Over 12 Million Immigrants Entered America via This Tiny Island Called “Gateway to Freedom”

Ellis Island, New York

This is America’s most legendary checkpoint, where more than 12 million immigrants got their first taste of the American dream. There’s a good chance at least one of them is on your family tree.

In fact, you can check it yourself from Ellis Island’s records, so go ahead and hop on that ferry ride to what’s also called the “Island of Hope.”

The Gateway for Millions of Immigrants

Ellis Island was America’s busiest immigration station from 1892 to 1954, processing over 12 million immigrants hoping to start a new life in the United States. About a third of all Americans today can trace their family roots through Ellis Island.

The station processed up to 5,000 people daily during peak years, with a record 11,747 immigrants in a single day in 1907. Now part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, it welcomes nearly 3.1 million visitors each year.

The Island Where Pirates Were Hanged

This small island had a colorful past before becoming known for immigration. Native Americans called it ‘Kioshk’ or Gull Island because of all the seabirds there. Dutch settlers later named it Oyster Island because of the many oyster beds around it.

In the 1760s, it became ‘Gibbet Island’ when pirates were publicly executed there. The island served many purposes before immigration, including as a Native American oyster harvesting site, a military base during the War of 1812, and a fort and powder magazine.

A New York Merchant Gave The Island Its Current Name

Samuel Ellis, a Manhattan merchant, bought the island in the 1770s. He was a New York businessman, possibly from Wales, who owned the island until his death and used it for private purposes.

New York State sold the island to the federal government in 1808 for $10,000, which was a lot of money back then. The government first used it for military purposes, building Fort Gibson as part of New York Harbor’s defense. The feds later expanded the island from its original 3.3 acres to about 27.5 acres using landfill.

The First Immigrant Processed Was an Irish Teen

On January 1, 1892, Annie Moore, a 17-year-old Irish girl, became the first immigrant processed at the newly opened Ellis Island. She arrived on the SS Nevada with her two younger brothers, Anthony and Philip, after a 12-day journey from County Cork, Ireland.

Officials welcomed her and gave her a $10 gold piece. Annie settled on Manhattan’s Lower East Side with her family. Historians long thought she moved west, but research in 2006 showed she actually lived and died on the Lower East Side.

A Huge Fire Destroyed The Original Wooden Buildings

Disaster struck Ellis Island on June 15, 1897, when a huge fire completely destroyed the original wooden buildings. The pine structures burned quickly, but fortunately, staff safely evacuated all 270 immigrants.

The fire destroyed many immigration records dating back to 1855, creating a big gap in American family history.

The government quickly approved plans for a new fireproof building, resulting in the beautiful red brick and limestone building we see today, which cost $500,000 to build.

Few Failed the Immigrant Medical Exam

Coming through Ellis Island was often overwhelming for new arrivals. They went through medical exams and legal inspections that usually took three to five hours. Doctors would watch immigrants climb stairs, looking for breathing problems or limping.

They checked eyes for trachoma using buttonhooks and marked those needing more screening with chalk symbols on their clothes.

Despite this thorough process, only about 2% of immigrants were turned away, usually for illness, criminal background, or being likely to need public assistance.

America’s Ex-Largest Hospital

Few people know about the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, once the largest public health facility in the U.S. Opening in 1901, it grew to include 22 buildings with wards for contagious diseases, psychiatric care, and operating rooms.

The hospital treated over 1.2 million patients between 1901 and 1954, handling everything from measles to tuberculosis.

Medical staff performed many surgeries and delivered 350 babies, while recording more than 3,500 deaths. Today, much of the hospital remains abandoned, though you can take special hard-hat tours to see it.

Rich Passengers Got To Skip The Long Lines

Your ticket class made a huge difference in how you experienced Ellis Island. First and second-class passengers usually got quick inspections right on their ships and could go straight to the mainland.

Officials assumed these wealthier travelers had enough money and were healthy enough to enter without much screening.

Meanwhile, steerage (third-class) passengers had to take ferries to Ellis Island for full inspections. About 15-20% of arriving immigrants (mostly from steerage) needed medical inspection, compared to generally exempted first and second-class passengers.

The Island Became A Prison During Both World Wars

During wars, Ellis Island changed from welcoming newcomers to holding perceived threats. In World War I, the facility detained about 1,000 enemy aliens and suspected spies.

After the war, it became a key site during the Red Scare, holding suspected communists and anarchists before deportation.

During World War II, around 8,000 German, Italian, and Japanese nationals living in the U.S. were held there. The Coast Guard also used parts of the island for training during this time.

It’s Split Between Two States

New York and New Jersey fought for decades over which state owned Ellis Island. The argument came from an 1834 agreement that put the boundary between the states in the middle of the Hudson River.

As Ellis Island grew from 3.3 acres to 27.5 acres with landfill, questions arose about who owned the new land.

In 1998, the Supreme Court finally ruled that the original 3.3-acre island belongs to New York, while the extra 24 acres belong to New Jersey.

This means you might cross state lines just by walking from one room to another when visiting.

Many Famous Americans First Stepped Foot Here

Many future American icons first stepped onto U.S. soil at Ellis Island. Composer Irving Berlin came from Russia in 1893 at age five and later wrote ‘God Bless America’ and many other famous songs.

Comedian Bob Hope arrived from England in 1908 as a 5-year-old named Leslie Townes Hope. Other notable arrivals include actor Rudolph Valentino and chef Oscar Tschirky (who created the Waldorf salad).

Businessmen like Max Factor and Charles Atlas also came through, along with physicist Nikola Tesla in 1884, before the official Ellis Island station even opened.

Why Ellis Island Closed For Good

Ellis Island’s importance dropped sharply when the Immigration Act of 1924 created quotas and required immigrants to get visas from American consulates abroad before traveling.

This moved the immigration process overseas and left Ellis Island handling only special cases.

By the 1930s, the island mainly processed deportations rather than arrivals. The facility closed for good on November 12, 1954, with Norwegian sailor Arne Peterssen being the last person processed there.

For a few decades after closing, the island sat empty and falling apart, with plants taking over the abandoned buildings.

The $160 Million Makeover

After years of neglect, Ellis Island’s comeback started with the largest historic restoration project in U.S. history. President Lyndon B. Johnson added the island to the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965, but serious work didn’t begin until several years.

The huge $160 million renovation took six years, paid for by government funds and a private fundraising campaign led by Lee Iacocca.

Workers carefully restored the Main Building to how it looked between 1918-1924. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened to the public on September 10, 1990, with exhibits telling the stories of millions who passed through.

You Can Search For Your Ancestors In The Records

You can visit Ellis Island year-round as part of the National Park Service. You’ll need to take a ferry from either Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey, and your ticket includes both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

The main immigration building has floors of exhibits with historical photos, artifacts, and displays about the immigrant experience.

You can search the American Family Immigration History Center’s database with records of more than 65 million searchable records.