Meixner Family History #9 - The Journey (Part 4)

On Aug 26, 1881, after what most likely was a very difficult ocean voyage, the Meixner family arrived in New York harbor.  The sight of land was certain to cause excitement throughout the ship.

Harper's Weekly, not dated, Collection of Maggie Land Blanck
The Land of Promise, Drawn by Frank Craig.

At this time in the history of the country it was just 45 years since the fall of the Alamo in Texas and 36 years since Texas became a state in the United States.  It had only been 16 years since the bitterly fought Civil War had ended.  The United States now consisted of 38 states.

Perhaps the family was able to catch a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge (one of the marvels of that time and  now one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S.)  Construction had started in 1867 and was two years from completion but the main structures of the bridge were in place and stretched high about the landscape.

Post card Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
Brooklyn Bridge, New York.

On the day the family was preparing to disembark from the ship President James Garfield lay in gave condition after being shot by an assassin on July 2nd.  He would die on Sep 19th and Chester A. Arthur would become the 21st president.

Finally the family could see land and anticipate the end of this part of their travel.  The ship's captain, in this case Gustav Meyer, was responsible for the ship's manifest listing all the passengers.

First page of the ships passenger list with the date and place of arrival as well as the name of the ship, where it sailed from and the name of the captain.  (Image from Ancestry.com)

This page lists the Meixner family.  If you look real hard you can see the names listed right in the middle of the page.  Four names above the black line running across the page is my great-grand father Franz Meixner, 33, male, butcher (occupation), Austria (country of origin), U.S. of A (country intending to inhabit), steerage (part of ship occupied by passenger on this trip).  The rest of the family follows, Theresia, Franz, Alvisia, Theresia, Antonia, Hermine, and my grand father, Herman Meixner, 2, is listed last.  (Image from Ancestry.com)

The first order of business for ships entering the harbor was to have a doctor certify there were no infectious diseases present among the passengers.  If this was the case the ship was allowed to continue to the city.  The next order of business was for the passengers and their baggage to be transferred from the ship to barges that were brought up along side the ship.  The barges were then towed by steamboats to the pier.

Print Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
Transferring Immigrants from Steamers to the battery.
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Jun 13, 1891.

Google Map of New York Harbor.  Pin point shows location of Castle Garden.

Magazine Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
"Landing Immigrants at Castle Garden", Harper's New Monthly Magazine, June 1884.

Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
Castle Garden.  Photographed by and Published by B.W. Kilburn - Littleton, N.H., 1891.

Castle Garden has an interesting history that you can read about online.  It was made the first official immigration center Aug 1, 1855 and was used until 1890.  Ellis Island, which opened in 1892, replaced Castle Garden and is more widely known today.

Finally the barges are tied at the wharf at Castle Garden.  Then the custom's officials examine passenger's baggage.  Once complete the baggage is sent along.  Passengers are inspected by a medical officer once again for infectious diseases.  Finally they are moved along to the rotunda where they are registered.  

Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
Immigrants Landing at Castle Garden.  Harper's Weekly, May 29, 1880.

Magazine Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
Historic America:  Castle Garden (1890), New York, The Illustrated American, March 1,1890.

If the immigrant is traveling on to other parts of the country agents from the railroad companies show them to the ticket offices and their baggage is conveyed to the train.  There is also a labor bureau attached to Castle Garden.  If the immigrant does not have a place to go or a job in his new country he might go to this location.  Laborer and employer can get together with out cost to either party.  Also, the employer is required to prove his responsibility.  Tens of thousands of immigrants found employment this way.

Print Collection of Maggie Land Blanck.
The Labor Exchange - Emigrants on the Battery in Front of Castle Garden, New York.  Harper's Weekly, August15, 1868.

If all went well the immigrant would be on his way to his new life in America.  However, it didn't always go smoothly.  I have several family accounts of what happened to the family that I need to weave into our story.

Next time the Journey Continues, but things don't go as planned.

References:
How immigrants were processed through Castle Garden on the website:  maggieblanck.com/immigration
Images from maggieblanck.com and Ancestry.com as referenced under the picture.