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The Wrigley Family
In 1919, William Wrigley Jr., of the chewing gum empire, purchased the
island and became its most generous benefactor. The Wrigleys had moved to California and purchased a large mansion in Pasadena in 1914 when Wrigley was in his early 50s. The mansion was later donated to the City in 1959 and is now the home for the Tournament of Roses operations.
Wrigley was a man of great vitality and creativity, and upon moving to
California, purchased the Los Angeles Angles baseball team, already owning the Chicago Cubs, and soon there were two stadiums in the United States where baseball was played on a Wrigley Field. Deciding to spend more and more time in California, away from his Chicago corporation headquarters, Wrigley bought Catalina one morning based on postcard images of the romantic isle, never having stepped foot upon it. With in three hours of opening discussion with the real estate broker, the island was sold to Wrigley. Two weeks later they took their first steamship voyage to Catalina.
The only real joy in business is the joy of creation. Making money itself doesn’t amount to a hill of beans " William Wrigley, Jr.
On their first visit they stayed at the St. Catherine Hotel, located in
Descanso Canyon near Avalon Bay.
As described in William Sanford White’s book, Santa Catalina Island,
"Wrigley later vividly recalled awakening the day following their arrival. " My wife and I are both early risers. That morning Mrs. Wrigley was up first. She walked to the window, and after a moment called excitedly : " I should like to live here !"
I joined her at the window," Mr. Wrigley said, " The sun was just coming up. I had never seen a more beautiful spot, Right then and there I determined the island would never pass out of my hands."
With in a year Mr. Wrigley had bought out both out his original
partners in the island purchase, and had begun to develop a long term vision for the development of Avalon. He knew what he wanted and didn’t want for the island’s future. " There is to be nothing of the Coney Island flavor about Santa Catalina. It would be unthinkable to mar the beauty of such a spot both roller coasters and the like. "
He stated that his reason for developing was " to put with in the
reach of the rank and file of the United States - the people to whom I owe my prosperity - a playground where they can enjoy themselves to the utmost, at such a reasonable figure of expense that all can participate in its benefits."
Mr. Wrigley paid for major Avalon improvements, from sever lines to
bell towers, from streets to gardens, directly from his own pocket, with out concern for financial gain from his investment. He built his family a large home on the hill top overlooking the bay, and enjoyed living there many months of the year. He brought the Chicago Cubs to the Canyon for Spring trianings beginning in 1921, a tradition that continued to 1951.
Presidents and royalty visited the Wrigley’s on Catalina, and his
patronage enabled a small furniture, pottery and quarry industry to develop along Pebbly Beach, and area southeast of Avalon. The Wrigleys donated land for the public school to educate the children of the growing number of families who had come to live on Catalina as a result of Wrigley’s development projects.
On of the most impressive efforts during Wrigley’s life on Catalina was
the engineering of a new water system. Spending over a million dollars of his own money, Wrigley hired an engineering team to build a complex network of dams, wells, tunnels and pumping stations that gathered water from around the island and brought it to Avalon. But the most famous gift the Wrigley’s made to Avalon is the beautiful round theater and ballroom situated on the point of Avalon harbor.
As described in the local newspaper, the Catalina Islander, in 1923
" Catalina Island is the playground for all - rich or poor - youth or aged. All classes mix with democratic freedom. "
Wrigley once commented regarding any possible sale of Catalina for
personal profit " I have had offers from capitalists all over the country … and practically to name my own price. I have told them there is not enough money anywhere to get it from me - it is my pleasure and life to develop it. "Mr. Wrigley passed away in his Phoenix winter home in 1932, and is buried in the Wrigley Mausoleum at the head of Avalon Canyon on Catalina.
The son of Ada and William Wrigley, Jr, Phillip Wrigley, also shared
his parents love of Catalina and in 1930, after becoming president of the Wrigley chewing gum empire, established a 1500 acre private ranch in Catalina’s interior near Cottonwood canyon. The specialty of the ranch was training Arabian horses, and he named it El Rancho Escondido - The Hidden Ranch. It is located in an area that was previously part of an expansive ranch called Blackjack that had at one time run a herd of 5,000 beef cattle. Phillip was a founding partner in an airline company that was to become United Airlines, and developed tow landing areas on Catalina. Carrying on his father’s vision of protecting the island from over commercialization, Phillip, who was a shy, quiet, private man, was recognized as an environmentalist long before the term was a common moniker. He was inspired by Catalina to preserve its historic integrity, and said " We may be able to make all of Catalina a monument to early California. "
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