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Visit the
Santa
Catalina Island
History and
Catalina
Reservations
websites
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Santa Catalina
Island
Location:
The Channel Islands
Description:
People have been living on Santa Catalina Island
for at least 7,000 years, according to
archaeologists. So in the grand scheme of things,
the culture shock of tourism on this beautiful
isle, which is only 21 miles long by 8 miles wide
and 22 miles from the Southern California mainland,
has really been growing only in recent centuries.
Over the millennia different groups of Native
Americans have made their homes on the Island,
which is part of the Channel Islands group. In
1542, Catalina Island was discovered by Juan
Rodriguez Cabrillo, who named it San Salvador and
claimed the island in the name of the king of
Spain. In 1602, the island was rediscovered by
Spanish explorer, Viscaino, who landed there on
Saint Catherine's Feast Day (St. Catherine of
Alexandria). He named it Santa Catalina Island in
her honor.
After Spanish colonization, their apparently
flourishing population declined drastically and by
the mid-1820s, the few remaining native islanders
had migrated or were moved to the mainland. In 1846
Santa Catalina Island was awarded by Mexican
Governor Pio Pico to Thomas Robbins as a land
grant. Subsequent owners of the island have been
James Lick of San Francisco, and William Wrigley of
chewing gum and baseball fame who bought
controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island
Company in 1919. Wrigley improved the island with
public utilities, new steamships, a hotel, the
Casino building (which is a theatre and ballroom,
not a gambling hall), and extensive plantings of
trees, shrubs and flowers. However, his greatest
legacy was his plan for the future of Catalina
Island - that it remain protected for all
generations to enjoy. His son, P.K. Wrigley,
eventually established the Catalina Island
Conservancy for this in 1972 and transferred all
family ownership to it.
Today Santa Catalina Island is a vacation
destination. The most common way to get there from
the mainland is to take a ferry or go by light
aircraft. Catalina is mostly a walking community
with few cars. Once out there, you can hike, bike,
boat,
kayak,
take tours, view wildlife, and just relax on
the beach. And, if you're looking for a special
outing that will create long-lasting memories for
the entire family, a Channel
Island's Wildlife Cruise is one to
add to your list.
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