After the Civil War, the island belonged to several owners, including the city of Norfolk which used it as a place of confinement in the 1900s due to the many contagious diseases that occurred there. Many suffering from small pox and yellow fever were quarantined there.
In the 1920s, the U.S. Shipping Board took over the island and built 18 huge fuel oil storage tanks. Later, the board leased the island to a molasses company (hopefully they didn't use the fuel tanks to store the molasses.)
In the 1940s, ownership of the island passed to the U.S. Navy and a huge expansion took place due to the increased war demand for fuel, oil and gas.
Today, the island is overseen by the Navy, which runs the fuel depot and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
But, the biggest military action took place at this island during the War of 1812. It was the scene of the bloody June 22, 1813, Battle of Craney Island.
--Brock-Perry
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