Philadelphia Port of Entry

Immigration Station

There are two stations for landing the immigrants, one at the foot of Washington Street; the other at the foot of Vine Street. Immigrants are examined at these two stations. Those who are detained for any reason are taken by boat to Gloucester City where the new station has been built. In Gloucester they have a very well-equipped building with offices for administration, sleeping rooms for detained immigrants, dining room and small rooms for special hospital cases. Until the new hospital is built, most of the hospital patients are sent to different hospitals in the city. There is also here a pier containing three acres on which is to be built a Receiving Station to allow all immigrants to be examined at Gloucester. The equipment of the building at Gloucester in every particular is modern and of the very best. The dining room especially, is fitted up in the very best approved style; it is large enough to allow two hundred to eat at one time. The walls and floor are cement; the tables and seats are metal, so that the entire room can be washed out with hose, as the floor slopes toward a drain in which is carried off all the water.

Missionaries and Workers

Twenty different societies are represented at this port by missionaries or agents. Fourteen of these may be called strictly religious societies. The work is carried on here about the same as at Boston and Ellis Island. There is no definite plan for following up the work after the immigrants leave Philadelphia. Those who remain in Philadelphia are visited as far as possible and their addresses are given to the workers of the nearest church or mission. The Episcopal and Lutheran workers usually send the names and addresses of those immigrants who are connected with their churches to the pastors in the towns or cities to which these immigrants are going.

The Lutheran Church has three representatives. They work together in supplementing the work of each other.

Under the direction of Mr. Demberg, the Young Men's Christian Association Immigration Bureau conducts the work at this station in the same manner as at other ports. Similar conditions obtain here as at the other ports, namely, that the missionaries are doing a most excellent work and in a very real sense, the most practical and helpful work that is being done with the arriving immigrant. The same need also is apparent here as elsewhere that the work should be organized in such way as to bring it into vital touch with the immigrant work in various Ports of Entry, and in close relation with the missionary work in our towns and cities.

The Methodist Episcopal Church maintains a Deaconess Home at 611 Vine Street. Miss Ford of the Methodist Church, and Miss Staake of the Lutheran Church, and Mr. Levins of the Philadelphia Bible Society, have been engaged in the missionary service at the Philadelphia Port for many years.

The Philadelphia Bible Society distributed 50,479 books printed in fifty different languages.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union, through the work of Miss M. L. Grunninger, during the year met ninety vessels and distributed nearly 40,000 pages of literature.

The Philadelphia Baptist City Mission Society carried on their port missionary work through the services of their city missionaries.

Mr. Levins, missionary of the Philadelphia Bible Society, related the following incident:

"I wish I could picture to you the dying of an immigrant at the Immigrant Station. On one side knelt the Matron, and on the other side Miss Ford, a Methodist deaconess, and before him an interpreter reading from a Testament in his own language. The Matron held her hands in the attitude of prayer, the dying man smiled and nodded his head yes, indicating that he understood her and would pray. This was the last comfort the dying stranger received—a Jew reading our Master's Words to him and the prayers of two Christian women."

At a Conference of the workers and of the missionaries and others interested in the work at Philadelphia, it was voted that as soon as practicable the Committee of Six should consider a definite plan for organizing the missionary work at the Philadelphia Port. There was a great desire for unity and efficiency in this service. There was unanimous agreement that it would be wise, if possible, to organize the work at this time so as to be definitely prepared for effective service, and to meet whatever conditions may arise in the immigration problem in the near future. This Conference also approved the proposition to appoint in each port city a Local Advisory Committee through which the missionary work could be supervised.

The greatest decrease last year (June 30, 1915) was in non-skilled or miscellaneous workers.

 1914.1915.
Farm Laborers288,05327,723
Laborers226,40748,351
Servants144,40939,774

Of the number admitted in 1899–1900, sixty-per cent. settled in five states, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

The Philadelphia Immigration
Station

Missionaries and Workers

Lutheran Women of the East Pennsylvania Synodical Society: Miss Marietta Staake.

Women's Home Mission Society: Methodist Episcopal Church, Miss Ford.

