Ellis Island

Our Ferry trip took us to Ellis Island. For those of you who don't know what Ellis Island is, it's were all the Immigrants loaded off ships, and checked before they could enter in to the U.S.A. I have a little history piece at the end of this post. But we loved the museum, it had tons of old passports, pictures, bags, old clothes (my favorite) and etc... They also had an area were you could look up your ancestors and see if they checked in on Ellis when they came over to the U.S.A, they also had pictures. You can also do it online at Ellisisland .com One thing is that we made the mistake in taking the kids, that was a hard job trying to keep them from getting lost, of ruining things.









"Ellis Island Immigration Station

Ellis Island, off the New Jersey shoreline in upper New York Bay and in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, was the principal federal immigration station in the United States after its opening in 1892. The original building, destroyed by fire in 1897 pro cessed some 15,000,000 immigrants. A new inspection station was opened on the island in 1900 with the completion of the massive French Renaissance style main building. During the next half century the original 3 acre island was enlarged several times with landfill to encompass 27.5 acres. Additional structures, including a general and contagious disease hospital, were built to provide facilities for the administration of immigration laws in processing incoming aliens.

Between 1900 and 1914 immigration was at a flood tide. Ellis Island administrators and staff, through herculean efforts, processed some 5,000 - 7,000 people daily and up to 11,747 on one record day in 1907. All told it is estimated that some 12 - 17 milli on Immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island before it closed in 1954.
Ellis Island

Immigration declined sharply with the passage of the immigration restriction laws in the early 1920's. Thereafter, only those immigrants whose status in this country was questioned, whose papers were not in order, or who required medical treatment were se nt to Ellis Island. The facilities were increasingly used as a detention center for those who entered the United States illegally or violated the terms of their admittance.

The Ellis Island Immigration Museum tells the inspiring story of the largest human migration in modem history and is a memorial to the immigrant experience."
(I took this from the Liberty State Parks website)