Mac Os Catalina

[Marilina Crawn]

Catalina was originally inhabited and used by many different Southern California Tribes, including the Tongva, who called the island Pimuu'nga or Pimu and referred to themselves as Pimugnans or Pimuvit. The first Europeans to arrive on Catalina claimed it for the Spanish Empire. Over the years, territorial claims to the island transferred ownership to Mexico and then the United States of America. The island was used for otter hunting and gold-digging, before successfully being developed into a tourist destination in the 1920s. Since the 1970s, most of the island has been administered by the Catalina Island Conservancy.

In 2022, Santa Catalina Island's population was 4,201 people, with a 51.44 percent to 48.56 percent ratio of male to female residents, 90 percent of whom live in the island's only incorporated city, Avalon. The second center of population is the unincorporated village of Two Harbors at the island's isthmus. Development also occurs at the smaller settlements of Rancho Escondido and Middle Ranch. The remaining population is scattered over the island between the two population centers.

Today, the popular tourist destination can be reached via ferry services from mainland California, with the most common departure point being the city of Long Beach.[1] The island also has an airport, the Catalina Airport in the Sky, which is located on a hilltop and offers scenic views of the island.[2]

Catalina Island is known for its diverse ecosystems, which include coastal scrub, chaparral, oak woodlands, grasslands, and coastal marine environments. It is also home to various native and introduced species, both on land and in the surrounding waters. Unique species include the island fox and the Catalina two striped garter snake.[3] The city of Avalon, located on the island's eastern side, is the primary population center and serves as the hub for tourism. Visitors can explore Avalon's streets, visit museums, dine in restaurants, and enjoy various water-based activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and boat tours. The island offers opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, and wildlife watching. Catalina Island enjoys a Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The climate makes it an attractive destination year-round, although the summer months tend to be the busiest. Throughout the year, Catalina Island hosts a variety of events and activities, including the Catalina Wine Mixer, the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival, and many more cultural and outdoor events. A tourist-drawing area, Catalina is heavily reliant economically on revenue from its annual visitors.[4]

Archeological evidence of Native American settlement dates back to 7000 BC. Prior to the modern era, the island was inhabited by the Tongva, who, had the villages, Chowigna (San Pedro) and Guashna (Playa del Rey), regularly traveled back and forth to Catalina for trade. The Tongva had settlements all over the island, with their biggest villages being at the Isthmus and at present-day Avalon, Shark/Little Harbor, and Emerald Bay.[1] They were renowned for their mining, working and the trade of soapstone which was found in great quantities and varieties on the island. This material was in great demand and was traded along the California coast. The island was valued for its natural resources, but was also respected by the Tongva as an important "ceremonial center" with connections to the village of Povuu'nga, located in present-day Long Beach.[6]

The first European to set foot on the island was the explorer Juan Rodrguez Cabrillo, who sailed in the name of the Spanish crown. On October 7, 1542, he claimed the island for Spain and named it San Salvador after his ship. Although his interactions with Catalina Island are not well-documented, his main achievement was in mapping and exploring the coastline, which helped lay the foundation for future European expeditions and settlements in California.[7] Over half a century later, another Spanish explorer, Sebastin Vizcano, arrived at the island on the eve of Saint Catherine's day (November 24) of 1602. Vizcaino renamed the island in the saint's honor. [1] The colonization of California by the Spanish greatly contributed to the decline of the Pimugnans because of diseases brought by the Spanish from Europe. By the 1830s, the island's entire native population had been forced to the mainland on the Spanish missions or to work as ranch hands for the many private land owners.[1]

In the late 18th century, the Franciscan friars considered building a mission on Catalina, but abandoned the idea due to the island's rugged terrain, small population size, and lack of fresh water. While Spain maintained its claim on Catalina Island, the Europeans were forbidden to trade with colonies. However, this policy was short lasted as the island lacked the ships to enforce this prohibition; also, much of the colonies wanted to trade with other European powers. During the period stretching from the late 18th to early 19th centuries, Russian hunters from the Aleutian Islands, particularly the Russian-American Company, visited Catalina Island as part of their fur trading expeditions. They were primarily interested in harvesting sea otters for their valuable fur, which led to the decimation of the local sea otter population. The hunting by the Russian-American caused a profound ecological impact on the marine life around Catalina Island by depleting a keystone species.[citation needed]

