You've got questions about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family history; our experts have the answers.
Q. Were there New York-area ports of entry other
than Ellis Island during the late 1890s and early 1900s?
If so, please provide their identity and how I may contact
them.
A. For New York, Ellis Island was the only port of entry during this time period. If you're having trouble locating someone who supposedly came
through the Port of New York (Ellis Island) on the Ellis Island online
database, it may be simply because the name wasn't transcribed
correctly.
If you still aren't finding the person, try other ports.
Because Ellis Island was so well-known and publicized, many people who
came to America as small children mistakenly believe they came through Ellis
Island. In reality, they may have arrived at another port, such as
Boston or Baltimore. You can search passenger lists on subscription site
Ancestry.com; they're being added to the free
FamilySearch.org.
For more in-depth help finding your ancestors who
immigrated through Ellis Island, download our Ellis
Island Web Guide, just $4 in ShopFamilyTree.com.
Our Family Tree University course Tracing
Immigrants: How to Research Your Family’s American Arrivals can help
you find immigrants through all US ports using a variety of genealogical
resources.