From Norma Jeane to Maryilyn Monroe

Norma Jeane Mortenson was born June 1, 1926 and was baptized Norma Jeane Baker three months later.  Norma Jeane was the otherwise non-descript third child of Gladys Baker who struggled with mental heath issues and reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown in 1934 which meant a life of orphanages and foster homes for her child.  Although her mother, Gladys did her best to provide for Norma Jeane which included bringing her to Catalina Island and visiting the Catalina Casino as a child.

During her lifetime and prior to becoming Marilyn Monroe she lived on Catalina Island as a 16 year old teenage bride.  Her husband, Jimmie Dougherty, a Merchant Marine once said they had an apartment that "looked straight across at the mansion on Mt. Ada built by one of the Wrigley heirs".

Norma Jeane Dougherty 

with the Catalina Casino in the Background

built by William Wrigley, Jr. 

While there is no definitive proof, the apartment at 310 Metropole Avenue is visited annually by hordes of tourists who to this day believe Jimmie and Norma Jeane lived at Catalina Island address.  Today, 310 Metropole Avenue is a 1,720 square foot multi-family home on a 1,926 square foot lot with 7 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.  The home is currently off the market and based on Avalon data the estimated value is $1,066,164.00. I suspect the price is due to many believing Norma Jean lived here during her short-lived married life to Jimmie Dougherty on Catalina Island.

According to Catalina Island Museum spokesperson, Gail Fornasiere, anexhaustive search was performed in an attempt to locate the actual residence, but historians could only find a post office box where the couple received their mail.  The museum has nevertheless accumulated a tremendous amount of information about Norma Jeane's life on the island and even gained national attention for an exhibit entitled Before She was Marilyn held during the summer of 2011 .. August 6 through October 31.

As years passed Dougherty wrote a book entitled To Norma Jeane, with Love.  If the book can be believed, their life on Catalina was at least enjoyable and his antidotes provide the reader with a glimpse into the life of the woman who later became one of the most famous women in the world. He did admit he did not entirely know the woman he married .. "I never knew Marilyn Monroe, I knew and loved Norma Jeane". 

After Dougherty shipped out, Norma Jeane moved back to the San Fernando Valley, got a job with a defense contractor at the Radioplane Munitions Factory, was discovered by a photographer, began modeling and we all know .. the rest of the story! 

The famous picture of Marilyn Monroe laughing as her skirt is blown up by the blast from a subway vent was shot on September 15, 1954 during the filming

of The Seven Year Itch

Marilyn's co-star in the movie was Tom Ewell 

The iconic subway grate dress sold at auction for $4.6 million.

 

Fly the W Flag

The Legacy of the Cubs on Catalina Island 

When war was declared in 1941, the entire country mobilized to fight and that included Catalina Island which became both a training ground and a lookout station for the military.  During the war years, the Cubs stayed closer to home, but as soon as the war was over, spring training returned to Catalina Island.  The fun continued until 1952 when Mesa, Arizona was chosen to become the team's new training ground.

Catalina Island visitors will still find mementos of the golden days when the Cubs played in Avalon. The ballfield where the Cubs used to practice is long gone, but a plaque commemorates its location.

What hasn't dimmed over the years is the love local island residents have for Chicago's team.  Island visitors will see the distinctive Fly the W Flag on local businesses.  In 2016, when the Cubs won the World Series, the cheers echoed throughout Avalon Canyon and Take Me Out to the Ballgame was played on the Catalina Chimes. 

Back in Chicago, the Cubs themselves have never forgotten their roots on the island.  In 2019, Wrigley Field opened three private clubs including the Catalina Club in honor of those many years when the Cubs welcomed spring on Catalina Island. 

When William Wrigley, Jr. purchased the Catalina Island Company in 1919 from the Banning Brothers, he also bought the Wilmington Transportation Company.  The "W" flag was originally flown around Catalina Island and Wrigley Field as an indication of the Wilmington Transportation Co.  Over time, the "W" was raised at Wrigley Field to indicate a "Win" for the Chicago Cubs.  Though the Wilmington Transportation Company no longer exists, the "W" is still flown and is symbolic of Catalina's connection to Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs and to the Wrigley family.

