Regarding your (Joe Schmitt) original query/message ........ >an ancestor of mine settled in Jefferson County WI in 1847. He >stated in his first papers (citizenship) that he entered the US in "Buffalo, >NY"......Would someone who actually arrived in New York then >traveled through Buffalo declare that he first entered US >at that port? Joe; I agree the reference to Buffalo on his "intent papers" (vs NY or Baltimore) is somewhat puzzling. However, for a german emigrant arriving in the 1846 -1849 timeframe, it's likely he landed in New York or Baltimore from Antwerp. Often a emigrant arriving NY was ticketed thru and transferred directly to a steamer vessel and headed up the Hudson. Possibly he considered Buffalo his port of entry due to his thru-ticketing, or his having taken possession of his luggage there, or staying over in Buffalo before catching the twice weekly steamer to Detroit. While researching my own ancestors migration route to Wisconsin Territory in early 1847, I eliminated several travel routes after looking into alternates available in the winter of 1846 thru spring of 1847. I also checked other researcher's work for early Wisconsin settlers. The NY-Buffalo-Detroit route was quite popular during this period and this is supported by surviving documents (i.e. immigrant letters home where the inland trip to Wisconsin was described in detail) In 1847, you could ticket thru to Milwaukee from Antwerp; there was No immigration office (i.e.Gardens or Ellis), just a port authority and a passenger manifest, and No port of Buffalo; steamer's were on the Hudson, the Erie Canal was operating, & coach was also available between Albany & Buffalo, Steamer's from Buffalo to Detroit were operating. Arrival in Detroit during the winter months often required staying over until spring or taking an overland coach to Chicago as the upper reaches of Lake Michigan were frozen over. Trains between Detroit and Chicago were Not available yet! However in just ten years, emigrants headed for Wisconsin would have other options! Then there's the whole "first papers" process, I can imagine scenarios where a german speaking emigrant might answer "Buffalo" when queried about his landing place or point of entry to the US. Much depends on the when & how the questions were posed, language used by the Clerk, and was translation of terms needed, etc. In my case the intent papers say Germany & King of Holland for the "Birthplace and Renouncing Allegiance" questions; Turns out, his birth village was part of Prussia and he emigrated from Luxembourg, which was under Holland's administration in 1847. Probably an interesting exchange with the Clerk of Courts that day in Dec. 1847; especially if the clerk was not german...The filled in data on the pre-printed English form appeared to be the Clerks handwriting and differnent from his signature & other samples I have of his writting; I'm sure my ancestor did not (and could not read) the form, he likely answered the clerks questions and signed the form. However the port of arrival, month, and year data were correct in my case and this filing occurs just months, not years, after his arrival which lead me to believe his arrival data was probably right. Hope this experience with 1847 migration routes to... and intent papers from... Washington County, Wisc. helps you with your puzzle. Richard ps: I got lucky w/passenger manifests; from intent papers I had year, month and port, then checked for Antwerp to New York arrivals (most likely route) in January 1847 and found him on second spool of film viewed. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joanne Mello" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 10:45 AM Subject: Re: [TRIER-ROOTS-L] German Ports > Hi Joe: > > My Schmitt ancestors came to Fond du Lac County, WI from Germany in August > 1847 and say they came through "Port of Buffalo". I haven't found them in > NY port records nor have I found them in any exit ports in Germany or > France. Hope to try a Belgium port record sometime, if one is available. > The Canadian port entry thought has been discussed on the list I see. So > perhaps the Erie Canal transit route is what was used. > > I do know my Schmitt family came from Malborn, near Trier. > > Joanne (in CA) > > > > Joanne A. Smith Mello > [email protected] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Joe Schmitt" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 8:02 AM > Subject: Re: [TRIER-ROOTS-L] German Ports > > > > Kathy Lenerz [email protected] > > > > > > Kathy, Thanks for your insight. I would like to pose one more related > > question. An ancestor of mine settled in Jefferson County WI in 1847. > He > > stated in his first papers (citizenship) that he entered the US in > "Buffalo, > > NY". One cousin suggests he must have actually disembarked in NY and > taken > > the Erie Canal westward, as your typical route suggests. I have my > doubts! > > I wonder if he might have immigrated via Canada (Port of Montreal?) then > > entered US at Buffalo. Since I haven't found any sources for "Buffalo > > immigration" this remains a mute point! Would someone who actually > arrived > > in New York then traveled through Buffalo declare that he first entered US > > at that port? I would appreciate any insight! Thanks, Joe Schmitt (CA) > > > > > > aellis wrote: > > > > "I do not know what port my Grandfather, John Biever/Biewer left from near > > Borg, Prussia, however, he came through the Port of Detroit in June 1873. > > He was on his way to Wisconsin. Since Detroit is on the Great Lakes and > > borders Canada, I assume he came down the St. Lawrence River. Was there a > > special reason why they came through Great Lake Ports. > > Alice" > > > > Alice, > > Since the St. Lawrence Seaway wasn't built until the 1950s, it was not > > possible for trans-Atlantic ships to travel to Detroit in 1873. Usually > > passengers who took the water route to the Midwest disembarked in New > York, > > took a steamer up the Hudson River to near Albany, then took the Erie > Canal > > across New York to Buffalo. There they caught a Great Lakes steamer, > which > > typically stopped in Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago. This was the > typical > > route in the 1850s, however by the 1870s trains were a better and more > > frequent option for most immigrants. > > Hope this helps, > > Kathy Lenerz > > > > ______________________________ >