Immigration & Naturalization

Emigration-North of Iowa- Extract of a letter, dated Lansing, Iowa, May 6th 1854:
"At this time there is a large emigration coming in here of farmers, mostly eastern men, who are buying improved farms, at from $800 to $4000. These men generally were well to do at the east, and bringing with them considerable money and much to the advancement and improvement of the county. I do think that Allamakee and Winnesheik counties will nearly, if not quite, double their population this season. The rush into northern Iowa and Minnesota is unparalleled in the history of the settlement of any part of the west.

One great thing is, that the great majority who come are intelligent, industrious and public spirited men, who at once set to open fine farms, make them comfortable houses, &c. So you can at a glance see, that the day is not far distant, when our country will have the appearance of an old settled region. As to the interests of this town, they are being and are to be, largely benefited by this rapid improvement of this country interior. Also, it has now become a settled thing, that Lansing is the home of northern Iowa. Trade here has opened this season about four-fold larger than last year at the corresponding time. So you can judge, that the growth of the town is a permanent one."

~source: The Mirror, Lyons, Iowa, May 23, 1854
~contributed by Kenneth Wright

Ship Australia, departed from Hamburg, Germany; arrived Port of New York May 12, 1884
Passengers #200-204:
Heinrick Rartels, age 31, workman, Mecklenburg to Postville, Iowa,
Caroline, age 21, wife
Minna, age 7, daughter
Emma, age 1, daughter
Heinrich, age 5 mo., son

~source: New York. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Micropublication M237. Rolls # 1-675. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Gottlieb Brandt, male, age 56; farmer; US citizen; paid own passage; going home; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Stuttgart; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, Nov 1894; destination - Postville, IA; last residence - Postville, IA; other notations: 27 yrs.in prison or almshouse, senality

Wilhelm Fredericks (or Frederickson), male, age ?, single, laborer; German citizen; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Stuttgart; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, November 10, 1894; paid own passage; destination - friends in Postville, IA; last residence - Beckstedt; has $70.00 in possession

Fritz Koenig, male, age 27, married; occupation: smith; German citizen; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Stuttgart; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, November 10, 1894; last residence - ?elle, Hann; destination - Potsville, IA; relatives in IA; paid own passage; has $5 in his possession; first time in U.S.A.
Caroline, age 24; Heinrich, age 3; Friedrich, age 6 mo. (traveling with Fritz Koenig)

[Wilh ?] Koenig, age 19, laborer, single, German citizen, last residence - [Jiesshule ?, hard to decipher]; has $25 in possession.
[it looks like he didn't make the trip - is listed on same page of the manifest, next line under the Fritz Koenig family, but his entry is crossed through]

[F--ieds Schuiss ?], age 18, single, German citizen, last residence - [Lefern ?, hard to decipher]; has $10 in possession; other notations: last minute arrested
[it looks like he didn't make the trip - listed on same page of the manifest a few lines down, but crossed through: ]

~source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, M844, Roll Number 6, page 78 & 79

traveling together:
Wilhelm Koenig, male, age 49, farmer; U.S. citizen; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Stuttgart; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, November 30, 1894; paid own passage; destination - Postville, IA; last residence - Postville, Iowa; has $33.00 in possession

Henry Dahms, male, age 57, farmer; U.S. citizen; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Stuttgart; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, November 30, 1894; paid own passage; destination - Postville, IA; last residence - Postville, Iowa; has $33.00 in possession

~source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, M844, Roll Number 6, page 80

Buchsteiner, Johann, age 27, single, labourer; departure from Hamburg, Germany on steamship Canadia; arrived at port Boston, Mass., January 19, 1895; nationality: German; last residence: Hamburg; father paid passage, destination - Carl Buchsteiner, father, Postville, Iowa; has $17.05 in possession; [he is listed twice on the manifest, line 13 & again on line 50, see below]

Franz Martens, age 39, farmer; nationality: German; departure from Hamburg, Germany on steamship Canadia; arrived at port Boston, Mass., January 19, 1895; destination - Postville, IA; has 4 pieces of baggage [line 18]

Auguste Martens, age 27; nationality: Prussia; departure from Hamburg, Germany on steamship Canadia; arrived at port Boston, Mass., January 19, 1895; last residence: Floetenau; destination - Postville, Iowa [line 25]

Maria Ewald, age 18, maid servant; nationality: Prussia; last residence: Floetenau; departure from Hamburg, Germany on steamship Canadia; arrived at port Boston, Mass., January 19, 1895; destination - Postville, Iowa [line 26]

Johann Buchsteiner, age 27, labourer; last residence: Hamburg; departure from Hamburg, Germany on steamship Canadia; arrived at port Boston, Mass., January 19, 1895; destination - Postville, Iowa; has 2 pieces of baggage [he is listed twice on the manifest, line 50 and also line 13, above]

~source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, T843, Roll Number 14

Fred Heismann, age 30, single, farmer; U.S. Citizen; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Stuttgart; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, March 3, 1895; paid own passage; destination: home, Postville, IA; last residence - Postville, Iowa; 4 1/2 yrs. U.S. residence; has $100 in possession

~source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, M844, Roll Number 6, page 24

traveling together:
Sophie Buckman, female, age 22, single; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship H H Meier; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, Sep 1896; U.S. citizen; going home; paid own passage; resident of U.S. for 6 yrs.; destination - Postville, IA; last residence - Postville, Iowa; has $50 in possession

Sophie Buckman, female, age 61, married; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship H H Meier; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, Sep 1896; German citizen; paid own passage; going to daughter in IA; first visit to U.S.A.; destination - Postville, IA; last residence - [Hirhstelt, Kenya ?]; has $50 in possession; other notation: senility

~source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, M844, Roll Number 8, page 37

Wilhelm Meyer, age 22, single; carpenter; German citizen; last residence Husmun, Han.; has never been in U.S. before; departure from Bremen, Germany on ship Hannover; arrived at port Baltimore, Maryland, May 26, 1904; destination - William Meyer, Postville, IA; passage paid by uncle; has $18 in possession

~source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, M844, Roll Number 41, page 181

Lindsey Tanner Becomes An American Citizen
Lindsey Audrey Lee Tanner is now an American citizen. Lindsey, The three-year-old daughter of Kent and Linda Tanner of New Albin, proudly held up her citizenship papers and the American flag as she sat for this photo recently at the Federal Court House in Cedar Rapids. Pictured with her are her brother Christopher, age 7, and the Honorable David R. Hansen. Judge Hansen is the same judge that presided when Christopher became a citizen three years ago.

~source: Allamakee Journal, September 19, 1990
~contributed by Errin Wilker