 

A Match Made in Baseball Heaven

In 1916, Wrigley purchased the Chicago Cubs with a group of investors, wholly owning the team by 1925.  The Cubs held their spring training on Catalina Island from 1921-1951 (with the exception of the WWII years).  For 30 years, the Chicago Cubs spent spring training in Avalon (1921-1941 and 1946-1951). 

Wrigley Field West was positioned in a spot where Wrigley could view the team from the Grand Suite at Mt. Ada.  He was known to call down to the manager and have the men run up the hill to Mt. Ada if he didn't think they were practicing hard enough. Wrigley Field West was built to match the dimensions of Chicago's Wrigley Field.  A clubhouse would eventually become the Catalina Island Country Club.  Each February the team would arrive with great fanfare including parades, speeches and live music.  The team would be accompanied by the sports press.  One radio sportscaster by the name of Ronald "Dutch" Reagan covered the Chicago Clubs on Catalina Island.  Wrigley used the Cubs' presence on the island in advertisements: "The Cubs Are Here, You Should Come Too" was a frequent tagline. 

Wrigley Field West

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was a sports announcer between 1932 and 1937.  He's one of four United States presidents who have visited the island.  Warren G. Harding would have been fifth, but he died a week before his trip.  Reagan was hired as a sportscaster early in his career at the rate of $10 a week, eventually making $75 a week as an announcer at WOC, based out of Iowa. In the late 20s/early 30s, accordingtoan inflation estimator, $10 would be equivalent of approximately $146 to $170 in 2019. He was so liked by team members he was often allowed to wear a Cubs uniform and workout with the team.

By the time Reagan was announcing for the Cubs during spring training, he was making $200 a week.  While working in California, this is when Reagan also lined up his debut film role as a radio annnouncer in the 1937 film Love is on the Air.  

If not for the Cubs and Catalina Island, just imagine .. perhaps Ronald Reagan would never have begun his career as an actor?

Catalina Island visitors will still find mementos of the halcyon days when the Cubs played on Catalina Island.  The ballfield where the Cubs used to practice is long gone, but a plaque commemorates its location.  What hasn't dimmed over the years is the love local island residents have for Chicago's team.  Island visitors will see the distinctive Fly the W flag on local businesses such as the Catalina Casino during the season.  

In 2016, when the Cubs won the World Series the cheers echoed throughout Avalon Canyon.  Take Me Out to the Ballgame was played on the Catalina Chimes.  

Located above Avalon Bay, the Catalina Chimes have been tolling on the quarter hour between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. since 1925.  William Wrigley, Jr. and his wife, Ada purchased the Westminster chimes from the Deagan Company of Chicago in 1925 and a Spanish-style structure was built to house the chimes.  The Catalina Chimes Tower was presented as a gift to the town of Avalon by Mrs. Wrigley in hopes to add a bit of character to the island.  

Sadly, only half the 400 or so chimes produced by the Deagan Chime Company are still in operation today.  

Perhaps correspondence with the Deagan Chime Company is due regarding the chimes on Catalina Island.  

 

The Famous NBC Chimes

J.C. Deagan Chimes were used to produce the famous NBC chimes heard for the first time on November 29, 1929.

J.C. Deagan, Inc. is a former musical instrument manufacturing company that developed and produced instruments for the late 19th to mid-20th century.  It was founded in 1880 by John Calhoun Deagan and initially manufactured glockenspiels.  Church bells were revolutionized by Deagan though his design of the NBC chimes were his creation.  

Its former headquarters, the tower of which still bears the company name, is a landmark in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

Jani Eisenhut and Film Crew

In honor of longtime island resident, Jani Eisenhut, the Catalina Museum for Art & History hosted a celebration for her birthday and to debut the fifth film in its Catalina Story Project documentary series.  The premiere was held at the museum's Ackerman Family Amphitheater where attendees enjoyed a screening of the film and a fun-filled evening under the stars.

Catalina Story Project films are created to document life on Catalina Island through the eyes of its longtime residents.  This time around the subject was Jani Eisenhut.  Her story spans from her younger days growing up in the Casino, to driving tour buses on the island, playing the Catalina Tower chimes and so much more.  

The evening included light appetizers, birthday cake and cupcakes and Jani's favorite drinks: Diet Coke and virgin Strawberry Daiquiris.

