Thanks a lot for the info on the ports. A big help now, have to go and look at these places. Thanks again, Teresa ----- Original Message ----- From: Bill <bsand@texas.net> To: <TXGALVES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 5:06 PM Subject: Re: [TXGALVES-L] Meyer or Myers > Bertha, > > Indianola was never a Port of Entry, at least prior to the early 1900's. > The only two established Ports of Entry (after Texas became a State) were > New Orleans and Galveston. I believe that Brownsville later became an > established Port of Entry. However, Indianola was never a Port of Entry, > mainly because of the extremely shallow bays that led to Indianola. These > shallow waters made the sailing ships of that era impossible to traverse. > Almost all the ships from Germany had to first dock and go through customs > and immigration at Galveston. Smaller schooners that could navigate the > shallow bay waters leading into Carlshaven (Indianola) then ferried the > immigrants (that wanted to go) from Galveston to Indianola. One historian > said that these schooners could only carry about 35 people, including the > crew. > > Actually, Indianola was the jumping off place for most of the German > immigrants who settled in Central Texas and beyond, but they first had to go > through Galveston's Port of Entry. This by itself was often a long wait for > the German settlers who could not get off of the ship until they had cleared > quarantine and immigration. For example, on December 21, 1845, the "Johann > Dethardt" from Bremen sailed into Galveston Bay. However, it was January > 12, 1846 before the boat and its passengers cleared quarantine and customs. > Ellis Island (as were numerous other ports) was another Port of Entry for > the Northeastern settlers. > > The sail ships that came from Bremen or other parts of Germany followed a > path from Breman around the northern horn of Germany into the English > Channel. Once they traversed and cleared the English Channel, they > attempted to stay clear of the North Atlantic waters which were usually > quite treacherous, and sailed further South. They used Bermuda as a beacon > point and then the Bahama Islands, and then the strait between Key West and > Cuba. Cuba was an established island at that time, where Key West was only > a land marker. They then sailed either to New Orleans or Galveston (either > being a Port of Entry). > > Bill Sanders > Spring, Texas > bsand@texas.net > > >