Petty Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Petty Island (also Pettys Island;[1] but typically spelled "Petty's Island" by area residents) is a 292-acre[2] island located in the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the United States. It is situated between the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey, and can be seen from both the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge. It is the fourth-largest island in the Delaware River's path. Petty Island is officially part of Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.
[edit] History
Petty Island was called "Aquikanasara" by local Lenni Lenape tribes, and "Treaty Island" by early settlers.[3] It was bought from local chiefs by Elizabeth Kinsey, a Quaker who had fled persecution in England.[2] William Penn owned the island after Kinsey; John Petty, its namesake, bought it in 1732.[2] It is thought to be the place where Captain Blackbeard docked his ship when visiting Philadelphia.[3] The island was a hotbed for gambling and dueling in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and acquired a reputation for lawlessness and danger; adding to this danger was the large number of shipwrecks which occurred around the island, some of which are still visible at low tide. Ralston Laird, an Irish immigrant, moved to Petty Island in 1851 and became a farm manager there, living on the island for nearly 60 years and eventually being proclaimed its "king".[2]
Petty Island is currently uninhabited, the last residential structure having burned down in 1964.[2] It was subject to industrial development in the 20th century, and is now owned by Citgo, which uses the island for fuel storage. There is a crew of approximately 100 Citgo employees who work on the island.[2] Additionally, Citgo leases portions of the island to Crowley Maritime Co., a company shipping goods to Puerto Rico, and Koch Industries, an asphalt manufacturing business.[2] The western end of the island is undeveloped and forested.
In the 2000s, local politics in Pennsauken turned to Petty Island as a centerpiece for waterfront redevelopment, with residents and politicians hoping to install restaurants and a golf course on the island.[2] Environmental groups have opposed these measures because of a pair of American Bald Eagles living on the island.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Pursuant to an official decision of the Board on Geographic Names of the United States Geological Survey in 1891, the official name is Petty Island; see USGS GNIS: Petty Island
- ^ a b c d e f g h Top N.J. Official Seeking Petty's Island Compromise. March 29, 2006. Accessed September 8, 2007.
- ^ a b Pennsauken History. Accessed September 8, 2007.
- ^ Action Alert. Audubon Wildlife Society. Accessed September 8, 2007.
[edit] External links