Jani's parents, Dale and Donna moved to the island in 1947 when Dale was hired as the electrical engineer of the Catalina Casino.  Jani and her two sisters were born on the island and had great experiences growing up in the Casino. 

In 1967, Jani started playing the tower chimes and continued to do so for many years.  Jani graduated from Avalon High School and continued her education at American River Junior College in Sacramento, CA finishing up at Cal State, Fullerton.  Because of her mainland tour bus driving experience, Jani was asked to apply for a job as a Santa Catalina Island Company tour bus driver and drove bus on the island for 26 years!

catalinamuseum.org

 

 

Catalina Chimes Tower

William Wrigley and his wife, Ada purchased the Deagan Westminster chimes from the J.C. Deagan Company of Chicago in December 1925 and a Spanish-style structure was built to house the chimes.  The Catalina Chimes Tower was presented as a gift to the town of Avalon by Mrs. Wrigley. 

It was Mrs. Wrigley's hope the unique sound of the melodic chimes would waft across the town for years to come, bringing joy to all who visited Avalon and add even more charm to the magical island that had captivated she and Mr. Wrigley when they arrived six years earlier as the island's new owners.

The chimes test was attended by Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Deagan and Santa Catalina Island Company General Manager, D.M. Renton who stood across Avalon on the front porch of the Wrigley home, Mt. Ada.  The citizens of Avalon stopped in the streets to enjoy the melodic tones.  The chimes have entertained millions of Avalon residents and visitors ever since. However, after 90 years, while the chimes are in good order and continue to ring on a daily basis, the tower surrounding them has deteriorated due to its advanced age.

The chimes operate on a time mechanism and originally rang out every fifteen minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Through the years the chimes were often taken off the timer when Jani Eisenhut stepped into the tower to play special tunes for Christmas, Easter and other events.  Jani was the only Catalina-born islander allowed to play the chimes. Sometimes Jani played for no other reason than for the sheer joy and love of it. 

In 2013, the board of the Santa Catalina Island Company decided to create a non-profit foundation and deeded the chimes and tower to it.  The newly formed Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation has received many gifts from both local residents and island visitors has made great strides in restoration and continues its fundraising efforts to complete the beautification of the iconic structure and its surroundings including a complete refurbishment of the chimes and mechanism.  

"Every moment is delightful on Catalina and now each time you heara the chimes, you may know you have had another fifteen minutes of joy on the Magic Isle."

Visalia Morning Delta article circa 1926

After contacting the CCTF and receiving a reply from the CCTF Treasurer, Catherine K. Stephens I have learned the current status of the tower and its chimes.  Ms. Stephens correspondence is below:

Hi Pat, We received your inquiry.  We are working with a group out of Ohio, Chimes Master, who work closely with some of the few experts on original Deagan Company of Chicago chimes.  We have spent a few years restoring the structure and are now focusing in on the instrument.  Plans include the restoration of the chimes and mechanism including its 20 strikers, tubular bells and dampers as well as the electrical wiring and wood structure itself.  Our website includes a bit more detail on what this will involve.  All of this is made possible by our generous donors. We hope you can join us, either in person or virtually, for our upcoming fundraiser on 10/7/23.  Link below.  Sincerely, Catherine

onecause.com

catalinachimes.org/restoration

 Avalon Theatre

1 Casino Way, Catalina Island, CA 90704

A truly classic movie palace situated in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. The Avalon Theatre opened on May 29, 1929 with Douglas Fairbanks in The Iron Mask.  It is located in the Catalina Casino built by chewing gum magnet William Wrigley, Jr. and is beneath the casino ballroom.  In the era of the "big bands" the ballroom attracted the likes of Benny Goodman who was the King of Swing.  Goodman played in the ballroom to 2,000 capacity dancers.  The outer lobby of the building has eight 'Atlantis' inspired tiled mural panels, the work of John Gabriel Beckman who decorated the entire Avalon Theatre in atmospheric style.  There are painted murals on the side-walls depicting a noble savage hunting deer with a bow & arrow as a few Francisan monks arrive by galleon surrounded by stylized hillsides.  The rear wall has painted murals of birds and monkeys. 

