immigration question
 

someone showed pictures of immigrants coming to America.

Does anyone know what the accommodations were on the ships and how long it took to get here from Europe.I know different ports were different times, but in general. I'm curious as to what they did on the ship all day, and what meals were like and sleeping accommodations. Does anyone know approximate prices of tickets were back then. My grandparents came from Poland in the early 1900's.
thanks for any information anyone has.

Lynnie,

You could start by asking that question on the internet. I am sure there is plenty of info on that there. They will have lots of links to take you further than you ever thought of doing.

Yes, The internet is a very interesting place. Explore. Why wait for someone to do it for you?

an idea on how to go about it? Where do I ask a question like that? Not to familiar with search engines like that.

You may be able to check in Ellis Island and find out what ship they came over on.

This should get you started:

http://www.ohranger.com/ellis-island...ration-journey
http://www.gjenvick.com/Steerage/191...#axzz40IyfLqcx
http://sydaby.eget.net/swe/journey.htm

Usually I go on google, or whatever search engine you prefer, and just start by typing in your question, and see what comes up. Even on pinterest where you said you go a lot.

My husband does a lot of geneology, and he first just started searching the word then since that time, he has all kinds of info going far back into both of our families.

Ellis Island is a good place to research also.

If you go on the Ellis Island web site for a minimal fee they can even tell you what your ancestors had with them for their belongings, including what they packed in their suitcase.

I wish I had asked those questions when my older relatives were still around. We talked about the "old folks" a lot so I have a lot of family info. One thing this questions brought back was what my great grandmother told.... She said on the ship coming over they went three days ahead and two days back with all the storms they encountered. A lot of the passengers were sick all the way over. Gee, sounds like a great trip!! But I am sure glad they made the journey.
Good luck on your searching. Makes me think of doing the same thing...hum!!

You could try going to one of the geneology sites like Ancestry.com or myheritage.com and put in you grandparents names. I know ancestry.com has links to ships records and that should show which ship they were on.

My paternal grandparents had both of their paternal grandfather come over from England in the 1850s to settle in Kansas. I am certain they were crammed in 3rd class steerage as shown in many Titanic movies. Plus going thru Ellis island inspection stations. They were very brave to make the voyage.

Oh WOW, just put in my last name, nothing else and got a whole list of people!! http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-result

Immigration - I am my family's genealogist since the 1970's. I have ancestors from Norway, Germany and my husband's are from Poland. I could send you at least two stories of their experiences thru letters they wrote back to relatives or that someone in the family wrote in local history books. If you have a source to send that info to you I would gladly share. Internet would be a great resource. Karen Joseph, Williamsburg, Iowa

Lynnie, what interesting questions. I just imagine the scenes from Titanic and wonder how bad the conditions were for the "regular, non-rich folks". I love to read for pleasure. You've inspired me to start reading some books about that subject........I'm sure I will discover many stories of heroic, brave and selfless people. Thanks for the question. Nora

I am researching a quilt history book and I find that reading old diaries tells you alot. I go to university libraries that are old, such as state land grant universities for most of my materials. They also have special collections within the larger collection of rare books. There is no problem getting access to them as they are public schools. Each one I have gone to has specific rules and you just need to ask them how to access the books. It really is an eye opener to what people whet through and what they considered "normal".

You might want to try Ancestry.com. They have people who will answer any questions you may have. good luck to you!

My husband uses Ancestry.com and others for his research. There is a lot of good info out there.

My great-aunt wrote it all down. She told how bad the trip was for herself, her parents, her 7 year old brother (my grandfather) and their little brother, age 1 1/2. Most of them were sick most of the time but they did get fed. They brought along the cage with the passenger pigeon. After they landed they had to take a train to Milwaukee Wisconsin. She said the ship was like a hotel compared to that train ride. Dirty, cold steel seats with no food or water.
When they got to Wisconsin, they found some land, but did not have the clothes necessary for the cold weather here. And the cabin was cold and drafty. These were hearty people. Most of their family lived to be more than ninety years old.

Seems all sites lead back to ancestry.com and to really find info it will cost you.

You have to be a member of Ancestry to access their information.

Don't have any information about searching, but just wanted to say that my husband's grandparents, one set from Lithuania and one from Poland, came to America in about that same time frame.

Ancestry does have free weekends quite often. I tried a weekend & got 1-2 wks free trial. Unfortunately, I didn't know many details so couldn't check very far. I did find the draft papers for both grandfathers.

My grandfather (Ole)had two brothers, Otto and John. When they landed at Ellis Island from Sweden, their last name was Olsson. The clerk at the desk said there were too many Olssons on the ship and to pick out a different name, which they did; the name being a name of a very respected gentleman in Varmland, Sweden. I cannot trace anyone we are related to except for those belonging to Otto and John in the whole United States. I love the story. Edie

Many came through BEFORE Ellis Island was the gateway. Most who came from What we now call Poland changed their spelling of their name. Those from "Poland" , Like my great grandparents Were not living in a "State" called Poland. Poland had been Overtaken by the Russians, Germany and others due to their rebellionious ways. Poland was not reinstated as a "State" until the late 1890s and early 1900s. Getting accurate name spelling is a must. Names are NOT spelled like they sound. Case in point Zo-loft-ski is spelled Zulawski. Good luck. Blessed be.

Both of my grandparents came over from Lithuania and my grandfather's last name was Juracius (or similar, DIL has my notebook) and Ellis Island clerk wrote down Yurashus so that is the name he had to use. They settled in Connecticut. My sister did the research and it has been interesting to read.

Lynnie,

Last summer I purchased a cookbook at a local flea market called "The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook". It includes information on Ellis Island and the arrival of Immigrants. It also includes a few letters from Immigrants, as well as family recipes.

