▁New ▁York ▁City ▁bor ough ▁of ▁St aten ▁Island . ▁It ▁lies ▁immediately ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Tra vis - Ch else a ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁Bull s ▁Head . ▁Pr all ' s ▁Island ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁the ▁Arthur ▁Kill ▁off ▁its ▁coast . ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁named ▁D ani ell ' s ▁Ne ck ▁when ▁first ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁it ▁was ▁later ▁called ▁Mer rell ▁Town ▁after ▁a ▁local ▁far mer . ▁ ▁Its ▁present ▁name ▁first ▁appeared ▁on ▁a ▁local ▁map ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁very ▁few ▁people ▁actually ▁res ided ▁in ▁Blo om field , ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁land ▁being ▁used ▁by ▁construction ▁companies ▁to ▁store ▁heavy ▁equipment , ▁such ▁as ▁c ement ▁mix ers . ▁ ▁A ▁large ▁oil ▁storage ▁terminal ▁maintained ▁by ▁G ulf ▁O il ▁could ▁also ▁once ▁be ▁found ▁there , ▁leading ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁service ▁roads ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁Sh ore ▁Express way ▁receiving ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁G ulf ▁Avenue ; ▁the ▁ ▁terminal ▁( built ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ), ▁which ▁hous ed ▁ 8 2 ▁t anks ▁having ▁a ▁total ▁capacity ▁of ▁ 2 1 5 ▁million ▁US ▁gall ons ▁( ), ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁t anks ▁have ▁since ▁been ▁demol ished . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁during ▁a