1883 Passenger Lists – Castle Garden Era
📜 Abstract
Passenger lists from 1883 highlight the diversity of transatlantic travel during the Castle Garden era. From Cabin and Saloon souvenir booklets to working manifests that included steerage, these records preserve names, occupations, and social details. They remain invaluable for genealogists, historians, educators, and collectors, capturing both the practical and cultural sides of 19th-century ocean travel.
Overview
Passenger lists from 1883 showcase voyages across major transatlantic routes. Surviving examples in the GG Archives collection include souvenir lists with ornate covers for Saloon passengers, as well as working manifests that recorded both Cabin and Steerage travelers.
These records illustrate how steamship lines like the State Line, Anchor Line, Inman Line, and Hamburg America Line connected New York, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Hamburg with the United States.
1883-06-28 SS State of Pennsylvania Passenger List
Steamship Line: State Line Steamship Co.
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 28 June 1883
Route: New York to Glasgow
Commander: Captain Alex Ritchie
1883-06-30 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 30 June 1883
Route: New York to Liverpool
Commander: Captain John J. Small
1883-10-25 SS City of Chicago Passenger List
Steamship Line: Inman Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 25 October 1883
Route: Liverpool to New York
Commander: Captain Robert Leitch
1883-11-04 SS Silesia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Hamburg Amerika Linie / Hamburg American Line (HAPAG)
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Steerage
Date of Departure: 4 November 1883
Route: Hamburg to New York
Commander: Captain Heinrich H. Barends
1883-12-07 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 7 December 1883
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain John Hedderwick
📌 Featured 1883 Passenger Lists
28 June 1883 – SS State of Pennsylvania (State Line)
Class: Cabin
Route: New York → Glasgow
Commander: Capt. Alex Ritchie
30 June 1883 – SS Furnessia (Anchor Line)
Class: Saloon
Route: New York → Liverpool
Commander: Capt. J. J. Small
Note: Souvenir cover survives.
25 October 1883 – SS City of Chicago (Inman Line)
Class: Saloon
Route: Liverpool → New York
Commander: Capt. Robert Leitch
Note: Saloon class souvenir cover documented.
4 November 1883 – SS Silesia (Hamburg America Line / HAPAG)
Class: Cabin & Steerage
Route: Hamburg → New York
Commander: Capt. Heinrich H. Barends
7 December 1883 – SS Furnessia (Anchor Line)
Class: Saloon
Route: Glasgow → New York (via Moville)
Commander: Capt. John Hedderwick
| Date of Departure | Vessel & Line | Route |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1883 | SS State of Pennsylvania State Line · Cabin · Capt. Alex Ritchie |
New York → Glasgow |
| 30 Jun 1883 | SS Furnessia Anchor Line · Saloon · Capt. J. J. Small |
New York → Liverpool |
| 25 Oct 1883 | SS City of Chicago Inman Line · Saloon · Capt. Robert Leitch |
Liverpool → New York |
| 4 Nov 1883 | SS Silesia HAPAG · Cabin & Steerage · Capt. H. H. Barends |
Hamburg → New York |
| 7 Dec 1883 | SS Furnessia Anchor Line · Saloon · Capt. John Hedderwick |
Glasgow → New York (via Moville) |
🌍 Historical Relevance
Immigration History: These 1883 lists illustrate not just New York arrivals but also voyages originating in Glasgow, Liverpool, and Hamburg—underscoring the broad reach of transatlantic shipping.
Ocean Travel: They demonstrate the class divisions of late 19th-century steamship travel, with Saloon and Cabin travelers receiving decorative booklets while Steerage passengers were recorded in manifests.
Research Value:
🏫 Teachers & Students – Offers primary sources for migration studies.
🧑🤝🧑 Genealogists – Vital for tracing family migrations from Europe to the U.S.
📖 Historians – Documents the major shipping companies of the 1880s.
🗂️ Collectors – Souvenir covers from 1883 voyages are prized for their rarity and artistry.
🛳️ Spotlight Note: SS City of Chicago (1883)
The SS City of Chicago, launched in 1873 for the Inman Line, was one of the company’s principal transatlantic liners during the late 19th century. Operating mainly between Liverpool and New York, she carried thousands of emigrants, tourists, and business travelers across the Atlantic during her long career.
The surviving 1883 Saloon passenger list is especially valuable for its decorative souvenir cover, reflecting Inman’s emphasis on presentation and passenger experience. For genealogists, these lists provide insight into upper-class transatlantic travel during the Castle Garden era. For collectors, the City of Chicago is significant as a representative of Inman’s prestige fleet, making her passenger lists sought-after examples of 1880s maritime ephemera.
✨ Related GG Archives Links
- State Line Passenger Lists Collection
- Anchor Line Passenger Lists Collection
- Inman Line Passenger Lists Collection
- Hamburg America Line Passenger Lists Collection
- Castle Garden Immigration Station – Overview
- Souvenir Passenger Lists Collection
📬 Help Us Grow the Collection
If you own or have access to a souvenir passenger list from 1883, we would greatly appreciate a digital copy to help expand the archive. 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.
