On the new book shelf today at the Family History Library is a very interesting volume that is announced as the first of a series–compiled by Sherida K. Eddlemon and Rhena A.V. Eddlemon: Our Brooklyn New York Ancestors 1796 and Beyond.
- Irish immigrants between 1840-45 who came to escape the famine
- Germans who came to escape the revolutions of the 1840’s
- A wave of Arab immigrants in the 1870’s who carried Turkish passports and called themselves Syrians
- Italians arriving in the 1880’s
- And other: Poles, Russians, Danes, Finns, Swedes, and Norwegians
What is so remarkable about this volume are the sources used to document these immigrants–
__directories
__sheet music
__event programs
__newspapers
__receipts
__ship manifests
__cemetery tombstones
__college graduation lists
__professional registries
__birth certificates
__patent applications
In short, what are often called ephemera by librarians! Imagine sheet music dedicated to people and many times giving their exact residence. Amherst, Dartmouth, and Princeton–schools where the second generation moved up and out of the immigrant neighborhoods.
This little gem was published by Closson Press, 257 Delilah Street, Apollo PA 15613-1933 http://www.clossonpress.com Order or check their catalog online for other “goodies” that your pedigree could benefit from.
Break your losing streak! Watch for sources like the checklist above that document your own New York immigrant ancestors. Your favorite New York genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS And read the Introductions, footnotes, and lists of sources in the books you consult. That’s where I got the checklist.