Interesting, little known fact

[viking33]

Subject: Ellis Island, NY
The place where many thousands of immigrants entered the US, around the early 20th century. My grandparents did so before becoming citizens.
Ellis Island was originally just a small swampy island located in NY harbor, between NY & NJ. Over time it became the repository of the ballast removed from the many sailing ships entering the harbor. It finally became large enough to support buildings and was where the Immigration and Customs Center was built.

It was the only place where people from all over the world set foot on land that actually came from all over the world also.

( I thought this was a really strange and interesting piece of data.)

[mishmish3000]

How interesting!!
My grandmother was supposed to land at Ellis Island, but there was a cholera epidemic going on, so her ship went to Boston instead. When she got off the ship, and was walking to her hotel, she literally bumped into the man who'd become my grandfather. they struck up a conversation, realized they were both Irish... the rest is history.

[BobH]

I had read that before, but it is not one whit less interesting now.

One of the things I have on my bucket list (if ever I return to Gotham City) is to tour the Ellis Island museum and see the view from the crown of the Statue of Liberty. (Alas, at my age and with the physical limitations age imposes, both are unlikely to occur.)

I wonder what percentage of the population is descended from those who came through Ellis Island? I know that a Dutch ancestor was a farmer in New Amsterdam in 1658 and would have missed Ellis Island. Perhaps his ship contributed to it, though.

My surname is Hutchins. I believe my earliest ancestor in America was in the Jamestown colony in the early 1620s . . . near the end of the starving time. I pray that he was not one of those who resorted to cannibalism as has been so much in the news lately.

[mishmish3000]

Bob, you should do it! At least go to the museum! I think that would be so cool. and yes, I know about physical limitations, with arthritis and now a heart issue. But don't let things like that hold you back from doing what you'd really like to do. I try not to.
And I hope none of your relatives were named Hannibal Hutchins! :)

[viking33]

Although I was born and grew up in North Jersey, like many from the area, I never went to either Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty or saw the view from the top of the Empire State building.

The closest I came to the Statue of Liberty was when my brother was married. He charted a huge yacht for a big crowd of relatives and friends and it went down the Hudson River and dropped the hook
( anchored ) right off Liberty Island, where the nuptials were performed at sunset. Very impressive, I must say.
Then the ship steamed all the way around Manhattan, with a band playing and the reception party began! One of the best weddings I've ever attended!

[BobH]

Although I was born and grew up in North Jersey, like many from the area, I never went to either Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty or saw the view from the top of the Empire State building.

The closest I came to the Statue of Liberty was when my brother was married. He charted a huge yacht for a big crowd of relatives and friends and it went down the Hudson River and dropped the hook
( anchored ) right off Liberty Island, where the nuptials were performed at sunset. Very impressive, I must say.
Then the ship steamed all the way around Manhattan, with a band playing and the reception party began! One of the best weddings I've ever attended!

Here's another bit of trivia. What was the name of the island when the Statue of Liberty was built upon it? And, when was the name changed?

Spoiler

Bedloe Island changed to Liberty Island in 1956

[Bigaldoc]

I don't know if this will work, as I haven't used it for some time. Here's a link to some photos I put up on Facebook of collections my three siblings and I have gathered up. Some of the pictures, at the facility, were taken by my brother on his first visit.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 718473000c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Someone please let me know if the link works.)

During the reconstruction/restoration, headed up by Lee Iacocca some years ago, my wife and I made a donation, resulting in my father's name being engraved on the wall.

[GeoffW]

The link worked for me Al.

I was logged into Facebook. I don't know if it would work for somebody who was not.

I see you've dropped a letter from your surname.

[BobH]

Link worked fine for me, Al.

[HansV]

I could view the pictures without being a member of Facebook.

[Bigaldoc]

The link worked for me Al.
I was logged into Facebook. I don't know if it would work for somebody who was not.
I see you've dropped a letter from your surname.

It's supposed to work for non-Facebook users and it seems it does from Bob's post.

The drop of the second "n" was a birth certificate mistake by my county authorities and I didn't discover it until I went to enlist in the Army. I just decided to live with it. ( http://www.alhoffman.org/erroneous_name.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

[mishmish3000]

It worked fine! Thanks for sharing!
Bob and BobH, thanks for sharing too! This is cool, like a little personal history of Ellis Island.

[PaulB]

I enjoyed your link, Al. As I often do with new locations, I 'visited' Hermsdorf using Google Earth, a truly outstanding resource. Unfortunately, there was no Street View for the area but some of the urban landscape photos posted there were spectacular.