Creating Holyoke

Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor, opened in 1892, and over the next 62 years, more than 12 million were to follow through this port of entry.

While most immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island, others sailed into many ports such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Savannah, Miami, and New Orleans. Great steamship companies like White Star, Red Star, Cunard and Hamburg-America played a significant role in the history of Ellis Island and immigration in general.
First and second class passengers who arrived in New York Harbor were not required to undergo the inspection process at Ellis Island. Instead, they underwent a cursory inspection aboard ship. Because they were able to afford a first or second class ticket, they were less likely to become a public charge in America due to medical or legal reasons. The Federal government felt that these more affluent passengers would not end up in institutions, hospitals or become a burden to the state. First and second class passengers were sent to Ellis Island for further inspection only if they were sick or had legal problems.

This scenario was far different for "steerage" or third class passengers. These immigrants traveled in crowded and often unsanitary conditions near the bottom of steamships with few amenities, often spending up to two weeks seasick in their bunks during rough Atlantic Ocean crossings. The steerage and third class passengers were transported from the pier by ferry or barge to Ellis Island where everyone would undergo a medical and legal inspection.

At entry points to America like Ellis Island, immigrants experienced rigorous evaluation.  Men were immediately separated from women and children.  Thirty-two basic questions were asked and medical examinations were performed. Immigrants arriving through Ellis Island were carefully tagged with their names and the steamship upon which they arrived. The two agencies responsible for processing immigrants at Ellis Island were the United States Public Health Service and the Bureau of Immigration, later known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service. 

As the United States entered World War I, immigration to the United States decreased. Numerous suspected enemy aliens throughout the United States were brought to Ellis Island under custody. Between 1918 and 1919, detained suspected enemy aliens were transferred from Ellis Island to other locations in order for the United States Navy with the Army Medical Department to take over the island complex for the duration of the war. During this time, regular inspection of arriving immigrants was conducted on board ship or at the docks. At the end of World War I, a big "Red Scare" spread across America and thousands of suspected alien radicals were interred at Ellis Island. Hundreds were later deported based upon the principal of guilt by association with any organizations advocating revolution against the Federal government. In 1920, Ellis Island reopened as an immigration receiving station and 225,206 immigrants were processed that year.

Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were excluded from entry. The two main reasons why an immigrant would be excluded were if a doctor diagnosed that the immigrant had a contagious disease that would endanger the public health or if a legal inspector thought the immigrant was likely to become a public charge or an illegal contract laborer.

Doctors would briefly scan every immigrant for obvious physical ailments. Doctors at Ellis Island soon became very adept at conducting these "six second physicals." By 1916, it was said that a doctor could identify numerous medical conditions (ranging from anemia to goiters to varicose veins) just by glancing at an immigrant.

When every immigrant passed, the doctor with the help of an interpreter examined the hair, face, neck and hands of every person. The doctor had a chalk in his hand, when he noticed that some area needed to be checked more thoroughly, he wrote a letter on the immigrants’ clothes.

Inspectors searched for a disease in the immigrants’ eyes called trachoma. This eye disease cause blindness and it can also lead to death. Nearly 50% of those who had to be examined further before registration was due to this eye disease. The immigrant was mark with the letters Ct. If the doctors later on could determine the diagnosis trachoma, the immigrant was sent back home again.

If they had other diseases and these were confirmed or if the immigrant was to sick and to weak to manage to work, they were not allowed to enter to the US.

If immigrants were sick, they were put into detention so the disease would not spread to others. Sick children from 12 years old or older were sent back by themselves to their home harbour. Children under 12 years old that were not allowed to stay in the US were forced to go back with one parent. Many tears were dropped when the parents should decide which parent that should stay and which parent that should go back with the sick child.

After the check-up by the doctor the immigrant went on to the long queue were they must wait for the interrogation. In the Registry Room there could be waiting approx 5.000 people at the same time.

Thirty-two basic questions were asked concerning name, age, country or city of origin, occupation, literacy in his own language, amount of money carried and final destination.

After waiting in queue, the immigrant went forward one on one to the inspector who sat far front in the Registry Room on a high chair behind his desk. Beside himself he had an interpreter and in front he had the ship lists. Here they double checked the name, age, religion, last residence, sex, civil status and if the immigrant should met up with some relative etc.

Each inspector had approximately 2 minutes per immigrant to determine that the information was correct and that the person could take care of himself/herself. They would also determine if the person was a danger to society. Due to that the time was so short to do this check-up; it could happen that the spelling of their name could be wrong. Sometimes even the home country was wrong.

If there were any hesitations the immigrant had to stay at Ellis Island for further investigation.

Most immigrants passed the interrogation and got their "landing card," a permit to leave and enter New York.  After approval, they only had a few hours left on Ellis Island before they could leave the island and continue on to their destination.

Immigrants were given tags with information on them as to where their final destination was. If the immigrant's papers were in order and they were in reasonably good health, the Ellis Island inspection process would last approximately three to five hours. The ship's manifest log (that had been filled out back at the port of embarkation) contained the immigrant's name and his/her answers to twenty-nine questions. This document was used by the legal inspectors at Ellis Island to cross examine the immigrant during the legal (or primary) inspection.Those who had received their permission to enter to the US continued to the Money Exchange at Ellis Island. Here money from all countries were exchanged to American dollars. The official rates applied and those were written on a black board.

For those who traveled further to cities outside New York, train tickets were available for purchase from a dozen agencies. Sometimes 25 tickets were sold in a minute!  The immigrant waited on the island to be escorted to the ferry and then the train station. When everything was ok for departure, their luggage was given back to them. In the luggage the immigrant had everything from their home country, everything the loved and treasured.With landing card, American money, train ticket, and luggage, the immigrants and families were ready to leave Ellis Island and embark on new opportunities. For most people, the trip started several months or years earlier. Many had a long way to travel within the United States. Final discharge was when an immigrant passed inspection and was allowed to enter America and continue their journey.