after the american civil war (1861–1865), many of the plantations on the island were unable to continue without slave labor, and their owners gradually sold them to wealthy northerners, who mostly held them on speculation. much of the island reverted to wilderness and was used mainly for hunting, trapping, fishing and lumber for several decades. the modena plantation changed hands sixteen more times after the war. in 1927 the property became a private hunting preserve for ralph h. isham, best known for purchasing a collection of james boswell's private papers from baron talbot of malahide and passing them to yale university.