Above the rounded proscenium arch is a recreation of Botticelli's Birth of Venus while on the safety curtain is painted Flight of fancy Westward depicting a primitive surfer boy riding the crest of a wave superimposed on a map of the island in the background. The silver leaf ceiling is made to glow in shades of pink and violet by colored light hidden behind a low wall surrounding the auditorium.  

The Avalon Theatre organ is equipped with a 4 manual 16 rank theatre organ built by the Page Organ Company of Lima, Ohio.

   

The Avalon Theatre was closed on December 31, 2019 with Dwayne Johnson in Jumanji: The Next Level.  The Santa Catalina Island Company citing "operating costs are too expensive and hinder their 'good business stragegy'.  It will be maintained as a special events facility, occasional screenings of silent movies and for the Catalina Film Festival. Tours of the casino building and the Avalon Theatre are available.  

As a sidenote, there is an online petition to reopen the building which gained over 5,000 signatures in just 4 days!  The petition was launched online in 2019 and is still online. I signed the petition and hope you sign, as well.  Thank you.

https://www.change.org/p/catalina-island-company-don-t-close-our-beautiful-historic-avalon-theatre-on-catalina-island

 

William Wrigley

William Wrigley, Jr. was born in Philadelphia on September 30, 1861.  His family came from English Quakers dating all the way back to the time of William Penn.  At age nine, Wrigley worked at his father's business, a soap manufacturer based in Philadelphia.  He worked at the manufacturing plant, stirring vats of soap. Eventually, he worked for his father as a traveling salesman, selling soap from a horse-drawn wagon.  He would sell soap for the next seventeen year. 

In 1885, Wrigley married Miss Ada Elizabeth Foote of New York City.  Six years later, the Wrigleys moved to Chicago.  With a loan from his uncle, Wrigley established himself as a businessman and again sold soap.  As an incentive for customers to buy his products, Wrigley offered additional goods as bonuses.  These bonus products included baking powder, cookbooks and .. chewing gum!  Wrigley's baking powder started to become more popular than his soap.  He soon switched to baking powder as his main commodity.  Chewing gum was included with every purchase!  Once again, the chewing gum became more popular than the baking powder.  In response, Wrigley focused his business on the production and distribution of chewing gum!  Wrigley would soon become the largest gum manufacturer in the world, establishing multiple gum companies in several countries.  They offered gum in different flavors such as Juicy Fruit, Spearmint and Doublemint.  

Vintage Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Ad 

Circa 1916

  Ann Sheridan Circa 1940s

For a few years, the Wrigleys spent their winters in Altadena, California.  They rented out houses in Southern California to escape the cold winters of Illinois.  They liked the Pasadena area and in 1914 the Wrigleys purchased the twenty-two-room Stimson mansion.  The home built in an Italian Renaissance style was originally built for real estate tycoon, George Stimson.  After the house was built, Stimson sold it to the Wrigleys for $170,000.  The mansion would later serve as the base of operations for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.  

In 1916, Wrigley wanted to build a Turkish bath in his mansion.  His gardener, Albert Conrad suggested a Pasadena contractor and lumber-mill owner named David M. Renton.  After completing the Turkish bath ahead of schedule, Wrigley continued to employ Renton who would go on to build several more additions to the Wrigley mansion.

David Malcolm Renton

Renton was a Canadian-born contractor born on Prince Edward Island, a province of Canada, on February 8, 1878. He immigrated to the United States in 1898.  

David Malcolm Renton (1878-1947) known as "DM" was a builder and business executive in Southern California.  He is best known for his Craftsman style homes in Pasadena and for the construction of the Catalina Casino ballroom and other homes on Catalina Island in the early 1900s. 

Renton was a building contractor in Pasadena who met William Wrigley in 1916.  He went to Catalina Island in 1919 and Wrigley made Renton vice-president and general manager of the Santa Catalina Island Company from 1919-1936.  Renton worked on Wrigley's house in Pasadena and was hired to supervise building projects on the island including installation of a water system, sewer system, diesel electric plant and gas plant among other projects. Renton helped to build the Bird Park, an 18-hole golf course with club house and two Wrigley homes (Mt. Ada and Casa del Monte).  Casa del Monte was built for William Wrigley, Jr.'s son, Philip Knight Wrigley.  D.M. Renton had telephone number 1 in the 1924 Avalon telephone directory.  His residence at 356 Catalina Avenue was telephone number 8. The home sat on the opposite hillside from the Wrigley mansion on Catalina Island. When Renton retired in 1936, he lived at a cattle ranch in Atascadero, California.  He named  it "Rancho Santa Catalina".  He later returned to Pasadena when he became ill and passed at his home on Los Robles Avenue in 1947.  

