Ellis Island Data Base to Launch April 17
Submitted by AScaife@aol.com
One of the most significant databases for Jewish-American genealogy will
be on the Internet starting April 17. On that day, at ceremonies to be
held at Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation will
launch its database of 22 million passenger arrivals (1892-1924). The
database can be accessed at the Family Immigration History Center on the
island or online at
http://www.ellisisland.org/history.html, according
to a public affairs spokesperson at the Foundation. Information provided
about each immigrant includes name, ship name, port of origin, arrival
date, page/line number on manifest, gender, age, marital status,
nationality and last residence (town & country). The actual passenger
record, which contains much more information, can be ordered from the
Foundation for a fee. Included will be a soundex search facility
developed by a professor of linguistics--implying that none of the known
soundex systems will be used. There will be a fee of $5.00 for using the
database at Ellis Island; early statements were that access to the
Internet version would be free.
The project was started by the LDS (Mormon) Family History Department
some years ago with 12,000 Church members volunteering more than 5.6
million hours to extract the information. The decision-makers in Utah
elected to turn over their efforts to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island
Foundation. The Family History Department had considered developing a
CD-ROM version of the database but according to a person at their
Extraction department, there are no immediate plans to make such a
version available.
©
2001 GFNEWS, a monthly
publication of the Golden Gate
Genealogy Forum, Inc. of
Franklin, MA.
(America Online Keyword: roots.)
The Editors
welcome your ideas and
articles,
success stories, favorite
genealogy research tips, comments
and suggestions.
©
2001 Graphics
By
Carol,
All Rights Reserved
|