So-named because its southern terminus was once the Catalina Terminal, with steamships departing to the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. The thoroughfare was previously called South Park Ave. in Los Angeles and Canal Ave. in Wilmington; it took its current name in 1926, allegedly at the urging of Catalina’s then-owner William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum magnate. The city of Avalon itself was founded by George and Clara Shatto, who had purchased Catalina from the James Lick estate in August 1887. They christened their new town “Shatto”, but Clara’s sister-in-law Etta Marilla Whitney had a better idea: “Avalon”, after the mythical island of Arthurian legend. By October of that year, Avalon was on the map. Although the Shattos only held on to Catalina for a short time, owing to financial snafus (it went back to the Lick estate, then the Banning family bought it in 1892), they were the first to develop the island as a holiday destination. They even established Avalon’s Hotel Metropole, which still exists, albeit in a newer building.
Find it on the map:
