William Wrigley, Jr. bought 99% of Catalina Island in 1919. He chose the setting for his new home on Mt. Ada (named after his wife, Ada) because it received first sunlight in the morning and the last rays at sunset. The Inn is 350 feet above the town and harbor. The building of the Wrigley's home was started in 1920 and completed in 1921.
Mr. Wrigley also owned the Chicago Cubs professional baseball team, and invited them to hold their spring training on the island. Following Mrs. Wrigley's death, the home was owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company and used as a tourist attraction. In the 1970's, the home was given to the University of Southern California to be used as a conference center. In 1985, the present innkeepers secured a long-term lease of the property and created the successful business known today as The Inn on Mt. Ada.
This book contains the best of the thousands of photographs I did of the Inn on Mt Ada while I was there relaxing with my wife, photographing weddings and judging and exhibiting at the Catalina Festival of Art over a 10 year period.