The island has historically been a popular location for sightseeing and picnicking.[1] In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the island featured a small resort with a two-story inn and a bowling alley.[2] Trains from Syracuse would deliver passengers to steamboats that made regular trips the island, where visitors would find "boating, sailing, fishing, bathing, tennis, croquet, base-ball and good music."[11]