1879: Fishers Island Becomes
Part of Suffolk County

In 1614, Dutch explorer Adrian Block discovered an island in the Long Island Sound, two miles off Connecticut’s shore. Block is believed to have named the island after a navigator on his ship called Vischers. Around 1640, John Winthrop, Jr., bought Fishers Island from the Indians. After becoming Connecticut’s governor in 1657, he included the 4.1-square-mile island in his state’s royal charter. But in 1664, another charter awarded it to the Duke of York, along with Long Island. For the next two centuries, New York and Connecticut disputed ownership. In 1879, a committee of officials from both states awarded Fishers Island to New York, making it part of Southold Town. Because of the island’s location, however, its approximately 289 year-round residents identify more strongly with Connecticut. Today, Fishers Island is known as an exclusive summer vacation spot. A map of Fishers Island is shown here.