Incredible Photos Of Immigrants Arriving At Ellis Island

Oyster Island

Before Ellis Island became a port of entry for so many new Americans, it was just a small island that no one really cared about. A tribe of Mohegan Indians lived nearby and knew the island as “Kioshk” or “Gull Island.” In the 17th century, a Dutchman named Michael Paauw purchased the land and renamed it Oyster Island because of the shellfish found on the beach. In the 1700s it earned the nickname Gibbet Island, in reference to the gibbet (also known as a gallows tree) which was used to hang convicted pirates. Quite a bloodthirsty history for an island that would later become known for its welcoming shores!