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
Centre Island, New York Centre Island, New York The Village of Centre Island is a village located within the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. Its population was 410 as of the 2010 census. This village has had a number of notable residents including musician Billy Joel, Academy and Tony Award-winning lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, and political commentator Sean Hannity. Academy Award-winning composer John Barry was a Centre Island resident until his death in 2011. Banker Arthur Goodhart Altschul Sr. was a Centre Island resident who owned the Southerly estate. Centre Island is located along