Immigration Resources

Discovering Your Immigrant & Ethnic Ancestors (929.1 CAR). Covers both immigration, emigration and naturalization records as well as researching ethnic groups. Lots of good examples and clearly written.

Emigration and Settlement Patterns of German Communities in North America (GEN 943 EMI). A compilation of articles about one ethnic group that illustrates the need to research the group in order to find clues about your ancestor’s behavior and choices.

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives (GEN 929.1 GUI). Pages 51-105 deal with immigration and naturalization records held by the National Archives and how to use them.

Immigrant Arrivals: A Guide to Published Sources.

Immigrant & Passenger Arrivals: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications (GEN 3325.2 UNI). Lists microfilm held by the National Archives arranged by port. Helps when ordering films from the Family History Library.

In Search of Your European Roots (GEN 929.1 BAX). Covers each European country so is a good start, but a more in depth guide to the country that you are researching is recommended.

Migration, Emigration, Immigration (GEN 325.73 MIL). Short histories with bibliographies on migration patterns of religious groups, between states, and from other countries.

The Source (929.1 SOU). Chapter 13 focuses on immigrant ancestors.

They Came in Ships (325.2 COL). Small but information packed guide to ship records.

Ships
Morton Allan Directory of European Passenger Steamship Arrivals (GEN 325.2 MOR). A chronological list arranged by steamer line. Only covers major ports (New York, 1890-1930 and Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore, 1904-1926).

Passenger Ships Arriving in New York Harbor, 1820-1850 (GEN 325.2 PAS). One section lists arrivals chronologically, the other lists the ships in alphabetical order.

Ships of Our Ancestors(GEN 325.2 ANU). Images of passenger ships arranged alphabetically.

Emigration Records
Alsace Emigration Book (GEN 944 ALS). Alphabetical list of immigrants who sailed from Alsace in what is now France.

Bremen Passenger Lists, 1920-1939 A project in progress, only some of these years are complete.

Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations, 1650-1775 (GEN 941.1 DOB). A good example of unwilling immigrants.

Hamburg Passenger Lists Emigrants sailing from Hamburg, one of the major European ports of departure. This ongoing project currently only covers a few years in the 1890s. The emigration lists for Hamburg from 1850-1934 are available from the Family History Library.

Wuerttemberg Emigration Index (GEN 943 WUE). Multiple volume set of immigrants embarking from Wuerttemberg, Germany.

Immigration Records
Ellis Island, 1892-1924. For an alternate search method of the same data, use the one step search.

The Famine Immigrants (GEN 941.5 FAM). Series of books that lists Irish immigrants arriving in New York during the potato famine, 1846-1851.

Germans to America (GEN 943 GER). First series currently covers 1850-1897. Second series begins with 1840. Each volume alphabetically arranged. Includes only passenger lists with a high percentage of Germans.

Migration from the Russian Empire (GEN 947 MIG). Covers 1875-1891.

Passenger and Immigration Lists Index (GEN 929 PAS). 3-volume original index has been followed by yearly supplements. You need to search the original and all supplements as they do not overlap. Indexes published passenger lists from books and journals. Ask about interlibrary loan if the library does not have the book or journal to which the index refers you.

Ship Passenger Lists National and New England (1600-1825) (GEN 325.2 SHI). Part bibliography and part reprint of lists of these early arrivals.

Swedish Passenger Arrivals in New York, 1820-1850 (GEN 948.5 OLS).

Naturalization
American Naturalization Processes and Procedures 1790-1985 (GEN 342.083 NEW).

Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States (GEN 929.37 SCH). Introduction to naturalization laws and processes followed by a state-by-state and county-by-county explanation of records.

Locating Your Immigrant Ancestor (929.1072 NEA). Focuses on naturalization records.

They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins (GEN 929.1 SZU). An overview of the process and how to find records.

Des Moines County
Des Moines County Clerk of Court has naturalization records and index.

Declaration of Intent, 1880-1896. (1 roll). Index at front of each volume.

Final Papers, 1866-1868, 1882-1906. (2 rolls).

Naturalization Records (7 volumes). Indexes declarations of intent for 1855-1929 and final papers for 1849-1912.