Mr Monkey scampered upstairs to the Registry Room. Sometimes as many as 5000 immigrants would be in here, trying to prove that they'd make good Americans. The magnificent ceiling was built in 1917, after the original ceiling was damaged when German agents blew up ammunition barges in New Jersey. Mr Monkey looked out of one of the larger windows, across to the hospital block, where they kept anyone who looked ill.
You can see records of the immigrants who went through Ellis Island at the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation website, but you need to register before you can actually see the data for any individual.
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 20 March 2005