Petty Island
Encyclopedia
Petty Island is a 292 acres (1.2 km²) 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
.
village of Lenni Lenape, "Aquikanasara" by Swedish explorer Peter Lindestrom in 1654 , and "Treaty Island" likely after Penn Treaty
by the Manderson Family who in 1852 bought most of the land. It was bought from local chiefs by Elizabeth Kinsey, a Quaker who had fled persecution in England. William Penn
owned the island after Kinsey; John Petty, its namesake, bought it in 1732. It is thought to be the place where Captain Blackbeard docked his ship when visiting Philadelphia. 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 shipwreck
s 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".
Petty Island is currently uninhabited, the last residential structure having burned down in 1964. It was subject to industrial development in the 20th century, and is owned by Citgo
, which uses the island for fuel storage. There is a crew of approximately 100 Citgo employees who worked on the island. 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. 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. Environmental groups have opposed these measures because of a pair of American Bald Eagles living on the island.
Venezuela
n President Hugo Chávez
announced in April 2009 that the Venezuelan Government (owner of CITGO) will donate the Island to New Jersey for environmental developments. Plans are being finalized for the transition, which will not occur before 2020.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
located in the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
between Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is situated between the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, and can be seen from both the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...
and the Betsy Ross Bridge
Betsy Ross Bridge
The Betsy Ross Bridge is a continuous truss bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was originally planned as the Delair Bridge, after a paralleling vertical lift bridge owned by Pennsylvania Railroad , but was instead named for Betsy Ross, reputed creator...
. It is the fourth-largest island in the Delaware River's path. Petty Island is officially part of Pennsauken Township, New Jersey
Pennsauken Township, New Jersey
Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, USA, and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 35,885....
.
History
Petty Island was called "Shackamaxon Island" after the local ShackamaxonShackamaxon
Shackamaxon or Shakamaxon was a historic village along the Delaware River inhabited by Delaware Indians in North America. It was located within what are now the borders of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
village of Lenni Lenape, "Aquikanasara" by Swedish explorer Peter Lindestrom in 1654 , and "Treaty Island" likely after Penn Treaty
Penn Treaty Park
Penn Treaty Park is a small park on the western bank of the Delaware river, in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Beach Street, just off Delaware Avenue.- Overview :...
by the Manderson Family who in 1852 bought most of the land. It was bought from local chiefs by Elizabeth Kinsey, a Quaker who had fled persecution in England. William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
owned the island after Kinsey; John Petty, its namesake, bought it in 1732. It is thought to be the place where Captain Blackbeard docked his ship when visiting Philadelphia. 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 shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s 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".
Petty Island is currently uninhabited, the last residential structure having burned down in 1964. It was subject to industrial development in the 20th century, and is owned by Citgo
Citgo
CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a United States-incorporated, Venezuela-owned refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de...
, which uses the island for fuel storage. There is a crew of approximately 100 Citgo employees who worked on the island. Additionally, Citgo leases portions of the island to Crowley Maritime Co., a company shipping goods to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and Koch Industries, an asphalt manufacturing business. 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. Environmental groups have opposed these measures because of a pair of American Bald Eagles living on the island.
Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
announced in April 2009 that the Venezuelan Government (owner of CITGO) will donate the Island to New Jersey for environmental developments. Plans are being finalized for the transition, which will not occur before 2020.
External links
- Ralston Laird at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...