Goose Island is the Chicago River's only island. It was created the 1850s when William Ogden cut a canal between two points in the river to aid barge traffic. Like much of the riverfront, Goose Island was long a major manufacturing center. That industry has declined, but not been eliminated, and the island remains the home of numerous industrial operations. Most notably, a FedEx facility and the Chicago Transit Authority's Material Distribution Center

Goose Island's proximity to trendy neighborhoods led to speculation that it may succumb to loft conversions, but that was laid to rest when Goose Island was designated Chicago's first "Protected Manufacturing District" in 1990.