Steve's Genealogy Blog » Immigration

The Alien Passenger Manifest of Joseph Dymek – 1921

Steve — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:40:28 +0000

Joseph [Józef] Dymek, son of Józef Dymek and Bronisława Gołaś arrived in the United States at New York on 16 February 1921 aboard the S.S. President Grant sailing from Danzig.

The Alien Passenger Manifest of Joseph Dymek – 1921

SOURCE: Manifest, S. S. President Grant, February 1921, stamped 119, line 10, Joseph Dymek, age 23; “Passenger Record,” digital images, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation (http://www.ellisisland.org : accessed 30 January 2011).

The image above is cropped to emphasize the relevant information for Joseph Dymek. Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the Alien Passenger Manifest for Joseph Dymek – 1921. The manifest states:

Joseph Dymek was 23 years, 5 months old and a single male, on list stamped 119, line 10
He departed Danzig on board the S.S. President Grant on 28 January 1921
He arrived in New York on 16 February 1921
He was a farmer and was able to read and write Polish
His nationality and his race or people was Polish
His last permanent residence was Poland
He listed his mother, Bron. [Bronisława] Dymek of Dymki, Poland as his nearest relative or friend in the country from which he came
His final destination was Utica, New York and he had a ticket to his final destination
His passage was paid by the government and he was in possession of at least $50
He had been in the United States before in 1913 and 1918
He was going to join his brother-in-law Mike Leszczynski [husband of his sister Bronisława] at 709 Warren Street, Utica, New York
He did not intend to return to Poland, but rather intended to remain permanently in the United States and become a citizen
He was never in prison, not a polygamist, not an anarchist, not under contract for labor, of good health, and not deformed
He was 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with fair complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes, with no marks of identification
He was born in Dymki, Poland

The location in which Joseph Dymek was born was most likely Dymki, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Vistula Land, Russian Empire. This manifest is a list of soldiers who fought in World War I as part of Haller’s Polish Army in France.

Józef Dymek Held for a Board of Special Inquiry – 1913

Steve — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:15:19 +0000

When Józef Dymek, son of Józef Dymek and Bronisława Gołaś, arrived in the United States at New York on 06 October 1913, he had to appear before a Board of Special Inquiry at Ellis Island before being allowed to finish his journey to Worcester, Massachusetts.

Record of Aliens Held for Special Inquiry for Józef Dymek – 1913

SOURCE: Manifest, S. S. Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm, October 1913, stamped 183, index no. 33, Józef Dymek, age 18; “Special Inquiry,” digital images, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation (http://www.ellisisland.org : accessed 29 January 2011).

The image above is cropped to emphasize the relevant information for Józef Dymek. Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the Record of Aliens Held for Special Inquiry for Józef Dymek – 1913. The record states:

Josef Dumek [Józef Dymek], an 18 year old male, was held for a Board of Special Inquiry
He arrived on the S.S. Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm on 06 October 1913
He was a member of group 8, no. 13 and was traveling alone
He was held because he was suspected of being LPC [likely public charge] by officer Dyckes
He was held for three days and received 3 breakfasts, 3 dinners, and 3 suppers
He was admitted at 4 PM on 09 October 1913, his case was recorded on page 73 by secretary K

Józef Dymek was held because the immigration officials were not certain that he would be able to support himself and that he would become a public charge. I assume that he was admitted after he showed that he would be staying with relatives in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The Alien Passenger Manifest of Józef Dymek – 1913

Steve — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:36:13 +0000

Józef Dymek, son of Józef Dymek and Bronisława Gołaś arrived in the United States at New York on 06 October 1913 aboard the S.S. Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm sailing from Bremen.

The Alien Passenger Manifest of Józef Dymek – 1913

SOURCE: Manifest, S. S. Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm, October 1913, list 8, line 13, Jozef Dymek, age 18; “Passenger Record,” digital images, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation (http://www.ellisisland.org : accessed 29 January 2011).

The image above is cropped to emphasize the relevant information for Józef Dymek. Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the Alien Passenger Manifest for Józef Dymek – 1913. The manifest states:

Josef [Józef] Dymek was an 18 year old single male listed on list 8, line 13
He departed Bremen on board the S.S. Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm on 23 September 1913
He arrived in New York on 06 October 1913
He was a farm laborer and was not able to read or write
His nationality was Russia and his race or people was Polish
His last permanent residence was Dymki, Russia
He listed a friend Al Dymek of Dymki, Lomza as his nearest relative or friend in the country from which he came
His final destination was Worcester, Mass and he had a ticket to his final destination
His passage was paid by his sister and the amount of money he had with him is illegible
He had never been in the United States before
He was going to join his sister, Boles. Dymek on 2 Meade St., Worcester, Mass.
He was never in prison, not a polygamist, not an anarchist, not under contract for labor, of good health, and not deformed
He was 4 feet, 10 inches tall, with fair complexion, blond hair, and blue eyes, with no marks of identification
He was born in Dymki, Russia

The location from which Józef Dymek came was most likely Dymki, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Vistula Land, Russian Empire.

James Rawding Crosses the United States – Canada Border

Steve — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 06:30:01 +0000

While searching for the 1901 Canadian Census Record for John Rawding and his family, I came across several other records for this family. In particular, I noticed that some of the family members traveled back and forth between Canada and the United States and left behind the records of those journeys.

Many records of alien arrivals at various United States ports of entry have been preserved. These records include Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Entries through the Port of Detroit, MI, 1906-1954, United States National Archives microfilm publication M1478, 117 rolls. The record for James Rawding, son of John Rawding, entering the United States at Detroit in 1923 is recorded on roll number 83. Better yet, Ancestry.com has digitized these records and access to these records is free for the rest of the year 2006.

Detroit Card Manifest for James Rawding, Front

Detroit Card Manifest for James Rawding, Back

SOURCE: James Rawding; December 12, 1923, in Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Entries through the Port of Detroit, MI, 1906-1954; micropublication M1478 (Washington: National Archives), roll83.

James Rawding’s Card Manifest was recorded on Form Spl. 187A, Primary Inspection Memorandum. The information recorded on the front of this card is similar to that recorded on the Ellis Island Passenger Manifests and is transcribed in the attached PDF file. The back of the card was used to record information if an alien appealed a decision barring him from entering the United States. The card for James Rawding has a few notes on the back of the card, but was apparently admitted. Information on the front of the card includes the following information:

James Rawding, a single male born and living in Aylesford, Nova Scotia entered the United States on 12 Dec 1923 at Detroit, Michigan
James was 34 years old, was of Scottish race and Canadian citizenship, and was employed as a steamfitter
James had a brother Fred in Aylesford, Kings County, Nova Scotia
James had previously been in the United States, specifically in Vermont, from 1920-1922
On this trip, James intended to go to a hotel, intended to stay in the United States for a month, and did not intend to become a citizen
James was described in good health, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with fair complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes
He had a ticket, paid for his passage himself, and had with him $50.00

Now that I know these records exist, I’m going to start looking for border crossing records for others I know entered the United States through Canada.

Stefania Chmielewska Detained at Ellis Island

Steve — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 04:55:15 +0000

When Stefania Chmielewska arrived in New York, she was detained, rather than immediately admitted to the United States. Various notations, such as an “X”, “D”, or “held” between columns 1 and 2, or in the name column on the passenger manifest, indicate that a passenger was detained. The manifest may also include other notations to indicate that a passenger was held for a Board of Special Inquiry, that a Certificate of Arrival was issued, that a Warrant of Arrest was issued, or a number of other events occurred. See the post on A New Look at Immigrant Passenger Manifests for more details.

In Stefania’s case, the actual manifest page shows that quite a few other passengers on the Barbarossa were detained as well, and many of these passengers had something in common – they were unaccompanied minors.

Frederick Barbarossa

Record of Detained Alien Passengers for Stefania Chmielewska

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Record of Detained Alien Passengers for Stefania Chmielewska. This records show that:

Stefania Chmielewska was detained passenger number 175, listed on the manifest in Group A, Number 9
Stefania was traveling alone and the Cause of Detention was “to be tagged”
Stefania’s disposition was “to R.R. jrny to” [to railroad journey to] her brother Joseph, 18 Lafayette St., Worcester, Mass.
She was discharged by inspector [Lr.] at 15:30 [3:30 PM] on May 22
She was not detained long enough to receive any meals at Ellis Island

The meaning of “to be tagged” is not explained, but I assume it meant that the officials at Ellis Island tagged her so that she would reach her brother’s house safely. I assume that Stefania could not speak English, and probably traveled alone on the railroad to Worcester. All in all, the voyage from Lithuania to Bremen, from Bremen to New York, and then New York to Worcester must have been quite an exciting and frightening adventure for a 14 year old girl traveling alone, and was probably the first time in her life she had ever traveled any significant distance from home.

Stefania Chmielewska Arrives at Ellis Island

Steve — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 05:13:34 +0000

In her Naturalization Papers, Great Aunt Stephania couldn’t remember the ship on which she emigrated to the United States, although she stated that she arrived at New York from Bremen on September 16, 1901. Two ships did arrive at New York from Bremen on September 16, 1901: the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse and the SS Friedrich der Grosse. Stefania wasn’t aboard either of these ships.

The SS Barbarossa

Today, I received a message from Drew Smith (one of the Genealogy Guys) who told me that he found Stefania’s Passenger Manifest on the Ellis Island site, and indeed he had! Stefania arrived on the SS Barbarossa on May 22, 1901 (a few months earlier than she reported in her naturalization papers)!

Passenger Manifest for Stefania Chmielewska

Click on the link for a PDF copy of Stefania’s Passenger Manifest. The manifest shows that:

Stefania Chmielewska traveled on the S.S. Barbarossa, leaving Bremen on May 11, 1901 and arriving at New York
Although this page does not state the date of her arrival, other pages in the manifest show that the ship arrived in New York on May 22, 1901
Stefania is listed on page 255, line 9 of the manifest
She was a 14 year old single female with no occupation who could read and write
Her nationality was Russian, her last residence was Likiszki, and she would be landing at New York
Her final destination was Worcester, Mass., she had a ticket to her final destination, and her passage was paid by her brother
She had $7 with her, she had never been in the United States before, and she was planning to join her brother, Josef
She had never been in prison, almshouse, or supported by charity
She was not a polygamist and she was not under contract to work in the United States
Her mental and physical health were good, and she was not disabled or cripple

The Ellis Island indexes have Stefania listed as follows:

First Name: Stefnie [the manifest actually says Stefania]
Last Name: Chmielewska
Ethnicity: Russia
Last Place of Residence: Likiizki [the manifest actually says Likiszki]
Date of Arrival: May 11, 1901 [the actual date of arrival, as indicated on another page of the manifest, was May 22, 1901]
Age at Arrival: 14y
Gender: F
Marital Status: S
Ship of Travel: Barbarossa
Port of Departure: Bremen
Manifest Line Number: 0009

The Ellis Island index contains three transcription errors. I’ll write to them and ask them to correct these errors. The folks at Ellis Island are happy to correct transcription errors, but they won’t change misspellings or errors in the manifests, themselves.

But, notice the checkmark in the first column of the manifest, in front of Stefania’s name. This doesn’t look good for Stefania, because this check mark means that Stefania was detained at Ellis Island.

Tomorrow: What happened to Stefania when she was detained

Evaluating the Quality of Great Aunt Mary's Records

Steve — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 05:15:56 +0000

After coming to a decision about how to define Original Source, Derivative Source, Primary Information, Secondary Information, Exact Image, and Original Record, it’s time to decide how some of the records I’ve collected on my Great Aunt Mary stack up.

Birth and Baptismal Record

Marianna’s Birth and Baptismal Record is an Exact Image of an Original Source. The record contains Primary Information on the dates and places of birth and baptism, the names and occupations of her parents, the names of her godparents, her sex, religion, and the fact she was legitimately born, the name of the midwife, and the name of the priest who performed the baptism. The record includes Secondary Information on the names and occupations of Mary’s grandparents.

SOURCE: Book of Births and Baptisms, 1884: entry 5, Church of the Immaculate Heart of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Dubiecko, Poland.

Hamburg Emigration Record

Marjanna’s Hamburg Emigration Record is an Exact Image of an Original Source. The record includes Primary Information on the ship and date on which she emigrated, her sex and marital status, her former place of residence, her nationality, and her former occupation and position. Unless Marjanna provided some official proof of her age, the record includes Secondary Information on her age. While she was certainly present at her own birth, she certainly would not have remembered the event itself. Moreover, the emigration record was not generated at or near the time of her birth.

