In the decades following the War of 1812, Fort Gibson continued to be used as a military installation. Large magazines were built to store explosive black powder, which was too unstable to be kept at the Navy Yard in Brooklyn. During the Civil War, the fort's importance in guarding the approaches to New York Harbor again became critical. Twelve new cannons were installed and 120 army and navy personnel were garrisoned here.
After the war, stories about the 10,000 pounds of explosive powder stored on Ellis Island appeared in the popular Harper's Weekly magazine and the New York daily newspapers. These accounts alarmed the local populace, who were afraid that an explosion would destroy parts of Brooklyn, New York City, Staten Island and Jersey City. Protests against this hazard occurred sporadically during the next twenty years. Finally, the need of a new immigration station became an occasion for removing the "imminent peril" from Ellis Island. In 1891, the first immigration building rose on the site of the old battery.
Comments 0 comments