Harbor Defenses of New York later became known as the first system of US seacoast fortifications. In New York this was initially limited to the large Fort Jay on Governors Island, along with some small batteries on Oyster Island (later Ellis Island) and Bedloe's Island (later Liberty Island). These were simple earthworks at the time. Congress contributed to building Fort Jay in 1797, and in 1800 the state sold the fort, Governors Island, and Bedloe's Island to the federal government for one dollar. Oyster Island was similarly transferred in 1808. The federal government commenced building improved stone forts at all three locations. In June 1807,
Ellis Island Honors Society Ellis Island Honors Society The Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) (formerly known as National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) until Fall of 2017) was founded by William Denis Fugazy Sr., a transportation magnate from New York City, in 1986, in order to protest the awarding of “medals of liberty” to a group of 12 recent immigrants that included a Chinese-born architect, a Costa Rica-born astronaut, a leading expert on the psychology of race, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, but no “Irish, Italian, or Polish” people. Currently the organization is led by Chairman Nasser J. Kazeminy. Lee Iacocca, who