Ellis Island Immigration Museum

Ellis Island in the New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the site of the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954. Prior to that, the much smaller original island was the site of Fort Gibson and later a naval magazine. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934.

 It was interesting to be able to go to the immigration Museum and learn about the process that took place for immigrants to be able to enter the United States. 

When the ship would come to port it would go to the main land and they would inspect the 1st and 2nd class passengers. If they had a clean check from any diseases they would then de-board there and the passengers who stayed below would have to go over to Ellis Island on smaller boats to be checked for diseases there. That is also where their luggage would be inspected for and unwanted things such as lice.   

The luggage center where their things would be sifted through and they would have to pay to get their luggage back. 

This is the Great Room

The United States Public Health Service operated an extensive medical service at the immigrant station, called U.S. Marine Hospital Number 43, more widely known as the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital. It was the largest marine hospital in the nation. The station was staffed by uniformed military surgeons. They are best known for the role they played during the line inspection, in which they employed unusual techniques such as the use of the buttonhook to examine aliens for signs of eye diseases (particularly, trachoma) and the use of a chalk mark code. Symbols were chalked on the clothing of potentially sick immigrants following the six-second medical examination. The doctors would look at the immigrants as they climbed the stairs from the baggage area to the Great Hall. Immigrants' behavior would be studied for difficulties in getting up the staircase. Some immigrants entered the country only by surreptitiously wiping the chalk marks off, or by turning their clothes inside out.

People could be detained here for a day or they could end up staying up to a few months. If they were sick or had any signs of disease they would have an opportunity to recover to have a chance to get healthy enough to be able to work to earn an income. If people didn't seem like they would not be able to work they were not allowed in. The ship who brought them would then have to take them back at their own expense. 

Here is the area where the men and boys would stay. Here are their sings and just to the side is the beds. (Below picture)

They had three bed cots hanging above each other and two right next to each other. These cots were not very long. I wouldn't have been able to stretch out and I am not that tall. I would have needed to sleep curled up. I could only imagine how uncomfortable it would have been for really tall people. 

Yup that is a window. I actually took this picture because I thought it was really interesting the contraption they had set up to open the window because they were so far up. On the left hand side if you can see there is a wheel like contraction that you can turn that will open up all the windows up above.  

Here are some of the clothing that people wore when they came here. 

These are some of the thing they brought with them. 

Here are some of the original things that were found here during the time this was used as an immigration center. 

This is the piano they would play music on to sing patriotic songs in being grateful to be here in this country. 

Some of the kitchen items. 

Medical items. 

I thought this was a really cool wall. As you can see it is a bunch of pictures of people from all over the world. 

As you walk past this wall of pictures it slowly transforms into a flag of the United States, indicating that the United States is made up of immigrates from all over the world. 

As you get past it and look in just the right place it is the entire flag. If you stand just off a little from where I took this picture you can see a single face or two in one of the squares. It was really neat.

I really liked the structure of the building of the museum.

It was most interesting to come here to Ellis Island and to learn about the history that is here.  Sad to say but I don't think I knew much about Ellis Island before I came and learned about it. It will be interesting to see if I have family who passed through Ellis Island.