A Once-in-a-Century Occasion: The Wrigley’s Ongoing Gift to Catalina Island

CATALINA ISLAND—Hidden by the fog, Wrigley laid his eyes on Catalina Island the first time from a steamship with his wife Ada and son Philip in 1919. Wrigley had bought stock in the island sight unseen – in fact, Wrigley did not know that the island had a mountainous terrain leading him to say, “My goodness, it’s a mountain. I thought it was flat.” In American culture, the Wrigleys’ legacy is one that stands for a dream conquered. The Wrigleys made millions starting with chewing gum. The rise of his entrepreneurial endeavor led to the purchase of two spectacular buys, which would eventually merge together: Catalina Island and the Chicago Cubs. Even today, it’s not unusual to come across a Cubs fan on the island. If not for the Wrigleys, it is hard to imagine if Catalina Island ever would have been catapulted to the iconic reputation it has today as so much of what the island’s known for – the Casino, Mt. Ada, Catalina Country Club, Airport in the Sky, and so much more – is a result of their imprint. The year 2019 marks the centennial of when Wrigley purchased nearly every share of Santa Catalina Island Company. Today, Catalina Island...