Long Point, Santa Catalina Island
Long Point, Santa Catalina Island is “the widest point in the island, 7-1/2 miles. The interest attaching to Long Point, aside from that mentioned is a cave which extends through the point of rocks about 100 feet from its extremity, from side to side.” [May 28, 1936: TI/Avalon.]
Long Point is named as early as April 10, 1867 on a Plat Map of Santa Catalina Island.
The name appears on an 1893 topographical map of “The Island of Santa Catalina in part from the U.S. Coast Geodetic Survey.”
Duncan Gleason notes: “At Long Point there used to be an arch rock that drew many tourists. Several years ago the keystone fell out of the arch at Long Point.”
Empire fishing vessel burned and sank off Long Point, Santa Catalina Island September 17, 1931. Her Japanese crew jumped into the water to escape the flames.
Tiburon (#252472) (1947-1955), 31-ton vessel that stranded after striking a submerged object 6.5 miles from Long Point, Santa Catalina Island on May 23, 1955 [MVUS 1956].
In the News~
May 6, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. J. W. Northrop of Chicago joined the rank of the jewfishers yesterday, going up to Long Point, where a school of the great black bass family was found to have its home. His first strike netted him a 180-pound fish. That did not fill the bill with him and he made another try, taking a shark weighing 186 pounds.”
June 25, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. A wave of excitement swept over the little village of Avalon last evening when a couple of young men who had been at Long Point returned and reported having seen a lot of tuna in that vicinity.”
July 16, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. …The couple had been gathering shells at the beaches about Long Point…”
July 26, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. The acres and acres of tuna which were seen yesterday in the vicinity of Long Point are still there, but feed is so plentiful that they do not care to take the anglers’ bait.”
August 18, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. A formidable looking fish was hung upon the rack at the Avalon boat stand last evening. It was one of the swordfish variety, called the marlinspike… Just beyond Long Point something struck with a bang that indicated a monster was on the line…”
May 3, 1908 [LAT]: “This morning a party with heavy tackle succeeded in corralling a large school of yellowtail off Long Point and landed eight in one hour. Nineteen albacore were also brought to gaff off Seal Rocks.”
August 29, 1916 [TI/Avalon]: “While fishing near Long Point, Mr. M. A. Curren of New York brought to gaff a blue fin tuna weighing 56-1/4 pounds and has since been made an honorary member of the Tuna Club…”
March 12, 1918 [TI/Avalon]: “Long Point—The widest point in the island, eight miles. The interest attaching to Long Point, aside from that mentioned, is a cave which extends through the point of rocks about 100 feet from its extremity, from side to side.”
