by Laura Stolk
Castle Garden was located across from where Ellis Island is now found. It was the original destination for immigrants who landed in New York, up until 1892 when more stringent guidelines for processing immigrants were put into place, rendering Castle Garden obsolete.
As indicated by the article referenced below, immigrants were not very safe upon arrival. This was especially true for those who did not speak English or who did not have an immediate, planned destination.
If you would like to search records for Castle Garden, a good place to start is FamilySearch.org. They have a wonderful free search function.
This article was clipped from the Cincinnati Enquirer for June 10, 1856. It discusses the conditions of immigrants upon arrival and the various things that could befall an unsuspecting person – “…the poor immigrant with his strong arms and hard dollars, after landing is next thrown to the tender mercies of the merciless land-sharks and land-sharpers of every description.”