SOURCE: Marjanna Danko entry; SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, June 16, 1909, line 830; in Hamburg Emigration Lists 1850-1934, Volumes 209-211, Direct Lists, microfilm 473,001, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Passenger Arrival List

Marianna’s Passenger Arrival List is an Exact Image of an Original Source. Most of the information in this record is Primary Information, including the name of the ship, the ports and dates of departure and arrival, Marianna’s former occupation, her nationality, her former place of residence, her intended destination, and her height, weight, complexion, hair color, and eye color. Marianna’s age and place of birth are Secondary Information, unless she provided this information in some official record.

SOURCE: Marianna Danko entry; SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Passenger Manifest, June 26, 1909, page 36, line 4; Micropublication T715 (Washington: National Archives), roll 1293, frames 513-514.

The 1910, 1920, and 1930 Census

The 1910, 1920, and 1930 Census Records are Exact Images of Original Sources. Much of the information in this record is Primary Information, including address, inhabitants of the household, language spoken, occupation, and ownership of home. Secondary Information includes ages at the time of the census, ages at marriage, places of birth, year of immigration, and naturalization information.

SOURCE: Samuel Carsenberg household, 1910 U.S. census, Worcester county, Massachusetts, population schedule, city of Worcester, enumeration district 1880, supervisor’s district 119, sheet 6B, dwelling 39, family 98; National Archives micropublication T624, roll 632.

SOURCE: Paul Golinski household, 1920 U.S. census, Worcester county, Massachusetts, population schedule, city of Worcester, enumeration district 193, supervisor’s district 3, sheet 22A, dwelling 194, family 470; National Archives micropublication T625, roll 749.

SOURCE: Paul Golinski household, 1930 U.S. census, Worcester county, Massachusetts, population schedule, city of Worcester, enumeration district 14-23, supervisor’s district 8, sheet 1A, dwelling 3, family 3; National Archives micropublication T626, roll 968.

The Copy of Record of Marriage

Circumstances involved in preparing the Copy of Record of Marriage resulted in a complex situation. The original record was made at the time of the event, but was not transcribed into the ledger books in Barre, Massachusetts until sometime later. When the Copy of Record of Marriage was prepared, the information was once again transcribed onto the certified document.

The certified document is an Original Document, but is a Secondary Source. Much of the information in the record is Primary Information, since it originally was recorded at about the time of the event by someone in an official capacity. The information was transcribed twice, but when the information was transcribed, someone in an official capacity performed the task.

Thus, the names of the bride and groom, the occupations, the date and place of marriage, the number of marriage, the name of the officiant, and the date of the original record are probably Primary Information. The ages, places of birth, and the names of the parents of the bride and groom are Secondary Information.

Given that this record was transcribed twice, the Secondary Information and even the Primary Information is somewhat suspect. I know from other records that the names of the groom’s parents and the name of the bride’s mother are misspelled in this record. The name of the bride’s father is written as ~~Joseph~~ Jacob Danko, indicating that the recorder incorrectly transcribed the father’s first name, immediately recognized the error, and then just crossed out the error and continued. This is a certified marriage record?

SOURCE: Copy of Record of Marriage, October 4, 1915, Barre, Massachusetts, register no. 23, vol. 633, page 358, Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Mary Golinski's Petition for Naturalization

Steve — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 05:03:03 +0000

Great Aunt Mary’s birthdate is either January 12, 1884 or March 12, 1887, depending on whether one consults the documents generated prior to her immigration or the documents generated after her arrival in the United States.

One nagging question, however, is: are the birth/baptismal certificate, the Hamburg Emigration List, and the Ellis Island Passenger Arrival List for the same Mary Danko who married Paul Golinski in 1915? If not, I have obtained the records for two different people.

While in Boston in July, I obtained Mary Danko’s Certificate of Arrival and Mary Golinski’s Petition for Naturalization. If these two documents are for the same person, all the documents I have are for the same Mary (Danko) Golinski.