David M. Renton Catalina Residence

William Wrigley first visited Catalina in February of 1919 and he was soon "bubbling over with enthusiasm regarding the possibilities of making the island one of the world's most famous and attractive resorts".  Due to a 1915 fire in Avalon which destroyed six hotels and several clubs Wrigley realized Avalon needed to be rebuilt and would require a massive construction effort.  Wrigley turned to David M. Renton.  Within two days of Renton's arrival in Catalina, he was preparing to build a hundred houses in Avalon.  The houses were sold by the summertime.  Wrigley trusted Renton with the island by later telling him .. "I believe you have found your life's work on Catalina island.  You have my confidence up to 100 percent".

After acquiring control of Catalina Island, William Wrigley, Jr. started a sprawling advertising campaign. The island's slogan became "In all the world, no trip like this".  He produced booklets, folders, magazine and newspaper ads plus magazine articles in order to attract tourists.  Wrigley's philosophy on advertising were these words ..  

Tell 'em quick and tell 'em often.  You must have a good product in the first place and something people want, for it's easier to row downstream than up.  Explain to folks plainly and sincerely what you have to sell, do it in as few words as possible and keep everlastingly coming at them.  Advertising is pretty much like running a furnace.  You've got to keep on shoveling the coal. Once you stop stoking, the fire goes out".

Wrigley and Pasadena-based contractor, David Renton transformed Santa Catalina Island into a thriving modern paradise as well as one of the most popular vacation spots in the State of California.  The annual visitor count in 1919 was an estimated 90,000 people.  By 1930, the island was seeing an estimated 750,000 visitors each year.

William Wrigley passed at the age of seventy in 1932.  He was at his Phoenix, Arizona mansion when he fell ill.  His body was returned to Pasadena where private services were held at the Wrigley Mansion.  His pallbearers included David Renton.  He was interred in a custom-made sarcophagus within a mausoleum at the head of Avalon Canyon.  Later, his remains were moved to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.  Renton was involved in the building of the mausoleum.

"To have had a part in its construction, a memorial to one of America's greatest men, my friend and chief, is an honor I shall ever cherish".

David Malcolm Renton

 

Mt. Ada

Catalina Island

Mt. Ada was the name of the Wrigley mansion overlooking Avalon Bay on Santa Catalina Island 26 miles off the coast of California.  It was built on the island between 1919 and 1921 for chewing gum magnate, William Wrigley, Jr. for his wife Ada Elizabeth Foote Wrigley (1868-1958) allowing them to escape Chicago's cold winters.  Ada always wanted a home with green shutters so William Wrigley designed the home with green shutters.  

It is estimated the chewing gum tycoon spent $3.5 million to buy the company that controlled Santa Catalina island. Wrigley was instrumental in putting Catalina "on the map" in the early 1900s.  It was Wrigley who had the famous Catalina Casino built and started the Catalina Tile Company.

The word, casino is Italian for "gathering place".  Commissioned by William Wrigley, Jr., the art deco Catalina Casino masterpiece opened in 1929 marking the 10-year anniversary of Wrigley's 1919 purchase of the island.  This historic icon stands as a reminder of the days when many made the 26-mile trip across the sea to enjoy the island casino and to see a movie in the lower level, dinner and dancing to the sounds of the big band music in the world's largest circular ballroom on the upper level during the casino's heyday as the hub of Avalon nightlife.  There has never been gambling at this casino though it has been fully restored and continues to host major events including the annual New Year's Eve celebration, Catalina Conservancy Ball and the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival. The ballroom is available year-round for weddings, private celebrations and corporate events.  

