Santa Catalina Island

Santa Catalina Island, also commonly called simply Catalina Island, is a rocky island off the coast of California. It is only one of the Channel Islands island chain to have a permanent settlement, the resort city of Avalon, California. It is located about 22 miles (35 km) south-southwest off the coast of San Pedro, California. It is about 76 mile² (197 km²) in size and has a permanent population of about 3,000. Annually, about a million tourists visit the island every year. It is serviced by ferries and the "Airport-In-The-Sky."

Avalon Bay is a beautiful bay on Catalina Island

Glass bottom boats tour the reefs and shipwrecks of the area, and scuba diving is popular in the clear water. It is famous for the schools of flyingfish which live in local waters. Bus tours are given of the interior.

About 400 species of native plants grow on the island, including the endangered Santa Cruz Island rock cress (Sibara filifolia). Several species of plants are found only on Catalina Island, including: Cliff spurge (Euphorbia misera), Island cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii), and Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus).

History

Avalon Bay, Catalina Island, California, before the construction of the Casino.

Prior to the modern era the island was inhabited by people of the Tongva tribe, who also dwelled in the area of Los Angeles, had villages near present day San Pedro and Playa del Rey, and who regularly travelled back and forth to Catalina for trade.

Phineas Banning and his brothers bought the island in 1891 and established the Santa Catalina Island Company to develop it as a resort. Their efforts were set back on November 29, 1915 when a fire burned half of Avalon's buildings, including six hotels and several clubs. World War I also hampered tourism and the Bannings were forced to sell the island.

William Wrigley, Jr. bought Catalina Island in 1919 and devoted himself to preserving and promoting it. In 1921 he sold lots for building in the town of Avalon. The tourism industry was encouraged by the construction of the beautiful Art Deco dance hall in 1929, called the Casino although it has never had any gambling, which has a capacity of over 6,000 dancers. From 1927-1937 pottery and tile were made on the island, and are now collector's items. The Chicago Cubs, also owned by Wrigley, used the island for the team's spring training.

A herd of bison roamed the island for many decades, supposedly imported for a film. Boars, brought over as game, also ran free.

In 1975, Philip Wrigley deeded the Wrigley shares in the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Catalina Island Conservancy that he had helped create. It now owns the vast majority of the island. The Conservancy is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the island's natural state. It is erradicating invasive weeds and removing all the bison, boars, and non-native animals.

Catalina in pop culture

In 1958, the Four Preps recorded the hit song "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)."

External links

• The Catalina Island Conservancy (http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/)
• Santa Catalina Island Company (http://www.scico.com/The)