, and separation was established between the positions of Judge and Secretary of Native Affairs. The Bill of Rights was drafted by Governors
Henry Francis Bryan and
Edward Stanley Kellogg and Judge H.P. Wood. The Bingham Commission arrived in Leone on September 29, 1930, to hear witness testimony. During the visit, U.S. Senator
Hiram Bingham gifted High Chief Tuitele a cane crafted from Hawaiian koa wood, fitted with a silver plate inscribed with his name. In 1934,
Annie Montague Alexander and Louise Kellogg visited Leone during their Pacific expedition. Leone served as their base for collecting specimens. The women spent a week in the forests near Leone, gathering a representative collection for the
University of California Museum of Paleontology, which included doves, fruit pigeons, kingfishers, and fruit bats. They attended traditional Samoan festivities, such as siva dances and feasts. The hospitality extended to their accommodations as well, with the women retiring each night to a
fale, a traditional guesthouse. On September 30, 1943, a bomber airstrip known as
Leone Airfield was completed in Leone. Today, the site is home to
Leone High School and Midkiff Elementary School. The airfield was abandoned in early 1945 due to turbulent air currents and lack of use. The airstrip was meant to be a Marine Corps fighter strip, but only a total of two airplanes were able to land and take off before the strip was declared unsafe due to the turbulent air currents. During his 1961-62 archaeological surveys in Leone, Dr.
Yoshihiko Sinoto documented the first known pre-European
petroglyphs in American Samoa (or in the Samoan Islands overall Additional petroglyphs were discovered in 1966. In October 1982, residents in Leone celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first missionary,
John Williams. The Catholic Church in town celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Sisters School, which was established in Leone in 1883 by Sisters Mary St. Vincent, St. Claire, and St. Thérese.
Modern times The highest-ranking Samoan military serviceman to lose his life in the War in Iraq, U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Max Galeai, was killed in
Karmah, Iraq on June 26, 2008. He was from Leone and is buried in the village. Leone had the most victims in American Samoa in the
2009 tsunami. A memorial garden -
Leone Healing Garden - was created on the Sā Poloa family land, where most of the 11 victims were found. The garden commemorates the loss of the 2009 tsunami that killed 22 and injured hundreds of Leone residents. Located just offshore are remnants of a fishing ship that was damaged by
Cyclone Gita in 2018. In 2012, Samoa's Prime Minister
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi suggested American Samoa construct a wharf at Leone Bay in order to reduce the travel time between Samoa and Tutuila. It is approximately between Upolu Island and Tutuila. In December 2012, a police substation was dedicated in Leone. The new station was constructed with federal funds. In 2013, Leone commemorated the fourth anniversary of the deadly
2009 tsunami that claimed nine lives in Leone, including two elementary school children. One hundred
lanterns were floated at sea in their honor, and the victims were also remembered during church services. In 2014, the Lepuapua Assembly of God Church in Leone marked its 50th anniversary in April. Several prominent guests attended, including Congresswoman
Amata Coleman Radewagen, while a TV crew from
KVZK-TV documented the service. The choir performed hymns with musical support from
Poe Fagasa and others. On November 1, 2014, a drive-by shooting took place in Leone. Several gunshots were fired at the front of the Leone Police Substation. No officers or other personnel were injured. Four bullets were later recovered from inside the station. Four men were charged for the shooting, which took place when two police officers were inside the station. In 2019, the
American Samoa Community College’s Agriculture, Community, and Natural Resources (ACNR) partnered with churches to clean up streams at Leone.
Tsunami Leone was devastated by a tsunami on September 29, 2009. The tsunami was generated by a magnitude 8.0
undersea earthquake. Eleven people in Leone were killed by the tsunami. The victims were two children and nine adults, including elderly parents. The day of the tsunami is called the “Black Tuesday” and the village has erected a special monument known as
Leone Healing Garden (Garden of Healing). The monument is near the seaside of the main road, and it was erected in order to commemorate the passing and to celebrate the lives of those who perished in the tsunami. ==Demographics==