Ellis Island public and the museum partially re-opened on October 28, 2013, after major renovations. 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 Island, Black Tom Island and Ellis Island) were given the name Oyster Islands by the settlers of New Netherland, the first European colony in
US 31–Island Lake Outlet Bridge part of the National Highway System. Island Lake Outlet, also known as the Pine River Channel, was dredged in 1870 to connect Lake Michigan to Lake Charlevoix through Round Lake. A total of five bridges have crossed the channel at this location; the first was a small footbridge built in 1869. The current bridge replaced a swing truss bridge built by the city of Charlevoix in 1901. The US 31–Island Lake Outlet Bridge was designed by the bridge division of the Michigan State Highway Department, led by George M. Foster, and by consulting engineers Haslett and Erdal. Plans were prepared