Petty Island facts for kids
Petty Island is a large island in the Delaware River, which creates the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the United States. The island is about 292 acres (1.18 square kilometers) in size. You can see it from both the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge, as it sits between the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Petty Island is the fourth-largest island in the Delaware River. It is officially part of Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. In 2019, the State of New Jersey announced plans to buy the island from its owner, Citgo, and turn it into a nature preserve.
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The Story of Petty Island
Petty Island has had many names over time. The local Lenape people called it "Shackamaxon Island." A Swedish explorer named Peter Lindestrom called it "Aquikanasara" in 1654. It was also known as "Treaty Island," likely because of the Penn Treaty that happened nearby.
Who Owned the Island?
The island was first bought from local chiefs by Elizabeth Kinsey, a Quaker woman who came from England. Later, William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania, owned the island. The island's current name comes from John Petty, who bought it in 1732.
A Wild Past
In the 1700s and 1800s, Petty Island was known for being a bit wild. People would go there for gambling and duels (fights between two people). Many shipwrecks also happened around the island, and you can still see some of them when the tide is low. In 1851, an Irish immigrant named Ralston Laird moved to Petty Island. He worked as a farm manager and lived there for almost 60 years. People even called him the island's "king"!
Modern Times on Petty Island
In 1971, there was an idea to use Petty Island for a big event like a World's Fair to celebrate America's 200th birthday in 1976. However, these plans did not work out. Today, no one lives on Petty Island. The last house on the island burned down in 1964.
The island used to be owned by Citgo, a company that stored fuel there. Citgo also rented parts of the island to other companies, like Crowley Maritime (a shipping company) until 2018, and Koch Industries, which made asphalt. The western part of the island is still wild and covered in trees.
Plans for the Future
In the early 2000s, people in Pennsauken wanted to develop Petty Island. They hoped to build restaurants and a golf course there. But environmental groups did not like these ideas because a pair of bald eagles lived on the island.
In 2009, Hugo Chávez, who was the president of Venezuela (the country that owned Citgo), said that Venezuela would give the island to New Jersey. The New Jersey Natural Lands Trust now has a special agreement to protect the entire island. The plan is for Citgo to transfer ownership of the island to the Natural Lands Trust by 2022, after they finish cleaning up the island from its past fuel operations. This will help make Petty Island a safe place for nature for many years to come.
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