Description: In 1795, the state of New York acquired Oyster Island, now known as Ellis Island, and built a defensive structure called “Fort Gibson”, in honor of Colonel James Gibson, who lost his life in the siege on Fort Erie. However, the ownership of the island was disputed, and legislation was passed to acquire it through condemnation in 1807. The following year, the issue was settled by the Federal Government when it purchased the island for strategic purposes. Following the sale of Ellis Island, the War Department constructed a twenty-gun battery, a magazine, and a barracks. Although the fort did not see combat during the War of 1812, it was used as a garrison and housed prisoners of war during the conflict. In 1861, the fort was dismantled, and was replaced by a naval magazine. During the Civil War, the island served as an ammunition supply depot for Union forces. In 1890, the island was selected to become a new immigration station, which resulted in its munitions being removed in order to make way for the construction of the immigration facility. From 1939 to 1946, a temporary Coast Guard training station was established in the immigrant building on the island during the Second World War.