William Wrigley, Jr.

A century ago, a man fell in love with an island. That love affair lasted for the rest of his life and became a legacy he passed on to his descendants. Thanks to that enduring passion, a community was fostered, a unique ecosystem was protected and a seaside resort was promoted to the entire country.

The man was William Wrigley, Jr. and the island was Santa Catalina.

From Philadelphia soap salesman to chewing gum king

Long before he ever set foot on Catalina, Wrigley was building an American success story from almost nothing. Born in Philadelphia in 1861, he was put to work in his father's soap factory as a boy and ran away from home more than once before he found his calling. In 1891, he arrived in Chicago with just $32 in his pocket and a plan to sell his father's scouring soap. He offered baking powder as a free bonus with every purchase, then noticed customers wanted the baking powder more than the soap. So he switched products. Then he started tossing in a couple of sticks of chewing gum as a bonus with the baking powder, and once again customers wanted the bonus more than the product. Wrigley took the hint a second time, and the William Wrigley Jr. Company was born. By the early 1900s, Spearmint, Juicy Fruit and Doublemint had made Wrigley one of the most recognized names in the country and a pioneer of modern advertising.

That same relentless salesmanship and eye for opportunity would soon find its way to a rocky island off the coast of Southern California.

A fresh start for a fire-scarred island

In 1919, Wrigley, flush with success and cash, purchased a controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company. Initially an investor, Wrigley quickly determined he wanted a more active role in determining the island's destiny and he became the driving force behind nearly all of it.

When Wrigley purchased Catalina Island, it was still recovering from a devastating fire that had destroyed nearly all of Avalon. The chewing gum entrepreneur set to work developing attractions, creating infrastructure and increasing the island's visibility.

A family affair

Wrigley did not build his Catalina legacy alone. His wife, Ada, and their two children, Dorothy and Philip, were woven into the island's story from the start. Philip took over leadership of the family's business interests, including Catalina, and it was his lifelong devotion to his father's vision that carried the island's story into the second half of the century. In 1972, Philip formally established the Catalina Island Conservancy and transferred ownership of 88 percent of the island to it, turning his father's love of Catalina into a permanent gift for future generations. When William Wrigley, Jr. passed away in 1932, he was laid to rest in a memorial built into the hillside above Avalon, a fitting resting place for a man who considered Catalina his true home. Citing security concerns, his remains were later moved to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA.

Building a legacy you can still see today

Much of what Wrigley built during his lifetime has become intricately entwined with the island's culture: the Catalina Island Casino is recognized around the world as an island icon; the Catalina Country Club, initially the clubhouse for Wrigley's Chicago Cubs, has seen millions of visitors over the years and Mt. Ada, the home Wrigley built, continues to perch over Avalon and today welcomes hundreds of visitors each year as an exclusive bed and breakfast.

In 2019, after a multi-million-dollar renovation, another of William Wrigley, Jr.'s projects reopened. The Hotel Atwater originally opened in 1920 and was named for his daughter-in-law, Helen Atwater, Philip's wife.

As visible as his influence is, it may be what visitors don't see that has had an even greater impact on the island. Wrigley created housing, invested in utilities and forged industries, all of which were the foundation of a thriving community that supports the tourism that made Catalina famous.

Putting Catalina on the map, quite literally

Making Catalina Island famous was another of Wrigley's legacies, one he approached with tenacity, creativity and cohesion. Thanks to an enduring partnership with legendary designers Dorothy and Otis Shepard, Wrigley put Catalina Island on the minds of Americans from coast to coast with clever images and compelling copy. He also used intriguing events, like an open ocean swim race to the island with a generous purse, to capture the imagination of the public and the attention of the press.

Wrigley also used his other assets and passions to promote the island. He had purchased a stake in the Chicago Cubs back in 1916 and became the team's principal owner by 1921, the same year he made the bold decision to bring the club west for spring training. For nearly 30 years, the Cubs trained in Avalon, a tradition that brought national attention to the seaside community and introduced generations of baseball fans, including future Hall of Famers, to the island Wrigley loved.

Wrigley's most enduring legacy is Catalina itself

While Wrigley experimented with several options for the vast interior of the island, it was his son Philip who took the definitive step to protect it in perpetuity, granting nearly 90 percent of Catalina Island to the Catalina Island Conservancy, which is charged with preserving and protecting the island for future generations. Nearly a century after William Wrigley, Jr. first fell for Catalina, the family's commitment to the island still shapes everything visitors experience here today.

Ways to learn more about Wrigley’s legacy on Catalina Island.

Visit the Catalina Island Museum for Art & History.

Take a tour: Visit landmarks such as the Catalina Country Club, Mt. Ada, the Catalina Island Casino, the former Avalon Bird Park and more.