American Historical Ephemera & Photography

8 5/8 x 14 1/8 in. ledger with marbled boards, 198pp,  documenting German immigrants receiving the publication Einwanderers Freund, or "Immigrants Friend," for the years 1905-12. Organized alphabetically by name of each U.S. state plus the District of Columbia, ledger pages include columns identifying the city/town, street address, first and last name of recipient, and years s/he received the monthly periodical. Following the lists of American recipients, are "Auslaendische," or foreign, recipients of the publication. Condition of ledger generally good with expected toning, occasional tears or losses. Ledger housed within a custom folding case.

[With:] A pre-printed postcard designed to be utilized at the "Ellis Island-Immigrant Station" whereby an immigrant indicated his/her name, age, place of origination, name of steamer by which arrived, and could indicate s/he was "detained at the landing-place Ellis Island..." Unused. "Pastor Paul H. Land's, Harbor Mission of the Ref. Church in the U.S. Ellis Island, New York" printed at bottom. -- A later preprinted postcard, ca. 1950s, acknowledging "receipt of your very kind letter and the enclosed donation of...for the benevolent work of the Harbor-mission and 'Einwanderers-Freund.'" The text continues in German conveying the same message. -- Letter written largely in German and addressed to "Rev. Dr. Paul H. Land" at "Ellis Island, New York," from an unknown sender in Buffalo, NY, 16 February 1912. The author appears to send a donation for the magazine for 1912 and provide on verso a listing of 10 immigrants and their addresses living in Buffalo, NY. Letter is missing bottom half below the center fold. --Included also are a German newspaper clipping regarding the suffering of immigrants by Adolph Papemeier. 

While the Einwanderers Freund ledger is a record of  subscribers, it may also represent a record of immigrants who have ventured through Ellis Island enroute to new homes and new lives in the United States. At New York's Ellis Island, the chief port of entry, more than thirty religious societies and homes were represented by agents and missionaries who were present on the arrival of immigrant steamships. Among these religious societies was the Reformed Church (German) in the United States which operated a "Harbor Mission" pastored by Rev. Paul H. Land. A 1929 report of the "Board of Home Missions of the Reformed Church in the United States" identifies the "Harbor Mission" as an endeavor falling under "Immigration Department," and states "Dr. Land ministers to immigrants landing in New York City. He furnishes advice and help wherever needed and serves as an intermediary between immigrants and their friends in America.... He issues a small peioridical in the German language entitled 'Der Einwanderer [sic] Freund,' which furnishes valuable information especially to our German constituency...."

An interesting remnant of United States immigration history, tied to the iconic American point of entry at Ellis Island, New York.