In 1865, a 30-acre plot of surplus railway land in the area was purchased by the Imperial Gas Light & Co. in order to establish a new gasworks. However, a decision was made to set up the new works in a different location and so the land was sold on to the Gas Light and Coke Company (separate company). They instead used the land to build a factory town comprising a series of small houses and multi-storey factories and a network of new roads. These roads were given the names of fresh water fish (Dace, Bream, Roach) and, as the local area had been known to residents as "the Island", it eventually became known as Fish Island.
