For more than half a century, the Wrigley family helped shape the future of Catalina Island, first as a commercial investment and later as a conservation legacy. William Wrigley Jr., the chewing-gum businessman, became a major investor in the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919 and helped expand tourism, infrastructure and attractions across the island. His family’s involvement continued after his death in 1932, eventually shifting towards protecting Catalina’s undeveloped landscapes. In 1972, the Catalina Island Conservancy was established. Three years later, the family transferred 42,135 acres to the organisation, placing roughly 88% of the island under its care.
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How William Wrigley Jr. built the fortune behind Catalina
William Wrigley Jr. was born in Philadelphia in 1861 and had already built a considerable business empire before Catalina entered his life. His rise began in an unusual way. He initially sold his father's soap, using baking powder as an incentive for customers to buy it. When people showed greater interest in the free product, he changed direction.
As reported by Love Catalina Island Tourism Authority, Chewing gum eventually became the centre of the business. Brands including Juicy Fruit, Spearmint and Doublemint helped turn the Wrigley name into a national one, while the company's advertising became a major part of its success.
By the time Wrigley became involved with Catalina, he had the money and commercial experience to reshape the island on a much larger scale. The Santa Catalina Island Company had been established in the 1890s by the Banning brothers, who had developed the island as a resort. Wrigley became a major investor in 1919 and eventually gained controlling interest.
Catalina was not simply a holiday destination waiting to be marketed, though. Its communities and infrastructure needed investment, and a major fire had devastated much of Avalon before Wrigley's period of ownership. Wrigley invested in rebuilding efforts and expanded transportation, utilities and visitor facilities, helping Avalon recover while developing Catalina into a more established destination for tourists and residents alike.
How Wrigley turned Catalina into a major tourist destination
Wrigley put money into roads, utilities, housing and attractions while also working to make the island more accessible to visitors. His approach combined the practical side of running a large property with the publicity methods that had already made his chewing gum company successful.
According to the Catalina Island Company, the most recognisable result was the Catalina Casino, completed in 1929. The circular building became an enduring part of Avalon's waterfront and remains one of the island's best-known landmarks. Wrigley's influence also extended into sport. He had acquired an interest in the Chicago Cubs in 1916 and became the club's principal owner in 1921. That same year, the Cubs began holding spring training on Catalina, starting a relationship with the island that lasted for almost three decades.
The baseball connection mattered beyond the games themselves. Players, journalists and baseball followers were introduced to Catalina, giving the island a national audience at a time when mass tourism and modern advertising were developing rapidly.
According to Love Catalina Island Tourism Authority, Wrigley also worked with designers Dorothy and Otis Shepard on promotional material for Catalina. Advertising, sporting events and unusual attractions helped establish the island as a destination rather than simply another piece of coastal property.
Catalina’s undeveloped landscape became a conservation priority
William Wrigley Jr. died in 1932, but his connection with Catalina did not end there. His son, Philip Knight Wrigley, inherited an important role in the family's island interests and continued many of the projects his father had started.
The family maintained its involvement through the Santa Catalina Island Company while Catalina went through several different phases, including the disruption caused by the Second World War. Tourism later returned, and the island continued developing as a resort while large areas remained outside the built-up centres.
There was also a gradual change in the family's approach to the island's undeveloped interior. Protecting Catalina's landscape became a more formal objective rather than simply an aspect of managing the property. That shift eventually produced the Catalina Island Conservancy.
A conservation organisation was created in 1972
The Catalina Island Conservancy was established in 1972 with involvement from members of the Wrigley and Offield families. Its purpose was to provide a permanent organisation responsible for conserving and managing much of Catalina's natural land.
The timing is important because the major land transfer did not actually occur in 1972. Three years later, the Wrigley family completed the step that changed the ownership of most of Catalina's interior.
Before that happened, the Santa Catalina Island Company had already entered into an agreement with Los Angeles County in 1974 covering about 41,000 acres. The arrangement restricted development and provided for recreational and educational use while maintaining the area's open-space character. Then came the larger and more permanent transfer.
A 1975 land transfer secured protection for 88% of Catalina Island
On 15 February 1975, Philip K. Wrigley, his wife Helen and his sister Dorothy Wrigley Offield, acting through the Santa Catalina Island Company, deeded 42,135 acres of Santa Catalina Island to the Catalina Island Conservancy.
The figure represents roughly 88% of the island. The transfer included most of Catalina's interior and a substantial stretch of coastline, giving the Conservancy responsibility for an enormous area of land outside the main resort communities.
The 1975 conveyance became the key step in securing permanent protection for most of the island. The distinction between the two dates matters. The Conservancy was formed in 1972; the 42,135-acre transfer was completed in 1975.
The transfer left Catalina with two very different roles
The arrangement did not mean that every part of Catalina became a protected wilderness area with no tourism. The Santa Catalina Island Company retained land and continued operating much of the island's resort and visitor business, particularly in Avalon and Two Harbors. The Conservancy became responsible for the much larger area of wildland.
