Camp Martin Travels

These entries will be a combination of historical day trips, graduate level travel courses, and just little stops along the way. I have been teaching 8th grade American History for over 25 years. I am also a Civil War Reenactor and have traveled to Germany and Austria with several groups of exchange students and written about our adventures. Please check all my posts by using the monthly Blog Archive tabs shown below. I have posted over 150 Blog Episodes since 2009... Please explore them all!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

N.Y.C. Ellis Island / Part # 2


The Journey of Stephen Emich 
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Ellis Island / Part # 2

The Front Entrance
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Since it first opened as the major hub of Immigration in 1892, over 12 million people were processed through the naturalization station at Ellis Island including 11,747 in a single day on April 17, 1903. Originally the island was much smaller and was called Oyster Island for the fish processing that took place there. When the government acquired the property, it was renamed for the previous owner, Samuel Ellis. The island was expanded over time to include about 30 buildings, most of which were devoted to a hospital. All prospective immigrants were first examined by physicians before they could be processed through the Great Hall. About two percent of all arrivals were sent to the hospital wing of the island and were then deported back to their country of origin. For those unfortunate souls the island was called The Island of Tears. In addition, over 3,500 people, who were denied access to the American Dream, died within the walls of the hospital on the island, one step away from American soil until their burial at several area cemeteries near the harbor.
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Passing Lady Liberty
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Changes in The United States immigration policy closed the facility in 1924 to mass immigration. In the years that followed, the property served many uses including a deportation station, internment camp during World War II, a Coast Guard Training base, and as a detention center for radical aliens. The sight closed in 1954 and following several unsuccessful attempts to redevelop, it was abandoned. In 1966 Ellis Island was included with the Statue of Liberty on the list of National Register of Historic Places, giving the property landmark status. The National Park Service manages the island today.    
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Katelyn Gazes over the Harbor
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One of the stories I remember was my grandfather's scare when passing the Statue of Liberty... All passengers were called on deck as the S.S. Paris entered New York Harbor to view the famous Lady who welcomed all weary travelers to the New World via New York. As my grandfather Stephen turned to see the great statue, another passenger had popped open a bottle of champagne and the spray exploded out the end of the bottle, got caught in the sea breeze, and hit my grandfather right in the eyes. His vision became blurred, his eyes burned, and turned a deep red. Knowing the medical exam was the first obstacle he would face once on land, he worried that he would be pulled aside and sent to the hospital. I can only imagine the fear he must have felt as he pondered the possible outcomes. Would he be separated from his brother and sent back to Europe alone to an unknown future? To his relief, the wait was long and his eyes began to clear and were not a point of interest for the examining doctor. He entered the Great Hall and prepared to face the 29 standard questions all immigrants faced within the winding lines of the processing stations. A five-hour ordeal lay ahead.  
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Name Location at Backpack
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Katelyn and I boarded the ferry and after viewing the commanding presence of Lady Liberty we passed through to Ellis Island. Upon arrival, we skipped the guided tour and went straight through the Great Hall to the rear courtyard outside to find the sprawling silver Immigrant Wall of Honor. I used their web site earlier to find on what panel his name would be found. The massive monument was circular in design with flanking straight walls to the one side. This is where we found panel # 657 and my grandfather's name near the bottom right hand corner. My backpack in the photo above, designates the location of his engraved name.
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Wall of Honor / Close-up
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We both crouched by the name and I called my mother on the phone so she could share in the experience when we touched it. I took a lot of photographs and then took several graphite rubbings of the name on paper, as is often done at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. It was a special moment that I will never forget. It is humbling to think of what all started here and what it grew to become over time. Not just for my own family, but for all the millions who came through here with little of their own, with the exception of great hopes and unfulfilled dreams.
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New York City Skyline
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It is amazing to think about how one person's brave journey could impact so many lives of future generations. Katelyn had trouble connecting the dots somewhat, because she had never met or heard much about Great Grandpa Steve before today. I was glad she shared the experience with me and she has since expressed interest of a return visit to see and learn more next time we find ourselves in the Big Apple    
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Majority of Island in Decay
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Thus far, only the main Great Hall building has been restored. The remaining 28 buildings, most of which make up the hospital, continue to sit empty and die a slow death of decay. There are plans to try and save the rest of the dormant structures but little has changed on site since the initial restoration project phase was completed in 1990. The decomposing buildings give the island an uneasy, unsettled and ghostly feel. With attention and funding maybe they will all come back to life again some day and will be incorporated within the museum experience.      
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Mildred and Stephen Emich 
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After my mother got married and moved out of the city, her parents followed and built a ranch style house right up the street in a new housing development south of Lititz, PA. Above is one of the last pictures of my grandparents and me before Grandpa Steve passed away. I never got to really know him or hear his stories first hand... But I now live in that ranch house he built, and can look out across the yard at all the mature trees he planted as saplings so long ago. My visit to Ellis Island has helped pull me closer to him and I hope the engraving of his name on the Immigrant Wall of Honor is accepted as a small token of thanks for all he did to make my life in America possible.       
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 Last Picture with Grandpa Steve
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PLEASE SEE RELATED BLOG...  
Ellis Island / Part #1
http://campmartintravels.blogspot.com/2009/08/nyc-ellis-island-part-1.html



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