Petition for Naturalization for Mary Golinski – Front

Petition for Naturalization for Mary Golinski – Back

Click on the link for a PDF copy of Mary Golinski’s Petition for Naturalization. The Petition was filed under Section 310(b) of the Nationality Act of 1940 which states that a woman could petition for naturalization without filing a Declaration of Intention if she was married to a citizen and lived continuously in the United States since her marriage. Mary Golinski’s Petition for Naturalization states that:

Mary Golinski’s Petition for Naturalization No. 33772 was filed in the Superior Court of Massachusetts at Worcester
She lived at 11 Prescott Pl. Worcester, mass. and was a housewife
She was 54 years old, and was born on march 12, 1887 in Galigo [Galicia], Poland
She was a white female, with medium complexion, brown eyes and brown hair
She was 4 feet 10 inches tall, 100 pounds, with no visible distinctive marks, whose nationality was Polish
She was married to Paul Golinski on October 4, 1915 in Barre, Mass.
Her husband was born in Sliwnica, Austria on Dec. 18, 1888, entered the United States at New York, N. Y. on May 20, 1913, and resided at Worcester, Mass.
Mary’s husband was naturalized on Oct. 2, 1939 at Worcester, Mass. and his Certificate of Naturalization was No. 4735161
Mary had five children: Victoria Mary (f) born July 19, 1916 at Barre, Mass.; Frances Wanda (f) Aug. 25, 1918; John (m) Jan. 2, 1922; Josephine (f) Sept. 24, 1925; Joseph (m) Jan. 26, 1928; the last four were born at Worcester, Mass. and all five children were living at Worcester, Massachusetts
Mary’s last place of foreign residence was Niedowa [Nienadowa], Poland
She emigrated to the United States from Hamburg, Germany and lawfully entered the United States at New York, N. Y. under the name of Marianna Danko on June 26, 1909 on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
Since her lawful entry, she had not been absent from the United States for a period of 6 months or longer
She had resided continuously in the Untied States for at least 3 years immediately preceding the date of her petition, namely since June 26, 1909
She had not previously made Petition for Naturalization and filed the current petition under Section 310 b
She did not ask for a change of name
Sophie Zamoita, a housewife residing at 12 Prescott Place, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Frances E. Swenson, a laundress residing at 128 Prescott Street, Worcester, Massachusetts signed affidavits as witnesses of her character, having known her since 1935
The Petition for Naturalization was signed at Worcester, Mass. on June 25, 1941 and was accompanied by Certificate of Arrival No. 1-292585 by the petitioner, the witnesses and by Philip S. Smith, Deputy Clerk, with the typed name of William C. Bowen, Clerk
Mary Golinski singed the Oath of Allegiance on September 30, 1941, as witnessed by William C. Bowen, Clerk, and Carl [Grunslit]
Mary’s Petition for Naturalization was granted on Line No. 41 of List No. 4-5 and Certificate No. 5374214

The information on Mary Golinski’s Petition for Naturalization ties her convincingly to the Hamburg Emigration List and the Ellis Island Passenger Arrival List for Marianna Danko, born in 1883-1884. The emigration and immigration documents also agree with the birth and baptismal record for Marianna Danko, born on January 12, 1884 in Nienadowa, Galicia.

The evidence indicates that Great Aunt Mary was born on January 12, 1884. After she arrived in the United States, Great Aunt Mary apparently changed her date of birth to March 12, 1887. Perhaps she just didn’t want her future husband to know she was nearly five years older than he was!

Great Aunt Mary’s Certificate of Arrival

Steve — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:56:49 +0000

I have been trying to learn when my Great Aunt Mary was born. I have examined a number of sources and have learned the following:

Marianna’s Birth and Baptismal Record, a Church Record from Poland, shows that her birth date was January 12, 1884
Marjanna’s Hamburg Passenger Record, shows that she was 25 years old in 1909, indicating that she was born in 1883-1884
Marianna’s Passenger Arrival List, shows that she was 25 years old when she arrived at Ellis Island on June 26, 1909 and indicating that she was born in 1883-1884
The 1910 Census indicated that Mary was 22 years old, suggesting that she was born in 1887-1888
The 1920 Census indicated that Mary was 32 years old, suggesting that she was born in 1887-1888
The 1930 Census indicated that Mary was 42 years old, suggesting that she was born in 1887-1888
The Copy of Record of Marriage shows that she was 28 years old on October 4, 1915, indicating that she was born in 1886-1887
The Copy of Record of Birth for Mary’s daughter Victoria does not show Mary’s age or date of birth
The Return of a Birth for Mary’s son John shows that Mary was 33 years old on January 2, 1922, indicating that she was born in 1888-1889
Mary’s SS-5 Application for Social Security Account and Tax Number shows that she was born on March 12, 1887
The Social Security Death Index shows that Mary was born on March 12, 1887
Information from Mary’s daughter Fran, indicated that Mary was born on March 12, 1887
The Massachusetts Death Index does not show Mary’s birth date
Mary’s Cemetery Burial Record shows that Mary was born in about 1886-1887
Mary’s Gravestone Epitaph shows that Mary was born in 1887

All of the records generated before Mary arrived in the United States are consistent with the date of birth on her baptismal record: January 12, 1884.

