Ellis Island the region. The oyster beds remained 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 eventually obliterated the oyster beds, engulfed one island, and brought the shoreline much closer to the others. During the colonial period, Little Oyster Island was known as Dyre's, then Bucking Island. 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 and merchant possibly from Wales, around
Broomes Island, Maryland branch. After residents contacted US Senator Barbara Mikulski about the proposed closure, the postal service decided against closing the post office. Broomes Island is located near the mouth of St. Leonard Creek, the largest tributary of the Patuxent River entirely inside Calvert County. It is in the vicinity of Broomes Island that several key naval battles were fought during the War of 1812. During the early and mid-20th century, Broomes Island had a substantial oyster canning industry. In recent years most residents of Broomes Island commute to other places for work. Each May, former Maryland State Senator Bernie Fowler has