Ellis Island

USA / New Jersey / Jersey City /
 island, place with historical importance, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places
www.nps.gov/elis/

Originally much of the west shore of Upper New York Bay consisted of large tidal flats which hosted vast oyster banks, a major source of food for the Lenape population who lived in the area prior to the arrival of Dutch settlers. There were several islands which were not completely submerged at high tide. Three of them (later to be known as Liberty, Black Tom and Ellis) were given the name Oyster Islands by the settlers of New Netherland, the first European colony in the Mid-Atlantic states. The oyster beds would remain a major source of food for nearly three centuries. Landfilling to build the railyards of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey would eventually obliterate the beds, engulf one island and bring the shoreline much closer to the others. During the Colonial period Little Oyster Island was known as Dyre's, then Bucking. In the 1760s, after some pirates were hanged from one of the island's scrubby trees, it became known as Gibbet Island. It was acquired by Samuel Ellis, a colonial New Yorker possibly from Wales, around the time of the American Revolution. Samuel Ellis advertising in Loudon's New York-Packet, January 20, 1785 New York State leased the island in 1794 and started to fortify it in 1795. Ownership was in question and legislation was passed for acquisition by condemnation in 1807 and then ceded to the United States in 1808. Shortly thereafter the War Department established a twenty-gun battery, magazine, and barracks. From 1808 until 1814 it was a federal arsenal. At the end of the War of 1812, Fort Gibson was and remained a military post for nearly 80 years.before it was selected to be a federal immigration station. The buildings were damaged by the Black Tom ammunition explosion in 1916 due to German sabotage during World War I.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8bPDdNRoxc
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_island
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°41'55"N   74°2'26"W

Comments

  • Part of Ellis Island is New Jersey's, part is New York's. Check the Wikipedia link for an explanation.
  • Ellis island is a beautiful place.there are many flowering plants and others. for more information ,search the internet
  • Help save Ellis Island http://www.weareellisisland.org/ Ellis Island, the great national landmark and irreplaceable American icon, is in dire need of repair and your help. From 1892 to 1954, the island served as a gateway into the United States for over 12 million people from all over the world. Today nearly 40% of all Americans can trace their roots to Ellis Island. In 1954, the island was closed but not protected from the elements of weather. In the 1990's, the main building was renovated and reopened as a museum, but much of the historic site still remains closed to the public.
  • The island's ground was actually a landfill for New Jersey, that is why New Jersey claims it is part of their state.
  • Meredith Monk's brilliant film "Ellis Island" is now available on DVD.
  • There is a good maître-d'hôtel at the local restaurant who serves purée as an entrée and gâteaux as dessert.
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