The first bridge was built on this location so that fishing boats would have a safer passage home if they fished north of Gloucester. Now it is the source of long delays to summertime motorists who must wait for boat traffic to pass under the draw bridge. Early settlers bought the island from the Indians for ten British pounds. In the early days, the settlers let sheep graze on the island. There was room for 10 paddocks or 'pounds' on the island.
Nobody knows the real story for sure, but both seem reasonable.
After the Coast Guard vacated the island, it was used for a fish hatchery. This granite breakwater covers a dangerous reef known as Dog Bar. The auxiliary light at the end of the wall had to be turned on nightly by the keeper by hand - often a challenging feat if seas were crashing over the breakwater. The breakwater is about mile long and made up of heavy granite slabs from Rockport each weighing 12 to 13 tons. Open for the public, it is a popular spot for fishing and walking.