Before it was made the first station of Federal Immigration in 1890, Ellis Island was known as Oyster Island owing to its abundant oyster beds. From a sandy island, it was slowly developed from a hanging site for pirates to an ammunition depot, before finally being converted into an immigration station. Today, it is the site for the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration, which documents the inspection processes that immigrants faced when entering New York since its pioneer year in 1892. A fun fact: it is said that about 40% of the current U.S. citizens can trace at least one ancestor back to Ellis Island!