With its numerous hidden coves and relatively low population, the island has been considered a potentially attractive location for pirates and smugglers, much like other coastal areas. While there are historical indications that such activities may have occurred at various times, concrete documented accounts of piracy or significant smuggling operations on the island are limited.[1] During the 1850s and 1860s, Catalina Island witnessed a minor gold rush, as part of the larger California Gold Rush of that era. Gold miners arrived on the island in search of valuable minerals. However, their scale and success was nothing to be compared to the more prosperous gold rush locations in California. The historical evidence regarding substantial gold deposits on the island remains inconclusive.[8]

In 1846, Governor Po Pico made a Mexican land grant of the Island of Santa Catalina to Thomas M. Robbins, as Rancho Santa Catalina. Robbins established a small ranch on the island, but sold it in 1850 to Jos Mara Covarrubias. A claim was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1853,[9] and in 1867, the grant was officially patented to Jos Mara Covarrubias.[10] Covarrubias, in turn, sold the island to Albert Packard of Santa Barbara in 1853. By 1864, the entirety of Catalina Island was under the ownership of James Lick, whose estate maintained control over the island for the following approximately 25 years.[11]

By the end of the 19th century, the island was almost uninhabited except for a few cattle herders. The first owner to try to develop Avalon into a resort destination was George Shatto, a real estate speculator from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shatto purchased the island for $200,000 (equivalent to $5.9 million in 2023[12]) from the Lick estate at the height of the real estate boom in Southern California in 1887.[13] Shatto created the settlement that would become Avalon, and can be credited with building the town's first hotel, the original Hotel Metropole, and pier.[13] Despite Shatto's efforts, he defaulted on his loan after only a few years and the island went back to the Lick estate.[1] The sons of Phineas Banning bought the island in 1891 from the estate of James Lick. The Banning brothers fulfilled Shatto's dream of making Avalon a resort community with the construction of numerous tourist facilities. On November 29, 1915, a fire burned half of Avalon's buildings, including six hotels and several clubs. In the face of huge debt related to the fire and the subsequent decline in tourism due to World War I, the Banning brothers were forced to sell the island in shares in 1919. On May 10, 1912 Glenn L. Martin flew a homemade seaplane in to Avalon, setting records for distance and time.[14] In 1917 the Meteor Company purchased the Chinese pirate ship Ning Po, the oldest pirate ship afloat, built in 1753, and towed her to the Isthmus of Catalina Island for use as a tourist attraction and restaurant, until destroyed there by fire in 1938.[15][16]

One of the main investors to purchase shares from the Bannings was chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. In 1919, Wrigley bought out nearly every share-holder until he owned controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company. Wrigley invested millions in needed infrastructure and attractions to the island, including the construction of the Catalina Casino which opened on May 29, 1929.[1] Wrigley also sought to bring publicity to the island through events and spectacles. Starting in 1921, the Chicago Cubs, also owned by Wrigley, used the island for the team's spring training. The Cubs continued to use the island for spring training until 1951, except during the war years of 1942 to 1945.[17] Following the death of Wrigley, Jr. in 1932, control of the Santa Catalina Island Company passed down to his son, Philip K. Wrigley, who continued his father's work improving the infrastructure of the island.[1]

During World War II, the island was closed to tourists and used for military training facilities.[18] Catalina's steamships were expropriated for use as troop transports and a number of military camps were established. The U.S. Maritime Service set up a training facility in Avalon, the Coast Guard had training at Two Harbors, the Army Signal Corps maintained a radar station in the interior, the Office of Strategic Services did training at Toyon Bay, and the Navy did underwater demolition training at Emerald Bay.[1][19]

In 1972, the Brown Berets, a group of Latino activists, Chicanos and Mexican residents occupied Santa Catalina Island, invoking the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which has no mention of the islands. On February 15, 1975, Philip Wrigley deeded 42,135 acres (17,051 hectares) of the island from the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Catalina Island Conservancy that he had helped to establish in 1972. This gave the Conservancy control of nearly 90 percent of the island.[20] The balance of the Santa Catalina Island Company that was not deeded to the Conservancy maintains control of much of its resort properties and operations on the island.[21]

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