add that due to bad weather might r a ship would have to travel either up or down the coast for a safe landing instead of their intended route. Debbie Strupp -----Original Message----- From: Richard Mondloch <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Friday, May 31, 2002 6:58 PM Subject: [TRIER-ROOTS-L] Re: German Ports & Migration Routes >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 >> > >> > ______________________________ >> > > >==== TRIER-ROOTS Mailing List ==== >Going on vacation longer than 4 days? Go to >http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/DEU/TRIER-ROOTS.html >to unsubscribe >