3. The Many Names of Randall’s and Wards Islands

A 1781 British map of Manhattan. Montresor’s (Wards) and Buchanan’s (Randalls) Islands can be seen on the right, flanking Hell Gate. Image via Wikimedia: public domain

Before European settlers arrived, the Native Americans called Wards Island Tenkenas, which meant “Wild Lands” or “uninhabited place.”

The Islands’ first European names were “Great Barent Island” (for Wards Island) and “Little Barent Island” (for Randall’s Island) after Dutch cowherd Barent Jansen Bloom. Bloom was the overseer of Van Twiller’s farm on Wards Island, where he himself was called “Groot Barent” (Great Barent) or “the Barent of huge proportions.” Other names include “Buchanan’s Island” and “Great Barn Island,” said to be corruptions of Great Barent Island. Later owners, like John Montresor, named the islands after themselves.