History of Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island has a long and storied history
There have been inhabitants on the island for the past 7,000 years. The first Europeans to arrive claimed the island for the Spanish Empire. It was later turned over to Mexico and then to the United States. The island has served as a stop for smugglers, gold diggers, pirates, hunters, the Union army and missionaries. Catalina's history as a resort destination began about 125 years ago.
A Series of Owners
By 1864, Catalina Island was entirely owned by James Lick, who was once considered the wealthiest man in California. After a few failed attempts at a resort development, Lick sold the island to the sons of Phineas Banning in 1891. The Banning Brothers established the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1894 and began developing the island into a resort destination, building hotels, attractions, and roads into the island’s rugged interior.
The Banning Years
The Banning brothers built hunting lodges, like the Banning House Lodge, and ran stagecoach tours around the island. They created access to Avalon’s beach areas, like Lover's Cove, Descanso Beach, and Sugarloaf Point, the future site of Catalina Casino. In 1909, they built the Pleasure Pier, which still stands today in Avalon Bay.
In 1915, a fire burned down half of Avalon’s buildings. The brothers attempted to salvage their investment, building Hotel St. Catherine in Descanso Canyon to attract new visitors, but they eventually had to sell the island in 1919.
A Legacy of Conservation
In 1975, Philip Knight Wrigley, his wife Helen, and his sister, Dorothy Wrigley Offield, deeded 42,000 acres of Catalina Island to the Catalina Island Conservancy, a non-profit organization they had established three years earlier in 1972. The oldest and largest private land trust in Southern California, the Conservancy has a continuing mission to "be a responsible steward of our lands through a balance of conservation, education, and recreation.
