With its colonnaded walk and stepped gable rising to a pediment-like chevron, the two-story Botelho Garage proclaimed the emergence of the automobile in rural Hawaii. One of the major buildings on Mamane Street, it served a multiplicity of needs. Automobiles were serviced at the more functional, single-story end of the building, while the store sold automobile parts and accessories, hardware, and paint. The first post office in town was housed on the first floor, and professional offices and a dance hall were on the second. This building also gave Honokaa its first electric sign. Manuel S. Botelho came to Hawaii at the age of one, attended public schools, then went to college in Indiana. He practiced law upon his return to Hawaii, but quickly realized that the auto industry held great opportunities. In 1914, he opened a garage at the present building's location. In addition to managing the garage, Botelho also served as judge of the district court of Hamakua.