The Catalina Casino Built by David Malcolm Renton

The Georgian Colonial Revival style Mt. Ada Wrigley mansion was built by architect Zachary Taylor Davis, who also designed the Chicago Cub's Wrigley Field.  Six acres atop Mt. Ada was picked as it was the first spot to receive morning sun and the last spot to receive afternoon light before the sun dipped behind the mountains.  The home was built in an "L" shape and around a formal motor court entry on the mountain side and a grand staircase of over 100 steps leading up to the mansion from the ocean side. Workers had to use gunpowder to blast out the rock and level the site before construction. All building materials had to be shipped from the mainland, by barge and labor was not readily available.

The mansion was originally designed using Ada Wrigley's ideas which included three stories, a Turkish bath, a billiard room, an organ chamber and a refrigerator room.  There were six bedrooms, a sun room and an elegant terraced porch.  Mrs. Wrigley was fond of succulents/cactus and had the garden planted with a number of unique species.  Upon Ada's passing at the Wrigley Mansion in Pasadena the Catalina home was opened to the public for tours.  In 1978, it was donated to the University of Southern California.  It was refurbished and rented out as a conference center while continuing to give tours to benefit the Marine Science Center based out of the Two Harbors section of Catalina.  Since 1985, the Wrigley mansion has been operating as a inn.  Guests can rent a room for $1,000 an evening and have a nightcap in the billiard room where the rich and famous once shot pool.  

Mt. Ada was added to the National Register of Historic Places August 15, 1985 and is the southernmost LA County landmark.  Since 1985, after a million-dollar restoration by Warkentin Cox Architects of Costa Mesa, California it has become a luxury hotel by the name of  The Inn on Mt. Ada. Catalina Island's only Forbes Travel Guide 4-star hotel.  

The Inn on Mt. Ada

William Wrigley, Jr. was a mass-marketing genius and the undisputed chewing gum industrialist of the early 20th century. He founded the Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Company in 1891. By the time of his passing in 1932 at his Phoenix, Arizona home, Wrigley products were generating $75 million in sales! Wrigley wasn't only the emperor of gum he was the director of a Chicago bank, he bought hotels, he held mining interests and he owned the Chicago Cubs.  His fortunes built the famous Wrigley building skyscraper and Wrigley Field in Chicago.  For those on Catalina Island, the Wrigley name will forever be associated with the beautiful island purchased sight-unseen by Wrigley in 1919.

Previous owners attempted to make Catalina into a destination until the Wrigley money started pouring in! Wrigley built the island's critical infrastructure by creating reservoirs and piping in fresh water to support the growing population.  Wrigley donated land for schools, funded a local quarry for building materials and upgraded the ships that ferried visitors from the mainland.  Much of the great architecture and landscaping that would define Avalon's look and feel was sponsored by Wrigley and his family in the 1920s and 1930s.  Wrigley's son, Philip Knight Wrigley (1894-1977) worked with local business owners to turn the Avalon waterfront into a bustling commerical district.  In short, the Wrigley's developed Catalina into the idyllic vacation haven it is today.  Philip was an American chewing gum manufacturer and Major League baseball executive, inheriting both of those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William.  His son was William Wrigley III. William and Ada Wrigley had a daughter, Dorothy Ada Wrigley Offield (1886-1979). A son, Hiram A. Miller Wrigley (1892-1892) was born to the Wrigleys though passed at age five weeks.

There were two ways of reaching Mt. Ada .. by golf cart or by walking. To see Mt. Ada by foot involved a 350 foot steep hillside climb though very much worth the climb as the view was breathtaking! So much so, on a clear day while taking in a view of the Pacific Ocean one could see all the way to the City of Angeles .. Los Angeles!  The island with its roaming bison and deer, mountains, canyons and inlets is about an hour's ferry ride today from Long Beach, the coastal city in Los Angeles County.  Today a Catalina Trolley is provided to reach The Inn at Mt. Ada.

The Wrigley mansion on Catalina Island was referred to as their "summer cottage" and was one of several homes owned by the Wrigley family.  They bought a grand renaissance-style home in Chicago in 1911 and commissioned a "winter cottage" in Phoenix, Arizona. The Italian Renaissance style Wrigley mansion in Pasadena, California with its formal garden was built in 1906 and given to the Tournament of Roses as its official headquarters. 

