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
Council Rock (Oyster Bay, New York) detail in his Journal, later published after his death. An excerpt from this follows: Then we crossed the Sound, all very wet, and much difficulty we had to get to land, the wind being strong against us. But blessed be the Lord God of heaven and earth, and of the seas and waters, all was well. We got safe to Oyster-bay, in Long-Island, the seventh of the sixth month (1672) , very early in the morning, which, they say, is about two hundred miles from Rhode-Island. At Oyster-bay we had a very large meeting... From Oyster-bay, we passed about thirty