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
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