



What is in This Collection? [ edit | edit source ]

Passenger lists of vessels arriving at Key West, Florida. This collection corresponds in part to NARA Publication T940: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Key West, Florida, 1898-1945 and is part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The records are arranged by the date of arrival.

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To Browse This Collection [ edit | edit source ]

You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the browse page for Florida, Key West Passenger Lists, 1898-1945.

What Can These Records Tell Me? [ edit | edit source ]

The records may include any of the following

Passenger lists prior to 1906 Name

Date of arrival

Port of embarkation

Name of ship Passenger lists after 1906 Name of ship

Port of departure and port of entry

Name and age of passenger

Birth place of passenger

Citizenship, gender, marital status and occupation of passenger

Height, hair color, and eye color of passenger

Nationality of passenger

Passenger's last place of residence

Name and address of relative living near former residence

Destination

Name and address of relative or friend in current country

Collection Content [ edit | edit source ]

Sample Images [ edit | edit source ]

Florida, Key West Passenger Lists

Left side of page

Right side of page

Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival. The passenger lists are digital copies of the original records. The earliest records are handwritten pages. Later records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages. The records are arranged by the date of entry into port.

Arrival lists was used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States.

The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

How Do I Search This Collection? [ edit | edit source ]

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

The full name of your ancestor

The approximate date of immigration

If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

Search the Index [ edit | edit source ]

Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images [ edit | edit source ]

Search by name by visiting the Collection Details Page

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page:

Select the Description to view the images.







How Do I Analyze the Results? [ edit | edit source ]

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next? [ edit | edit source ]

When you have located your ancestor on a passenger list, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now? [ edit | edit source ]

Add any new information to your records

Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests

If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct

Continue to search the passenger lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have immigrated at the same time

If your ancestor has an uncommon surname, you may want to obtain the passenger list of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now? [ edit | edit source ]

Check for variant spellings of the name

Look for an index. Records are often indexed by local historical and genealogical societies

Search the indexes of other port cities

Research Helps [ edit | edit source ]

The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Florida.

Citing This Collection [ edit | edit source ]

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Collection Citation:

The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection.

Record Citation:

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Image Citation:

When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.

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