The Town of Greenwich acquired the island through foreclosure and sold the property to Port-Green Corporation. Opening in 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression, it soon was closed. In 1926, the rest of the island was sold to a developer who built and opened an exclusive clubhouse on the site. The lighthouse keepers and their families farmed on the tract of land and the other areas of the island were used for hunting, fishing and recreational use. The states of New York and Connecticut both claimed the island in the 19th century but, after 50 years, a commission resolved the dispute in favor of Connecticut. In 1829, the federal government purchased 3.5 acres of land on the southeast part of Great Captain Island from Samuel Lyons. In 1763, George III granted the island to John Anderson. The Town of Greenwich acknowledges both this and another theory that states that "he "Captain" of the title reportedly memorializes Captain Daniel Patrick, a partner in the first recorded real estate transaction in Greenwich in the 1640s and the town's first military commander." While the treasure has never been found, it is said to be buried near the tide line on the southwestern tip closest to the city Kidd called home. There are two theories for how the island got its name, the first of which is that the island is named after Captain Kidd who was rumored to have buried a treasure of gold and silver on it. It is near many harbors such as Port Chester Harbor History It contains a diversity of rock types- gneiss, schist, granite-with a very large glacial erratic on the southern side." The island's east and west sides are connected by a tombolo, and the southern side has a lagoon that winds its way around the lighthouse. The Town of Greenwich states that the Great Captain Island "is a remnant of a glacial moraine. The island is the southernmost point of land in not only Connecticut, but New England. The 17.2-acre (70,000 m 2) island is the largest of a three-island group that also includes Little Captain and Wee Captain. No public tours of the lighthouse or island are available. The island is open year round, with a ferry running during the summer. Trails have been laid out for visitors, and the western part of the island has picnic tables, grills, restrooms, and posted swimming areas. The town operates a ferry service to and from the island from about the second week in June through the second week of September. Great Captain Island is one of the state's 26 "important bird areas" according to the Connecticut Audubon Society. The actual navigation aid is a skeletal tower erected in 1970. The island is home to the Great Captain Island Light, a 19th-century lighthouse that was restored in 2009 and relit as a non-navigational aid in 2012. The island has had several owners, but has been owned in whole by the Town of Greenwich since 1973. The island is a remnant of a glacial moraine and has a large glacial erratic on the southern side, the island's east and west sides are connected by a tombolo. The 17.2-acre (7.0 ha) island is the largest of a three-island group that also includes Little Captain and Wee Captain. Great Captain Island, also known more familiarly as "Great Captain's Island," is an island off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut.
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