Immigrating Through the Ellis Island Station

Immigration in this country has been controlled by the federal government since April 18, 1890 but before that immigrants arriving in New York City were process by the New York State officials. This was done at Castle Garden Immigration Depot located in Lower Manhattan. Congress appropriated $ 75,000 in order to build America’s first federal immigration station. Can you guess where that was? How up are you on American History? Well if you said Ellis Island, you are correct. Until the construction of Ellis Island was complete the Barge Office at the Battery was used for immigrant processing.

It took about two years to construct the first station at Ellis Island which opened on January 1, 1892. Amazingly the first day of operation the island saw 700 immigrants pass through and by the end of the first year 450,000 immigrants were processed at the station. The first building construction on Ellis Island was a large three story structure along with outbuildings. It was built of Georgia pine so in June of 1897 when a fire broke out the wood building was burned to the ground. Thankfully no one was injured but unfortunately many immigration records were lost dating back to 1855 since all immigration records were held there. The fire was believed to be caused by faulty wiring so their plans to build a new building were to be fireproof.

Of course we still have immigrants arriving and they still needed a place to be processed so once again the Barge Office was used at the Battery. The new building was built from red brick and limestone trim and opened on December 17, 1900. The building main building and outbuildings took a period of five years to complete. It started in 1897 with the construction of the main building which was completed in 1900. The Kitchen and Laundry building, main powerhouse, and the main hospital building were completed by 1901.

My grandmother told us stories of being in the great hall, as she called it, where everybody ate. Obviously it was the dining room. In doing my research I found the dining room held about 1,000 people. She also spoke of how hard it was to settle down, to find a place to rest, because it was over crowded. So many people she said, children scared and crying, not because of any other reason than they just weren’t comfortable. There were bunk beds for people the men in one area the women and children in another but there weren’t enough blankets to go around. So many different languages yet they all learned to communicate with one another.

When her family left there they took the train and headed for New Jersey but she said others were going far away because they had family in other parts of the country or a hope to find a better future somewhere else. She said it was quite an experience but not one she ever regretted because she got to come here and be an American Citizen. Of course she said this with a heavy broken accent and my grandmother often left off the end of words but we understood her completely. Even my great grandmother who spoke very little if any English, yes or no but other than that I only remember her speaking Italian and yet we understood her and answered her in English.

Immigrants were arriving by way of Ellis Island at the rate of an average of one million per year.  In 1924 the Immigration Act was passed. This act restricted immigration and allowed processing to take place at overseas embassies. From here on out the only immigrates who came through Ellis Island Station were the ones who had problems with their immigration papers, displaced people, and war refugees.

Amazingly there are over 100 million American Citizens who can trace their ancestry to immigrants coming to America by way of Ellis Island. When they arrived at Ellis Island they were asked a series of questions. Of course they were asked their name, but contraire to what the rumors are, officers on Ellis Island didn’t force anyone to take a new name. As a matter of fact they used the passenger list which was given to them by the steamship company who carried them to their final destination of Ellis Island. It is true that there were many names spelled a bit differently due to the pronunciation of certain letters of the alphabet not only in the English language but other languages as well. They were asked how much money they had on them, again for some it was only a few dollars and there was no offer to help them financially when they arrived. No offer for housing and no offer for food stamps because it was important to our government that these immigrants could support themselves without being a burden on society. At that time the average amount the government expected them to arrive with was between $ 18.00 and $ 25.00. There were some who were considered unskilled workers who were returned to their own country because the government had concerns they would be unable to find work and become a “public charge.”

As for health problems if they arrived with visible health issues or diseases they were either sent home or held at the island’s hospital for long periods of time. The hospitals on the island saw their fair share of heart break with more than three thousand deaths. People were kept there to be sure they would not infect the American population with whatever illness they may be carrying. There were approximately 2 percent of immigrants who were denied entrance into the United States and sent back to their homeland for different reasons. Some were sent back because of contagious disease, as I said, the government was concerned about the safety of its citizens. Anyone with a criminal background was not admitted and yet today we are willing to open our doors to anyone and get upset when our government wants to vet people and get rid of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, especially those with a criminal record. What a hoot! Even people with disabilities such as, mental illness, physical or lung issues, heart issues, and more were returned home. So just because you made the trip didn’t mean you were able to come into the country.

It wasn’t until after 1924 that Ellis Island became primarily a detention and deportation station. After World War II it was used to hold German merchant mariners and “enemy aliens.” December 1941, Ellis Island housed 279 Japanese, 248 German, and 81 Italians, it was designated as a permanent holding facility and used throughout the war. During this time there were a total of 7,000 Germans, Italians, and Japanese detained there.

Another part it played during WWII was our sick or wounded U.S. soldiers were processed there after returning from the war and it was used as a training base for the U.S. Coast Guard. Still during this time of caring for our sick and wounded soldiers and serving as a training base for our Coast Guard, they still managed to process tens of thousands of immigrants a year but it was a lot less coming in then before the war. In 1950 the Internal Security Act of 1950 was passed. This act barred all members of the communist or fascist organizations from entering the United States.

The first immigrant to pass through the doors of Ellis Island was a 17 year old girl from Cork, Ireland, Annie Moore on January 1, 1892 with her two brothers. They came here to join their parents who had arrived in New York two years before them. Since she was the first one to be processed she received a greeting from officials and a $ 10.00 gold coin. With eyes opened wide she was said it was the largest amount of money she ever had.  In 1954 Ellis Island saw its last person pass through. This was a Norwegian merchant seaman by the name of Arne Peterssen. He was not greeted by officials or offered a gold coin as he entered the United States.

After the closing of Ellis Island the buildings were left to fall into disrepair since it was abandoned. A forgotten part of our history left to rot but on October 15, 1965 Ellis Island became a part of the State of Liberty National Monument and was listed one year later on the National Register of Historic Places. It was time to restore her and bring her back for all to see and explore.

It was going to take a lot of money and fundraising to bring this structure back to life. The budget was $150 million dollars if they wanted to do it right. Political fundraiser Wyatt A. Stewart organized a campaign to raise the funds needed. The work started and the building reopened to the public on September 10, 1990. So much to see there it’s amazing.

The Ellis Island Immigration Museum gives you a peak into the way it was for immigrants of the times. Some of the things you wouldn’t want to miss are the Hearing room, Peak Immigration years, Restoring a Landmark, Treasures from Home, and so much more. While you are there don’t miss the museums library which was named after one of the most famous immigrants to pass through the station, Bob Hope.

One of my favorite things to see on the island is the Wall of Honor located outside the main building. This wall contains only a partial list of immigrants processed on the island. If you know your family came through Ellis Island you can have their name put on the Wall of Honor by making a donation to support the facility. I have to say I cry every time I go there and see the names of my grandparents both maternal and paternal on that wall. It is an amazing feeling especially knowing how proud they were to come here and become American citizens. They have instilled in me so much pride in this country, in my home, and I have them to thank for the foundation they gave our family, for their hard work and dedication to us, and for teaching us how lucky we are for being here in America and having the opportunities we have today.

May God Bless America and restore her to all her glory.