The chicle boom continued up until the Great Depression of the 1930s when it collapsed as a result of the general economic malaise and the development of synthetic substitutes for chewing gum base. (ambergrisCaye.com)
Fun fact: Most modern gum is made with a synthetic gum base; Glee Gum uses chicle, a tree sap harvested sustainably from the rainforest of Central America. (kimbertonwholefoods.com)