Traveling in 1855 was not as difficult as you might think. The Erie Canal was working and many people took it as far as possible and then took trains to their destinations. At the time of year you are referring to, the snow melt would surely have been over and the Mississippi would have been in full swing with packet boats and ferries. Also, I think you must realize it was not impossible to have someone act on your behalf to buy land prior to your landing, particularly if it was someone you trusted. There were scrupulous and unscrupulous Land Agents and hopefully the immigrant dealt with a scrupulous person. There are stories in the Cornell Library archives about Castle Garden which was the entry port immigrants entered through before they were cleared to stay in this country. One of the things I remember is that they were encouraged to exchange their native money for American money inside Castle Garden where the exchange rate was dollar for dollar and not a percentage. Many sent money via telegraph and bank notes and letters of credit were also items which immigrants brought from their homeland. What would cause a whole group of people to immigrate at one time? I can think of several reasons--religious persecution, war, famine, changing of government administration, and the promise of more freedom and land of their own--are just a few. It would be good to study the history of that period in Europe and try to determine some of the reasons people were immigrating. Sometimes it was simply to make a new start and believe me, the United States was doing a very good job of marketing itself to the Europeans. Why did groups come over--well in many aspects there was safety in numbers and the concept of having family members and townsfolk who spoke the same language and had the same cultural principles was appealing. Too, group rates were also given because accommodations could be shared onboard the ship. The American frontier was opening up and land was available west of the Mississippi River. The pioneers of yesteryear wanted many of the same things we still strive for today--freedom, independence, education for their children, a home for their families and an opportunity for a better life. They became the backbone of the frontier and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Judy Neu Springwater, NY