Plum Island is a 840-acre island, located off the coast of New York. The entire island was bought by the United States Government in 1899, after the Spanish American War. Plum Island was not developed into the Animal Disease Center that it is known as today, until 1954, by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Neighboring the eastern end of Long Island, in Gardiners Bay; plum island may seem like quite the vacation spot, but it is far from it. It is not represented on some maps, and those maps that show it, identify it as restricted and government owned. The island is approximately 3 miles long and 1-mile wide, at the widest section. Presently, the island is owned by The United States Government. More specifically, The United States Department of Homeland Security. They control all access to the Island, therefore strict regulations are place.
Plum Island made its first appearance on a Dutch Map in 1640. The Dutch named it, Pruym Eyelant (Plum Island); because of the beach plums which grow on the shores. Adriaen Block was working for Dutch West India Company, and is assumed to have originally charted Plum Island in 1614. Before the island was on any map, it was known to the…show more content… There is a high level of controversy surrounding Plum Island, mostly because of the level of secrecy and control kept over it. When the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) took over the island, the conspiracy theorists had a field day, with the already targeted island. Lab 257 is a name used to insinuate the controversial aspect of Plum Island, and the possibility of biological warfare research. The United States Government stays loyal to the lab being used solely for animal borne disease research, but there are several incidences that lead people to believe