at one time, the island housed a canoe concession, which provided rental canoes and stored private ones. canoe riders often stopped at the nearby remick band shell, which hosted regular concerts from 1950 to 1980. the band shell replaced an earlier facility and provided more amenities for performers and audience members. it was constructed at a cost of $150,000 and was named for resident jerome h. remick, who owned the world's largest music publishing house at the time.