Chapter 14 The Southwest Border Area

As mentioned before, the island receives minimal rain, only 12 inches per year on averge, and is a semi-desert climate. Catalina Island is located within the Southwest Border Area and has a historical record that is congruent to the geographical area itself. With tricultural influences, including that of California Native peoples, the Tongva, who migrated from the Great Basin and were Shono speakers, the Spanish and later Mexicans, and finally those of European decent, all formed the initial foundation of socio-economic and cultural impacts on Catalina Island.
     The Tongva, which means "people of the earth" in their own language,  would use plank canoes made from washed up redwood trees from Northern California and would trade with the mainland Native peoples. The first European who "discovered" Catalina was Juan Cabrillo in 1542 and claimed it for the King of Spain and called it 'San Salvador.' Later, Russian sea otter hunters came and subsequently wiped out the Natives with diseases and sent the rest to the Gabrielinl missions on the mainland. Mexico took over in 1820 and smugglers use Catalina to stash their booty and goods for trading and avoiding Mexico's tariffs which were quite high.
     A succession of owners after the United States laid claim to the island in 1850, ranchers and miners occupied it, and Union soldiers during the Civil War built barracks to house 'renegade' Indians. In the late 19th Century, the George Shatto built a pier and the Hotel Metropole in Avalon and develped a tourist trade with the Banning brothers who ran steamships to and from the mainland. The Bannings then sold it to the Wrigley family, after which it became a set for Hollywood movies and getaway place for the stars.
     The population is primarily White and Latino within a  fairly consistent

population for years:   

Historical Population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	586		—
1930	1,897		223.7%
1940	1,037		−45.3%
1950	1,506		45.2%
1960	1,536		2.0%
1970	1,520		−1.0%
1980	2,022		33.0%
1990	2,918		44.3%
2000	3,127		7.2%
2010	3,728		19.2%



http://www.catalinachamber.com/images/Photos/High/Casino_7020.jpg
Catalina Island Casino Building in Avalon