Today In History: Ellis Island Closes

Yes, the buildings of Ellis Island speak to us, mainly through the memories of millions upon millions of Americans whose ancestors passed through its halls. Not as renowned architecturally as many other structures, the rich architecture of Ellis Island's Fabulous Castle (as the main building was called nevertheless)

... so impressed Sicilian farm boy Giuseppe Santi Italiano that he would later tell his grandchildren, "If they let the poor into such a gorgeous hall, I knew it was possible to be rich in America."

-- Louis Forsdale, Historical Capsule 158. Architecture Speaks Ellis Island Reopened.

Having operated as an immigration inspection station and detention center in New York Harbor since January 2nd, 1892, Ellis Island processed over twelve million arrivals from foreign lands, until it officially closed on November 12th, 1854. The Immigration Act of 1924 and other laws set strict quotas on the numbers of immigrants to the United States -- aiming to reduce high levels of processing, particularly following the peak of immigration from 1900 until 1915. Although Ellis Island was deployed as a military hospital and Coast Guard facility during the Second World War, it would be declared as surplus federal property -- and one with a reputation for being not only overgrown and neglected, but haunted.  While in use, conditions were known to be crowded, noisy, uncomfortable, exhausting, and scrutinizing -- especially for detainees with medical issues, missing documents, and lack of funds.

Ellis Island was turned over to the National Park Service in 1965. After extensive renovation to the tune of $160 million, its Main Building reopened as a national immigration museum in 1990 -- and is an historic landmark that welcomes roughly two million visitors from around the world each year.

For those wishing to trace their family's arrival in America, ship manifests and records of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island are available through different sources, including : The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Foundation;  the National Park Service Arrival Records Guide; and Family Search, New York Passenger Arrivals List (1892- 1925).

The U.S. Department of State maintains current information on U.S. visas and immigration, with considerations of family-based need; employment; adoption; special immigrants; diversity visas; and other criteria.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• (1924, Apr 13). Ellis Island Chief Eager to Close Gates on Immigrants. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) 
• (1954, Sep 01). Good-By, Ellis Island: Immigration Drops. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Bird, R. S. (1954, Nov 13). Ellis Island Closes, Last Alien Out: Facility Shut After 62 Years. New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962) 
• Ellis Island Ends Alien Processing: Last Detained Person Leaves - Immigrants Cared for in 62 Years. (1954, Nov 13). New York Times (1923-) 
• Ellis Island, 62-Year Entry Point, Closed. (1954, Nov 13). The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959) 
• Buck, P. S. (1954, Nov 16). Plight of Immigrants: Closing of Ellis Island Said to Work Hardship on New Arrivals. New York Times (1923-) 
• Dog Is Stationed on Ellis Island: Barking Sole 'Resident' Repels Unwelcome Callers. (1962, Sep 09). New York Times (1923-) 
• Schumak, M. (1976, May 29). Ellis Island Reopened, Evoking Mixed Memories. New York Times (1923-) 
• Metz, H. M. (1990, Apr 01). Ellis Island, 'Elegant' Ruins and All, Caught in Student Photos: 'You Could Almost Be Lost in Time and Space There.'  New York Times (1923-) 
• Getlin, J. (1993, Oct 03). Reluctant Welcome: They Stepped Off the Boat onto Ellis Island, to Hostile Glares, Discrimination and Blame. In 100 Years, Not Much Has Changed. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 

Tips:

• EdLab. (n.d.). Ellis Island.  New Learning Times. Seen in NY.
• Bial, R. (2009). Ellis Island : Coming to the Land of Liberty. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. Curriculum ; JV6484 .B53 2009.
• Forsdale, L. Historical Capsule 158. Architecture Speaks Ellis Island Reopened. 1990.
• Maestro, B., & Ryan, S. (1996). Coming to America : The Story of Immigration. Scholastic. Juvenile ; JV6450 .M34 1996.
• Roediger, D. R. (2005). Working toward Whiteness : How America’s Immigrants Became White : The Strange Journey from Ellis Island to the Suburbs. BasicBooks. Course Reserves ; E184.A1 R645 2005.
• Rowell, R. (2018). William Williams Documents Ellis Island Immigrants (1st ed.). Essential Library.
  e-book.
  
  

Images:

• The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1910 - 1922) Ellis Island. Historical Postcards of New York City.
• Immigrants Embarking for America. 1931.  Rothman Lantern Slide Collection. Teachers College Digital Collections.
• Poster Image:  Ellis Island 1890-1935. NPS Map. Wikimedia Commons. 

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