Step one: check the 1900 (or 1910 or 1920) census for anyone living at that time. Year of Immigration is asked and whether or not naturalized. Under naturalization, Al--alien, PA ="first papers filed" and Na=naturalized. The first papers, formally "Declaration of Intent to become a citizen" are the ones with the good info. And that declaration was enough to get you the right to vote in WI at that time, so many folks didn't go beyond that step. Remember that women generally were not naturalized because we couldn't vote, and males who came as children couldn't file until they turned 21. Step two: Check to see if they were naturalized in the county court. These records are most likely to be at the Area Research Center covering the county in question. See www.wisconsinhistory.org/archives/arcnet/index.html for an explanation of this system. In some states the Declaration of Intent is simply that: "I swear I've been here at least a year and I wanna be a citizen" is only a slight simplification. But in Wisconsin, we asked for the name of the boat and when and where you landed. New York became more common as time passed, but Baltimore was a huge port, and Boston, Philadelphia and New Orleans were used. Step three: Check the Germans to America set at a nearby library. If your public library doesn't have it--and we are talking over 70 volumes which cost $75.00 each, so not every library can afford it--they may be able to check and tell you which nearby library does. Or ask your fellow genealogists at a meeting of your local society. Step four: Germans to America is based on the records kept as folks disembarked here (including at Castle Garden--those records do survive). Lists were made as they got ON the ships as well. Hamburg passenger lists can be checked through the LDS Family History Center system. The lists of those sailing from Bremen no longer exist. If the port of entry is given as Milwaukee, Detroit, Buffalo, Sheboygan or other Great Lakes port, they probably sailed to Canada and changed to a smaller boat for the final leg of the journey. For those of you who also have Irish ancestors, Canada is a common route because both Canada and Ireland were part of the British Empire.