1879 Passenger Lists – Castle Garden Era
📜 Abstract
Passenger lists from 1879 reflect the Castle Garden era of immigration, when thousands of travelers crossed the Atlantic aboard steamships bound for North America. These records survive as both souvenir lists, often richly decorated for saloon passengers, and as official manifests, documenting names, occupations, and nationalities. Together they offer valuable insights for genealogists, historians, educators, and collectors, preserving the human stories behind 19th-century migration.
Overview
Passenger lists from 1879 reveal a world of transatlantic travel and immigration at a time when millions were passing through New York’s Castle Garden immigration station. These records fall into two categories:
Souvenir Passenger Lists 🖼️ – Lavishly printed booklets distributed to first- and saloon-class passengers, often featuring ornate typography, artwork, and company advertisements.
Ship’s Manifests 📜 – Official documents compiled by the ship’s master and submitted to U.S. authorities. These administrative records listed all passengers with details such as name, age, sex, occupation, and nationality.
Both types of lists are treasured today by genealogists, historians, educators, and collectors, as they provide details not always captured in government arrival registers.
1879-05-17 SS California Passenger List
- Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
- Class of Passengers: Saloon
- Date of Departure: 17 May 1879
- Route: London for New York
- Commander: Captain James Donaldson
📌 Featured 1879 Passenger List: SS California (Anchor Line)
Date of Departure: 17 May 1879
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Route: London → New York
Commander: Capt. James Donaldson
Why it’s interesting:
⚓ The California was one of Anchor Line’s well-known transatlantic vessels, connecting Britain to New York.
🧳 This list documents Saloon Class travelers, a social group that included merchants, diplomats, professionals, and tourists.
🎨 Surviving souvenir covers like this one are valued for their design as much as their passenger details.
Front Cover of a Saloon Passenger List from the SS California of the Anchor Line, Departing 17 May 1879 from London.
🌍 Historical Relevance
Immigration History: While Castle Garden in New York remained the busiest immigrant entry port, steamers like the California illustrate how souvenir lists captured the “experience” of the voyage, not just the bare facts of arrival.
Ocean Travel: Passenger lists from 1879 highlight the social structure of travel — Saloon (Cabin) for the wealthy, Second Cabin for middle-class travelers, and Steerage for immigrants.
Research Value:
🏫 Teachers & Students – A window into 19th-century migration and maritime culture.
🧑🤝🧑 Genealogists – Names, occupations, and voyage dates help trace ancestors.
📖 Historians – Illustrates the global reach of shipping companies like the Anchor Line.
🗂️ Collectors – Decorative covers are highly sought after in the ephemera market.
✨ Related GG Archives Links
📬 Help Us Grow the Collection
We strive to preserve as many 19th-century passenger lists as possible. If you have a 1879 souvenir passenger list not yet in our archive, we would appreciate a digital copy. Please email us at history@ggarchives.com.
⚠️ About Accuracy in Historical Records Research Tip
Context. The GG Archives presents passenger lists as faithfully as possible to the original documents. While OCR is generally accurate, portions of these collections—especially image captions and some transcriptions—are typed by hand and may include typographical or spelling variations. The original manifests themselves also contained clerical inconsistencies (names recorded phonetically, mid-voyage corrections, etc.).
What this means for your research:
- Search variant spellings of names (e.g., “Schmidt/Schmitt/Smith,” “Giuseppe/Joseph”).
- Cross-reference with immigration cards, passport applications, naturalization files, city directories, and newspapers.
- Treat manifests as primary sources with historical quirks—use them alongside corroborating records.
- For place names, consider historical borders and language variants (e.g., Danzig/Gdańsk, Trieste/Trst).
How to cite. When quoting a name from a manifest, consider adding [sic] for obvious misspellings and include a note such as “spelling as printed in original passenger list.”
Need help? If you spot a likely transcription error in captions, feel free to contact us with the page URL and a brief note—we love community input. 🙏
Curator’s Note
For over 25 years, I've been dedicated to a unique mission: tracking down, curating, preserving, scanning, and transcribing historical materials. These materials, carefully researched, organized, and enriched with context, live on here at the GG Archives. Each passenger list isn't just posted — it's a testament to our commitment to helping you see the people and stories behind the names.
It hasn't always been easy. In the early years, I wasn't sure the site would survive, and I often paid the hosting bills out of my own pocket. But I never built this site for the money — I built it because I love history and believe it's worth preserving. It's a labor of love that I've dedicated myself to, and I'm committed to keeping it going.
If you've found something here that helped your research, sparked a family story, or just made you smile, I'd love to hear about it. Your experiences and stories are the real reward for me. And if you'd like to help keep this labor of love going, there's a "Contribute to the Website" link tucked away on our About page.
📜 History is worth keeping. Thanks for visiting and keeping it alive with me.
