The History of Ellis Island

Since the early 1600s, when the Mohegan people, native to this area, called it Gull Island, the history of Ellis Island has been filled with fascinating stories—about its buildings, the immigrants who arrived, and the people who worked there. The Ellis Island Immigration Station opened on January 1, 1892, and welcomed over 12 million immigrants. Today, nearly 40 percent of Americans can trace at least one ancestor back to Ellis Island.