In general, the records generated after Mary arrived in the United States are consistent with the date of birth provided to me by her daughter, Fran: March 12, 1887.

So, I began to question whether the earlier records were for my Great Aunt Mary, or for another Mary Danko. While in Boston in July, I found two more records that may help to resolve this issue.

The first of these documents is the Certificate of Arrival for Marianna Danko. The Certificate of Arrival was a document generated during the Naturalization process to prove that the immigrant had legally entered the United States and had been a resident for the required number of years. The Certificate of Arrival was filed with Marianna’s Naturalization Papers.

The Certificate of Arrival for Marianna Danko

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Certificate of Arrival for Marianna Danko. The Certificate shows that Marianna Danko entered the United States at the port of New York, N.Y. on June 26, 1909 on the SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. This document is clearly the Certificate of Arrival for the Marianna Danko whose birthdate is January 12, 1884. The question remains, however, can I connect this Certificate of Arrival with my Great Aunt Mary (Danko) Golinski?

Tomorrow: Tying it all together

John Jwanauski's Passenger Manifest

Steve — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 06:05:45 +0000

I had previously searched for John Jwanauski’s passenger manifest at the Ellis Island Records site and at Stephen Morse’s site without success. I also couldn’t find his name by scrolling through all the pages of the manifest one-by-one. Finally, I searched the Record of Aliens Held for Special Inquiry and the Record of Detained Aliens which followed the passenger manifests. There, in the Record of Detained Aliens, I found a Jonas Iwanauskis. Why couldn’t I find the record when I searched every page of the manifest?

The Record of Detained Aliens states that Jonas Iwanauskis was on the manifest as a member of group 3, Number 24. This means that Jonas Iwanauskis is on list 3, line 24 of the manifests for alien passengers. I started at the beginning of the manifest and scrolled past the lists of US Citizens and the lists of Second-Cabin Aliens to reach the lists of Alien Passengers in Steerage. There, on list 3, line 24, was Jonas. Apparently, the reason I didn’t recognize the name the first time is that I was looking for John Jwanauski. The name on the manifest appears to be Jonas Franauskis, since the “Jw” at the start of the name looks a lot like “Fr”. But, that’s OK, I’ve found the manifest now.

Page 1 of the Passenger Manifest for Jonas Jwanauskis

Page 2 of the Passenger Manifest for Jonas Jwanauskis

Click on the links for PDF copies of Page 1 and Page 2 of the Passenger Manifest for Jonas Jwanauskis. The manifest states that:

Jonas Jwanauskis departed from Bremen on December 3, 1912 on the S.S. Grosser Kurfurst and arrived in New York on December 15, 1912
Jonas is listed on List 3 of the alien passengers in steerage, line 24
Jonas was a single male, 17 years old
His occupation was farm lab [farm laborer]
Jonas could read and write
He was a Lithuanian of Russian nationality and his last permanent residence was Poporcie, Russia
The nearest relative in the country he left was his mother [?] Jwanauskis in Poporcie, Kovno
His destination was Scitico, Conn.
It’s not clear whether or not he held a ticket to his final destination
His passage was paid by his brother-in-law and he had no cash
He had not previously been in the United States
He was planning to join his brother-in-law, Paul [Dovoicis], Box 16, Scitico, Conn.
His health was good and he was not a cripple
He was 5 feet, 1 inch tall, with fair complexion, blond hair, and blue eyes
He had no marks of identification
He was born in Poporcie

My best guess at Jonas’ place of birth and residence is Poporcie, Russia, now known as Paparciai, Kauno, Lithuania. This village is not far from Kovno, Russia, now known as Kaunas, Kauno, Lithuania.

Jonas stated that he was traveling to Scitico, Connecticut, which is not far from Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield was his destination when he was discharged from the U.S. Army at the end of World War I. The Record of Detained Aliens, however, stated that Jonas’ brother-in-law lived in Harrisville, Connecticut, not Scitico.

The fact that Jonas had no cash with him explains why he was detained. He had to wait at Ellis Island until his brother-in-law sent money so he could finish his journey.