You have asked interesting questions. My father-in-law was from Sicily, but I don't ever recall his family talking about how they came here.

A sincere thank you for not only the question asked but also the excellent reply. I have printed the question with links.

My grandfather and his parents came over from Belgium in the early 1900s. Most immigrants came over in steerage as that was the cheapest ticket and all most could afford. Steerage is at the bottom of the boat with no individual rooms. It's an open space used for storage. So people would pick out a spot and try to put up rope or clothesline to mark out a space and get some privacy. Food was horrible, the smell was horrible because there were no provisions usually for people to bath. As the trip went on the air became thick with smoke from people smoking and small lanterns and stoves running on kerosene. Also, being packed in so close together, with people from all ages from babies to the elderly, the atmosphere in steerage was ripe for spreading diseases. In som cased, steerage people could only come on deck at night, as the other passengers did not want to mingle with them. A lot of people died on the the crossing, and those who caught certain diseases were not allowed into the country. they had to stay behind to get better at the hospital and their families had to go on without them. The hope was when they got better they would catch up with the family, if the could. Some ended up being shippped back where the came from. It was not an easy passage.

I wasn't looking for my families history, I was wondering in general.
very interesting facts some of you have relayed to me. I thank you all for your families histories.
Luv quilts and cats, very interesting about the hull of the ship. I doubt people would go through
these hard times now adays. THey were promised streets paved with gold, and got a lot of rocks.
It was interesting to hear from some of you that the 'cruise' only took about 3 weeks. And we
think our mail is slow nowadays. Thank you all for relaying your stories.

I just Googled Origin of name and typed my mother's maiden name and my maiden name. Very interesting. Mostly English on father's side and German on mother's. My cousins are into geneaology and are in clubs andforums. I just contact them with questions.

There is a very interesting book called Coffin Ships which describes some of the conditions immigrants coming from Ireland (to escape the famine) endured in the mid 1800's.
It was very rough indeed and many, many poor souls died en route. But conditions were so dire at home they were willing to risk it.
I realize your ancestors came over later, as did mine, but interesting reading nevertheless.

Sure wish I could have asked my grandmother that...she was the only grandparent living when I was born. But she didn't speak Englisk, and I was young enough when she died that it wouldn't have occurred to me to ask her. My parents never shared that information. 😢

On my mother's side I have German decent, and on my father's side Irish. My maternal grand mother's maiden name was Oxier. I haven't heard that name around outside of my family. My maiden name is Tompkins, but many want to spell it like Thompson with an h after the T, but there is no h in it.

Many names changed in spellings due to however some one interpreted the name through out time.

My gramps was a cabin boy on a sailing ship, from Scotland he sailed around the horn and past san Francisco in. 1905 the year before the earthquake, he jumped ship in Portland oregon he was twelve years old

Family histories are so interesting......wish I, too, had asked questions of family members who had came over...lost forever information..

Re ancestrycom. Someone said if you go to the library you can use their account...don't know if that true, haven't tried it.

You can see that a lot of people don't read the replies or remember what the OP wanted.
I forgot to say that the trip for my great-grandparents and their three children took 16 days on the ship. They had missed the Cimbria, the boat on which they were suppose to sail. It had left port the day before they arrived so they had to wait three days for the next steamer, the Amerika, and live at a hotel till then--"a heavy drain on our purse." Later, when they were in Wisconsin, they learned that the Cimbria had gone down in the storm. Their relatives back in Germany thought they were on that ship, and were now lost.

I will quote some of Aunt Annie's writings.
"I recall the boarding of that ship--walking up the plank bridge, holding tight to mother's skirt with one hand, carrying in the other a little box cage containing a pair of carrier pigeons which my father had entrusted to me, and which he meant to take to his new home somewhere in the primeval forests of northern Wisconsin.
I can recall the stormy voyage. Our bunk was near the stairs heading to the deck. For three days we were not allowed to go on deck. The iron trap door kept us imprisoned while the big ship rocked from side to side, spilling our oatmeal gruel and unpeeled potatoes which two sailors brought down in a big canteen to feed the people in the hold. Most people were sick, and so were we.
On the 16th day of this stormy voyage, the good ship brought us to Baltimore harbor. There we boarded the "Immigrant Train" for the West. The car was a dirty thing. The seats were of tin, dirty and cold. It took three days to reach Milwaukee--three days of hunger and thirst with only oranges for sale. Then we remembered the ship as a very good friend that provided ample good food in the form of wheat bread, oatmeal, potatoes, and often some salt herring or meat. When we reached Milwaukee, a hack brought us to a hotel where we got something to eat and a room to sleep in one night. Next day a horse streetcar, running on wooden rails brought us to a train headed for northern Wisconsin."
The rest of the story tells about their trip north and how they found a fertile farm with a drafty cabin and spent a very cold winter with very few provisions and poor clothing for this climate.
Aunt Annie started teaching school at 16 years of age and had to walk through the woods to get to the school. Later she went to college and taught German in high school until 1918 when she lost that job because they no longer wanted German taught.
I hope you enjoy this story.

I think the Refugees from Syria who have been bombed out of their homes and are often walking hundreds of miles with very few possessions could relate. Especially those who are getting into dodgy boats to cross the Mediterranean with the few possessions they can carry.

I find the movement of people around the world to be fascinating, but often heartbreaking. Since the late 70's there have been the Vietnamese Boat People, European refugees from Serbia and Kosovo, Rwandan refugees fleeing genocide, while the world looked on, and now millions of people in Syria being displaced by war.

My cousin's family is Japanese and they were forced from their home during WW11 in Canada. Forcibly moved hundreds of miles away.

For the most part my family has been lucky, they have moved around the world by choice, not due to war, genocide or economic necessity.