Almost all of our immigrant ancestors arrived during the nineteenth century. Their decisions to immigrate reflect the political and social conditions on the European continent and in the British Isles. The first to arrive were David Fenner from Ireland, about 1842, and George Wylie, who came about two years later from Scotland.

Poor economic conditions in the nineteenth century in Scotland and Ireland encouraged many to immigrate. Ireland was much worse off than Scotland due to brutal, British rule. The Penal Laws enacted by England in the early 1700s removed the rights of native Irish to vote, hold office, own or lease property, educate their children, or take up a profession. The English became the dominant landholding class in Ireland, and landlords who charged inflated rents and demanded a portion of the crops. As the poor Irish suffered the potato became an increasingly important part of their diet. David Fenner arrived in New York City about 1842, before the potato blight struck in 1845. The impact of the potato famine was staggering, leading to mass starvation and a major exodus of Irish to the New World. Three-quarters of Irish land was being used to grow wheat and other crops, but these lands were owned by English landlords who shipped the harvest to England rather than feed the hungry of Ireland. In 1845, 75,000 Irish left and in 1851 the number had leapt to 250,000.

It’s not known why George Wylie left Scotland about 1844, but it’s interesting to note that 1843 is the year of the Disruption of the Church of Scotland. In that year the Free Church was formed by the Evangelicals who broke from the Church of Scotland in protest against the state’s encroachment on the spiritual independence of the Church.

Our first German relative to arrive was Philip Eschenfelder before 1845. Between May 5, 1847 and December 31, 1889, 9.6 million immigrants arrived in New York. Germany and Ireland accounted for just over 60 percent of these immigrants. Heinrich Blank, John D. Muller, Sr. and Valentine Stritzky came in the 1850s, and. Frederick Bissinger and Edward Frey arrived in the 1860s. John Hajek and his family also arrived at this time from Vienna, Austria. The last of our German relatives to immigrate was Herman Baumgartel, about 1870.

There were four main classes in Germany: the nobility; the Bourgeoisie (large capitalists, traders and manufacturers); the very large middle class of small tradesmen and shopkeepers; and the proletarian or industrial class, i.e. the working class of people which included the peasantry. In 1840, Frederick Wilhelm IV was crowned king of Prussia, the largest of the German Confederation states. The proletarian class looked to him for change, but he refused to grant a constitution and the masses turned against him. Germany was still a feudal system at the outbreak of the revolution on March 18, 1848. The people, deprived of political privileges, had no control over their leaders who were very wealthy, held all the higher government positions, and officered the army. Germany was also at a disadvantage in world trade, which made immigration to North America even more attractive. The middle class struggled to gain political power and the consequence was the rise of the liberal Opposition Movement of 1840-1847.

The next of our people to arrive were the Norwegians. Christian Emil Greenwold and Henry Wick both came to New York City in 1888. The reasons Norwegians immigrated were varied, but the potential for jobs and higher wages for those who were not farmers made New York City and other industrial centers attractive destinations. For example, a sailor on an American ship earned three to four times the wage of a sailor on a Norwegian ship. A laborer in Norway could earn $40 to $50 a year, whereas similar pay in an American city was $4 to $5 a day when times were good.


ARRIVAL AT CASTLE GARDEN
Castle Garden, located at the tip of Manhattan Island near current Battery Park, served as the entry point for New York City from August 1, 1855 until 1890. Previous to this time immigration control was left largely to the states. Men, women and children were packed into steerage, often in overcrowded conditions that led to illness or death before the voyage ended. Upon arrival on Manhattan Island, with no protection, the newly arrived immigrants were fleeced and robbed of their personal possessions. Boardinghouse runners were the worst of the thieves as they attempted to lure immigrants to decrepit lodgings where they were charged exorbitant rates or had their possessions stolen. In 1847 a Board of Commissioners of Emigration was formed upon the behest of the German and Irish Emigrant Societies, and the board established the Emigrants Hospital and Refuge on Wards Island was established. After the revolution of 1848 in Europe so many immigrants began to arrive that the Commissioners of Emigration decided to establish a single receiving station, and in 1855 Garden was established.

Both sailing and steam ships entered the New York harbor through the narrows between Staten Island and Brooklyn. Ships were quarantined at anchor near the Staten Island shore because of fear of smallpox, typhoid fever or cholera. The ship was then allowed to proceed to anchor off Castle Garden where a customs inspector checked the luggage, after which the ship was allowed to land. The immigrants were once again checked by a health inspector and the sick were transferred to the hospital on Ward’s Island. Those allowed to enter were registered and their intended destination was recorded. Boarding house keepers were licensed and closely supervised by the city and were allowed to solicit the immigrants who planned to remain in New York City.

As the number of immigrants increased, Castle Garden became inadequate for the daily flow and inspectors were unable to enforce the rules. Abuses grew and on April 18, 1890, the contract was terminated and Castle Garden was closed. Responsibility for examination of the immigrants was transferred to the Barge Office on April 19th, located in Battery Park, until Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892. Albert Wilmott was the only one of our family who arrived at Ellis Island.


SETTLING IN - THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Most German immigrants that arrived in New York City congregated in the Lower East Side, forming their own neighborhoods and institutions. About half the German born population resided here, and the area became known as Klein Deutschland, or “Little Germany.” The Lower East Side stretched from Fourteenth Street to Chambers Street between the Bowery and the East River. Klein Deutschland spread across four entire wards: the 10th, 11th, 13th and 17th. In 1871, Klein Deutschland would have been the fifth largest city in the German empire.

The inhabitants adhered to their roots and thought of themselves as Bavarians, Prussians, or Saxons rather than “Germans.” They kept their regional customs and they tended to marry people from their native state, or one nearby. Almost every German men belonged to some mutual assistance fund, Masonic lodge, fraternal order, or singing society. Their Volksfeste, or ethnic celebrations, were held frequently and were well-attended events. Thousands of saloons, beer halls, wine and beer gardens could be found throughout Klein Deutschland. The families came to drink, socialize, listen to music or enjoy theatrical performances.

In order to accommodate the large number of poor immigrants five and six story brick and stone tenements were built in large numbers during the 1850s and 1860s. In the 1870s a tenement apartment probably rented for about $8 to $15 a month. Horse lines traversed the neighborhood and in 1868 elevated railways were being built to carry people between uptown, downtown, east and west.

By the 1880s most Germans were moving out of the Lower East Side as Eastern Europeans arrived in great numbers. They moved to Yorkville in the Upper East Side or across the East River to Brooklyn.