The New York skyline from the ferry that takes passengers from Battery Park, New York to The Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
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- Do you want to learn more about your family history?
- Are you keen to solve family mysteries?
- Do you know if any of your ancestors landed at The Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York during 1892 and 1954?
- Would you like to find out?
- Are you curious about their journey across The Atlantic Ocean?
- Would you be interested in seeing a copy of their Passenger Record?
If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, you may be able to connect with your past through The Ellis Island database available at www.ellisisland.org.
Passenger Records revealed that my Nono, Pertro Perri, left Naples, Italy, crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the America and landed at Ellis Island on April 7, 1910 when he was 18.
What is a Passenger Record?
Passenger Records are derived from ship manifests, lists of passengers on board a ship. They can help you learn about your ancestors’ travels across the Atlantic Ocean. The Ellis Island database contains over 25 million Passenger Records and represents a major genealogical resource for those whose ancestors entered North America here.
If you haven’t already read my previous blog “Unlocking Family Mysteries With Ellis Island, New York,” I’d recommend you do so now to gain an overview of Ellis Island.
5 Easy Steps To Access A Passenger Record
- Go to www.ellisisland.org.
- Conduct a free passenger search by filling in the data boxes on the homepage.
- If the person is in their database, you will be given their place of residence, date of arrival at Ellis Island and age.
- You may then select one of the options to access more information: Passenger Record, Ship Manifest and/or Ship Image.
- You will need to register at this point by entering a user name and password. The process, however, is still free.
How Long Will It Take You To Begin Unlocking Your Family Mysteries?
I began my genealogical research about my Nana, Caterina Spagnuolo Adreoli Perri, at www.ellisisland.org. My family knew that Nana had landed at Ellis Island in the early 1900’s but nothing else!
I followed the steps outlined above and found “Caterina Andreoli” on the database immediately. I then selected the Passenger Record and the following table represents what I discovered.
In a very short time, I had found answers to questions that had always stymied my family. Not only did I now have the exact date of Nana Caterina’s arrival at Ellis Island, I now knew the name of her ship of travel. I ordered an image of the America, which I have posted with this blog. The next blog in this series will show you how a Ship Manifest can help solve family mysteries.
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Have you connected with your past? I’d welcome your comments.
The America was built in Italy in 1908. There were 2,650 on board and Nana Caterina was among her 2,400 steerage passengers.
The Ellis Island Museum The entrance to The Ellis Island Museum on Ellis Island in the New York harbour.
Stand in the Registry Room where your ancestors began their inspection process after they landed at Ellis Island.
