Catalina Island - 2008 Vacation Planner - (Page 55)

1928 Construction of the Catalina Casino began and lasted for 14 months. The building is designed at Mr. Wrigley’s request with a ballroom over a movie theater in the Moorish Alhambra style with Art Deco fixtures. 1950s During the 1950s, Catalina Island was host to a great motorcycle race series known as the Catalina Grand Prix. The race was strictly for sport, no cash prize was ever awarded, nor was there an admission fee. The riders faced ten laps on a four and a half mile course that led riders over city streets, winding paths, onto dirt roads and along a horse trail. For seven years during the 1950s, each May over 300 motorcycles and thousands of spectators would descend upon Avalon for the Catalina Grand Prix. 55 CATALINA HISTORY 1921 William Wrigley, Jr. also owned the Chicago Cubs and brought them over to Catalina Island for spring training for the next 30 years. WWII Within two weeks of the invasion at Pearl Harbor, the United States Coast Guard ordered regularly scheduled steamship passenger service ceased. Catalina Island was declared a federal military zone and the San Pedro Channel was designated a controlled area for vessels. 1924 Many believe that the bison were brought to the Island for the production of The Vanishing American, the film version of Zane Grey’s classic novel, released by the Lasky Film Corporation in 1925. However, in watching the film it appears that it was not filmed on Catalina Island. Perhaps the Island scenes ended up on the cutting room ﬂoor, but nonetheless a herd of North American Bison has been roaming the hills of Catalina since December of 1924. 2007 1972 It became more and more apparent that something must be done to preserve the charm of Catalina Island. The Catalina Island Conservancy - a non-profit foundation - acquired the title to 88 percent of Catalina Island in order to protect and restore the land and its many varied inhabitants. The majestic bald eagle can be seen along the coast of Catalina Island. Once abundant on Catalina Island, bald eagles were wiped out by DDT in the 1970s but they’ve been nurtured back through a joint project of the Catalina Island Conservancy and the Institute for Wildlife Studies. After years of diligently monitoring bald eagles and their nest sites, there are now 22 bald eagles on the island. Four bald eagle chicks hatched in 2007, the first eaglets born naturally in the wild on Catalina Island in decades.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Catalina Island - 2008 Vacation Planner

Contents YOUR ISLAND GUIDE Island Time Time in Avalon Catalina Activities Accommodations Catalina Dining Catalina Shopping Two Harbors Catalina's Interior Itinerary Ideas Transportation ISLAND DIRECTORY Directions to Terminals ISLAND MAPS Accommodations Avalon Hotels Real Estate/Rentals Activities Catalina Island Catalina History Dining Shopping Wedding/Event Planning Visitor & Local Services Calendar of Events Two Harbors Visitors' Information

Catalina Island - 2008 Vacation Planner

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