I am relatively new in searching for ancestors and while I subscribe to several lists this is a source I have not noted before IMMIGRATION RECORDS FROM CASTLE GARDEN Before Ellis Island, there was Castle Garden. The Castle was our first immigration center, from 1855 to 1890. But immigration records there go back to 1820. If you had ancestors who came over in that period, they may well have been processed at Castle Garden. Most of those immigration records have been digitized and placed online. Just enter the name. Check it out at: http://www.castlegarden.org