The Russian-American Company, in addition to exploring Alaska and other territories on the Pacific coast of North America, attempted to establish a foothold in Hawaii. In 1816, a representative of the company, Georg Scheffer, signed a secret treaty with the king of the island of Kauai, Kaumuali'i, who sought to free himself from the dependency on the king of all islands, Kamehameha. Under this agreement, Kaumuali'i requested protection from the Russian emperor and allocated land for the establishment of trading posts and plantations, where Scheffer built three forts:

Earthen fort named after Alexander I

Stone fort named after Empress Elizabeth

Earthen fort named after the commander Barclay de Tolly.

Scheffer also renamed the Hanalei Valley to Scheffertal (Scheffer Valley) and the Hanapepe River to Don. He gave local chiefs Russian surnames of famous military leaders and statesmen, such as Platov and Vorontsov.

However, aggressive actions by Americans forced the Russians to leave the island, and the Russian emperor denied the request for protection, fearing a deterioration in relations with the USA and recognizing Hawaii as their sphere of influence. Today, only the ruins of the Elizabethan Fortress on the island of Kauai, declared a national historic monument, remind us of those events.

Only remnants of the stone walls of the Elizabethan Fortress, located at the mouth of the Waimea River, have survived to this day. The walls of the two other forts, located at the mouth of the Hanalei River, were earthen and have eroded over time.