Ada Wrigley's Mt. Ada was where two generations of Wrigleys spent their summers watching over the hoi polloi (common people).  They welcomed and entertained dignitaries and guests from around the world including United States Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.  In the 1920s even the Prince of Wales who later became the Duke of Windsor was a guest of the Wrigleys. The Windsor Room was reserved for the Wrigley's special guests and was situated at the corner of the mansion offering a wrap-around view of both the bay and the Pacific Ocean.  The home had a Grand Suite with an expansive private balcony overlooking the former site of the Cubs Spring Training facility in Avalon Canyon. This was Mr. Wrigley's bedroom with views overlooking the former site of the Cubs spring training facility in Avalon Canyon.  The Queen's Aviary was Mrs. Wrigley's suite with commanding views.  Other guest rooms were named Bethany Glen, Morning Glory and Garden Porch.  The Garden Porch was a classic "sleeping porch.  

William Wrigley first visited Catalina in February of 1919.  He was soon "bubbling over with enthusiasm regarding the possibilities of making the island one of the world's most famous and attractive resorts".  Due to a 1915 fire in Avalon which destroyed six hotels and several clubs Wrigley realized Avalon needed to be rebuilt and would require a massive construction effort.  Wrigley turned to a man by the name of David M. Renton.  Within two days of Renton's arrival in Catalina, he was preparing to build a hundred houses in Avalon.  The houses were all sold by summertime.  Wrigley trusted Renton with the island by later telling him .. "I believe you have found your life's work on Catalina island.  You have my confidence up to 100 percent". 

 

When one thinks of Concord grapes one thinks of glasses of dark purple juice and perhaps the only type of jelly that should ever go on bread.  What is it about Concords that makes them the most recognizable jelly in the United States and the grape juice most people drink?

From its humble New England beginnings to its rise in prominence, the Concord grape has had a unique journey to recognition.  This beautiful purple grape is an American as apple pie and its story is uniquely tied to U.S. history.

Grapes have been cultivated since 1,000 BC.  The majority of grapes got their origin in the Mediterranean though not the Concord grape.  The Concord grape got its start from a wild grape that was native to New England.  Ephraim Wales Bull took 20,000 native grapes and cultivated them until he developed what he found to be the perfect grape.  The Concord gets its name from Concord, Massachusetts where Ephraim successfully developed this grape in 1854.  The Welch's Grape Juice Company is now headquartered in Concord, Massachusetts after being headquartered in Westfield NY for many years. 

In 1865, dentist and Methodist minister, Dr. Thomas Welch was experimenting in his kitchen trying to find a way to keep grape juice from fermenting and turning into wine.  He believed that wine was inappropriate for communion because it could cause intoxication.  He and his family gathered 40 pounds of Concord grapes they had grown, made them into juice, sealed them with wax and boiled the bottles. This method based on Louis Pasteur's work successfully prevented fermenting yeast to form in the bottles.  It was used at the Methodist church for the Sacrament and orders soon began coming in.  Dr. Welch soon began producing 300 tons of grapes. Welch's was founded in 1869. Today there are 1,000 employees.  Trevor Bynum is Welch's President and CEO. 

Welch's again made innovation with grapes in 1918.  This time under the direction of Thomas Welch's son, Charles.  The jelly we are familiar with today was introduced as war rations.  It was called Grapelade and the American soliders loved it so much they were clamoring for it when they returned from the front lines. Welch's Concord Grape Jelly was released commercially in 1923.  The introduction of peanut butter into soldier's rations in WWII cemented the Concord grapes' place in our hearts and on our sandwiches.  

Ask the Fountain Man for a Grapelade Sundae

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich made its first appearance at the time and the rest is history!

Tis the Season

Concord and Niagara, the major grape varieties used to make the juice and jelly are harvested beginning in early September for Niagara followed by Concord in the middle of September.  Harvest for these varieties is wrapped up by the end of October. Unlike other fruits, once the grapes are cut from the vine, they will not ripen any further.  Grapes don't require direct sunlight to ripen and to develop good color.  

Behind the greatness of Welch's lies over 700 American farming families who cultivate  the mighty Concord grape in the Fall season.  The result is not just delicious juices, jellies and spreads, but a difference you can taste.