The Great Avalon Fire of 1915

Catalina Island is a popular tourist destination that receives more than a million visitors each year. But the trajectory of the island and its only incorporated town, Avalon, was dramatically changed 109 years ago by a devastating fire, the subject of a still enduring mystery, and possibly a dark secret.

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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.

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Script by THG

#history #thehistoryguy #Catalinaisland

[ziggy]

I came across this channel a little over a month ago. And have become addicted since. The narrator reminds me of another great orator that i was hooked on listening to since I was quite young until my late thirties when he passed. I keep waiting for Mr Geiger to say(and this is the rest of the story). Thank you, Mr Geiger

[rgarizonahomestead]

Our family has had 3 generations that lived on catalina Island from the early 1900 to 1980s. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day

[davidanderson]

I have visited Catalina Island many many times, often staying for a week during the summer times. I was not aware of this disaster. Thank you History Guy !

[MrGaryGG]

I came down from the Bay Area (north of San Francisco) in 2001 with my car club for a car convention in Long Beach. Several of my friends and I took an afternoon boat tour to Catalina and a bus tour of the island, that was included. The bus turned around out at the air strip and we stopped there at the restaurant for a break. I made a couple of phone calls from the parking area since I had some signal on my phone. An older fellow near me wasn't having much luck since he couldn't get a signal. I offered him my phone so he could make his call. We talked a bit when he finished and to my surprise he was Bob Bondurant, the race driver and business man. We kept in contact occasionally after that, when we invited him to join us as the guest speaker at our Car Club Events. That Catalina Island tour turned out to be much more significant than I expected.

[mattgeorge]

Always a great day when an episode comes out on this channel!

[v.e.]

Lived in Huntington Beach during the early 70s and went to Catalina nearly every weekend during the summers, as it was a just 26-29 miles out of Long Beach Harbor and anybody w/ a boat and the desire could get to the island in as little as half an hour by speed boat and about an hour and a half by cruiser. Avalon Bay was THE destination and the big attraction for me was the turnstyle where the seaplanes would land and unload passengers, turn about and take folk back to the mainland. After achieving my private pilot's license I would gleefully make the short fllight as often as my father would allow. Took my high school sweetheart there for our Prom Night dinner and a late night flight over Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Now adays, that area is completely impacted w/ an overburdened suberbia and getting anywhere takes an hour or more due to traffic congestion.

[irishcherokee]

Duke of Catalina is a person who’s history deserves to be remembered. He is a fascinating and colorful character of Catalina Island.

[DavidJamesHenry]

26 miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waiting for me
Santa Catalina, the island of
Romance, romance, romance, romance

[nuclearrabbit]

THG, you should be on a major television network.

[mattcrad]

My daughter and I visited in 2019. While hiking, we were startled by small deer that are descendants of those brought by the wrigleys for hunting. There are also buffalo further inland. Went during winter, so we missed the flying fish. Only wish I had more time to explore the place. I seem to recall an abandoned avaiary. Quite an interesting place.

[mattcolver]

The Wrigley home overlooking Avalon Bay was donated to USC. USC has a property management company run it as a bed and breakfast.
Our family is just the right size to rent out all the rooms and enjoy the Wrigley house without any other guests. The architecture is beautiful, but not too ornate. It's a wonderful piece of property. If you ever get a chance I'd recommend staying there.

[jahyoda]

Worked Construction for the Wrigley's in 2009 in Avalon..Great Job ...Golf Cart Madness

[concerned]

Thank you History Guy. Lived in Los Angeles County all my life and visited Catalina 7 or 8 times for 2 nights or more except once. I was aware of much you said except for this fire in 1915 and the incline cars like Angeles Flight in Los Angeles. So again, thank you, excellently done...

[DanMichaud]

I love going over to Catalina, I've been sailing over to Avalon since the early 1990s! Never knew anything about the fire, & I can only imagine what that resort might have been like?

[squidnoid]

Excellent video, HG ! SoCal native here; been to Avalon several times. Fascinating peek into the early days of “ Wriggly towne “.

[Leskeepingitreal]

My girl scout troop went to Catalina Island as a reward in the 70s had a great time.Thank You for the History of the island and for bringing back fond memories.

[timf]

I have been to Catalina at least a thousand times. What a wonderful place and so many memories for me.

[glencrandall]

I grew up in Long Beach. I lived in Avalon and worked for United Airlines in the summer of 1954. I was just out of high school at the time.🙂🙂

[skyden]

Been to Avalon on Catalina Island a couple of times. Absolutely loved it. The town is quite compact, so an uncontrolled fire could very easily spread through the (relatively) small area of buildings. Obviously, seeing that the 1915 fire has been, more or less, the only major fire incident since the island city's incorporation, fire prevention measures are well implemented throughout. All that aside, when you are at Santa Catalina Island, you truly are transported to a place very separate in not only space (away from the mainland, ) but also, seemingly, of time.

[JesseOaks-efxn]

Avalon was also the title of a song written about the town. There is a lot of history around those islands.