WEB SITE LISTS ELLIS ISLAND RECORDS

An Internet archive of Ellis Island immigration records is invaluable, genealogists say.

"If your ancestors came here in the late 1800s, it's a wonderful research tool," said Margaret Harmon, a registered genealogist in Cape Girardeau. "But the thing is, in Southeast Missouri most people here are fourth to sixth generation, so they were here long before Ellis Island was even thought of."

The Web site ellisislandrecords.org went public April 17 with personal information taken from ship manifests detailing names, ages and other facts on more than 22 million passengers.

Since 40 percent of Americans can claim an ancestor who arrived at Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924, activity on the Web site has been busy.

For genealogist Diane Runnels of Jackson, Mo., it's too busy.

"It will be a good site," said Runnels, who instructs others on how to find relatives on the Internet. "The main problem now is you can't get on."

It took Runnels a week of attempts before she was able to log on to the site, she said. Searches remain difficult because of an estimated 27,000 hits each second.

Easier access expected

Eventually, this will change, said Bill Eddleman, president of the Cape Girardeau County Genealogy Society.

"Usually, these sites will be jammed up at first by the people who think they can get on there once and find their entire ancestry," he said. "They'll go away after awhile."

The Web site was created largely through the work of volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who transcribed the handwritten records onto computers.

Searches using exact names as well as alternate spellings are particularly useful, Eddleman said.

The records available include names, genders, ages on arrival and ethnicity. The ship that an immigrant arrived on is shown in a sketch or photograph along with facts about the ship.

Genealogist Dawn Detring said that listing each passenger's hometown is an important aid to further research.

"You're wanting the village that they came from," said Detring, who lives in Jackson. "Then you can order copies of European church records through the Mormon Church."

Once one relative is found, a search of a ship's manifest showing all passengers can lead to discovering previously unknown family members. Clues about in-laws and children who died shortly after arriving in America could be found this way, Detring said.

The Web site also offers a direct link to ancestry.com, another popular genealogical resource.

Mary Kay Welker said she has been patient but is still confused why she isn't allowed to pay an additional $45 for increased access to the Web site. This would allow her to create an online family scrapbook and purchase ship pictures and manifests. The Web site gives a message that these items will be coming soon.

At some point when access becomes easier, Welker plans to research her mother's family through Ellis Island online.

"When it stops kicking me off, it's going to be great," she said.