Immigration Records

This Week’s Free Genealogy Lookups

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Ellis Island: One of the Most Important Places in American History

Ellis Island: One of the Most Important Places in American History

In the history of the United States, few places hold a place as prominent as Ellis Island. Ellis Island was historically the busiest immigrant inspection station in the United States, from its opening in 1892 until it closed in 1954. Ellis Island is located in the upper bay of New York City and is now officially a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Surnames

When discussing Ellis Island for purposes of genealogy, it is important to bring up the types of records that were kept there during its opening. It was not uncommon for surnames to change from the time an individual or family left their point of origin to when they came to American shores through Ellis Island. Surnames may have changed for a large number of different reasons. Family members or heads of households may have opted for different spellings during registration, or even completely different last names altogether, in an attempt to fit in more with the idealized version of America they were entering. Likewise, with the sheer number of immigrants who were coming into the country through Ellis Island on a daily basis, misspellings and other errors on official records could potentially change a family’s surname forever. This was especially true of immigrants who spoke little to no English upon their arrival.

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How I Got My Family Involved In Genealogy Research

How I Got My Family Involved In Genealogy Research

I’ve always been interested in my family’s history. I think it’s fun to look through old records and books and photos to find out where I came from. To me, it’s even a great way to travel through our home state of Virginia. Some genealogical records are online, but there are plenty where you have to head to another city and actually thumb through old records at courthouses and other places.

I think it’s fun, but try telling that to my family. Whenever I would suggest exploring our family history, my wife, Sarah, would say, “Will, I’m not spending my vacation stuck in a dirty, musty basement.” My kids – you can imagine what they said. Most of their protests involved the word “boring.” Driving is boring. Research is boring. Our family is boring. My boys, Mike (the oldest) and Lucas (the youngest) were more concerned about doing cool stuff on vacation, having an adventure. My middle child, Anna – she really hammered on how boring it all would be–and how boring our family is.

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