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A New Home
After standing vacant since the Civil War, Ellis Island and its buildings were to replace the, then-current, immigration station at Castle Garden in lower Manhattan. In 1890, the federal government is placed in charge of immigration. The first federal immigration station on Ellis Island was given $75,000 for construction. Ellis Island's sized double in preparing for its opening. -
The Opening of the First Stop
On January 1, 1892, the first Ellis Island Immigration Station officially opened as three large ships waited to land. On opening day, 700 immigrants passed through Ellis Island. The first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island was Annie Moore who traveled from Ireland, celebrated her 15th birthday while passing through. Annie was given a greeting from the officials and a $10.00 gold piece. During the first year, almost 450,000 immigrants passed through Ellis Island. -
Fire! Fire!
On June 15, 1897, while 200 immigrants were on the island, a fire brought out in a tower of the main building and the roof collapsed. No one is killed but immigration records from the 1840 and the Castle Garden are destroyed. The immigration station was moved to the barge office at Manhattan's Battery Park. After a new commissioner, William Williams is appointed and a fireproof facility is opened in December, 2,251 people pass through on the opening day. -
Expansion of the Island
What was once a three-acre island, Ellis Island saw many new additions. By using a landfill, two new islands were created. Island Two housed the hospital administration and contagious diseases. The psychiatric ward was found on Island Three. With the new additions, Ellis Island had grown to more than 27 acres. -
Highest Year
The all-time daily high of immigrants received was on April 17, 1907, where 11,747 immigrants passed through Ellis Island. A total of 1,004,756 immigrants were received in 1907, making it the year with the highest number of immigrants received. Even with being the highest year of immigrants received, a new federal law was passed excluding persons with mental and physical disabilities and children without adults to be received at Ellis Island. -
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Ellis Island during War
With the start of World War I in 1914, Ellis Island experienced a decline in receiving immigrants. Not only was the island home to the immigrant offices but the U.S. Army started operating a hospital out t of Ellis Island. The army took over most of the island by 1918 by making a makeshift way station to treat sick and wounded American servicemen. -
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Immigration Limitations
In 1921, the Emergency Quota Act was signed by President Warren G. Harding which limited the number of immigrants coming into the U.S. The limitations went even farther with the Immigration Act of 1924 which putting a fixed quota for received immigrants in a year to 165,000 and fixing a quota for immigrants from specific countries. When the Great Depression took a hold of the U.S. in 1932, Ellis Island started to become abandoned and neglected, and more immigrants left the country than arrived. -
A New Use for Ellis Island
While Ellis Island experienced a decline in immigrants, the island saw more activity from the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard took over most of the island for storage and office space. Renovations and repairs were made to the buildings with the hope to accommodate detainees. -
The Closing of Ellis Island
In November 1954, all 33 of the structures on Ellis Island close. Since the beginning of Ellis Island, millions of immigrants were recieved on the island. It is estimated that 40 percent of all American citizens can trace one ancestor who passed through Ellis Island. -
A New Protector of Ellis Island
President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Proclamation 3656, which stated Ellis Island fell under the National Park Service jurisdiction as a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Johnson also signed the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. This act established a more modern U.S. immigration law which allowed more individuals from third-world countries to enter the U.S. -
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A New Life
From 1984 to the present day, Ellis Island has seen many restorations and re-openings of the island. In 1990, the Main Arrivals Building re-opened giving tours to those interested in family history or the island. The American Family Immigration History Center opened in 2001. Most recently, the expansion of "The Peopling of America" opened in 2015.