Philadelphia Baptist City Mission Society: Workers in the City Mission.

Swedish Baptist Church: Rev. Swenson.

Protestant Episcopal Church, St. Paul's Mission: Mr. Frank Longshore.

Protestant Episcopal Church: Rev. Weinstein.

Norwegian Church: Rev. Halvor Midtbo.

Lutheran Church of the Mission Syndicate: Rev. A. H. Winter.

Pennsylvania Bible Society: Mr. James Levins.

Immigrant Missionary of the General Council of the Lutheran Church: Rev. Erich Saul.

Young Women's Christian Temperance Union: Miss Mary Grunninger.

Young Men's Christian Association: Mr. Denberg.

North American Civic League for Immigrants: Mr. W. Hartzel.

Council of Jewish Women: Mrs. E. Shevall.

Association for Protection of Jewish Immigrants: Dr. H. D. Pearlman.

Catholic Immigration Society: Mrs. Brown.

Polish Society: Mr. Dutkievitz.

Friendly Sons of St. Patrick: Mr. Thos. D. Ferguson.

Society for Italian Immigrants: Miss Jennie Lanzetta.

Catholic Temperance Society: Mrs. Smith.

Alliance Help for Lithuanian Immigrants: Mrs. Susanna Baranowsky.

Emigration Statistics

Emigration for a period of years is about one-third. From 1908–1910 inclusive: 81 per cent. had been in America not over five years; 14.7 not over ten years.

Of those coming to this country from 1890–1900 only 70 per cent. were found here at the end of that period.

In 1899–1909 there were more than 8,000,000 immigrants admitted. Of this number 1,013,974 were under fourteen years of age, and 6,786,506 were between 14–44, and 412,554 were over forty-five.

Present Responsibility for Future Opportunity

The problem of restricting immigration that for many years has been puzzling the politicians, reformers and various civic and philanthropic and religious societies and national organizations, has been settled for the time, at least, by the European War.

The danger is that the Christian Church shall regard this breathing spell as a time for the relaxation of energy. Such an attitude is wholly contrary to the real meaning of this hour and does not at all respond to its earnest offer of a splendid opportunity for effective service and permanent achievement. It is the very best time we have had for several years to get together, to study conditions, to canvass fields, to discover needs, and develop methods of work.

It has been demonstrated that the scope of this work can be enlarged, and its effectiveness increased by organizing its activities, so that this branch of our missionary service shall represent the Christian love and life operating with a spirit wholly interdenominational and non-sectarian through a body of workers, inspired by the same motive, working by a common method, and moving toward a well-defined goal. Thus our Ports of Entry missionary service would be appreciated at its true value, and be recognized by Government authorities and other organizations as a most important and efficient factor, and be given the place it deserves in cooperation with the federal, civic, educational and philanthropic agencies, working in any comprehensive service for welcoming and protecting the Immigrant.

For the full consummation of this scheme, there must be clear vision of the far-reaching scope of the Immigrant work and adequate realization of the vast opportunity and unlimited possibilities for achievement in this service. There must be a deep sense of responsibility and keen appreciation of the price to be paid in order to realize the fulfilment of the vision. There must be a willingness to let go not a few denominational and perhaps personal preferences, and a readiness to sacrifice some things that have been held quite dear.

It is the hour of a great responsibility devolving upon the Christian Church to discharge her obligation to create such a spirit of genuine fellowship between Americans "New" and "Old" that there shall be established throughout our land a Christian brotherhood that knows "neither border, nor breed, nor birth," even the gracious and masterful "Brotherhood of the Sons of God."

For the Purpose of Examining and Inspecting Immigrants our country is divided into twenty-two Immigration Stations with headquarters at

Immigration Statistics

From 1820–1915 Immigrant Aliens came to this country 32,354,124
During the year ending June 30, 1914 1,218,480
This was the largest number except in 1907, when the number was 1,285,349
Year ending June 30, 1915 326,700
Immigrants returning last year204,074 
Immigrants deported last year2,564 
 ———206,638
Net gain of the year ending June 30, 1915 120,052

Immigrant Aliens for the Year Ending June 30, 1915

 Admitted.Departed.
Atlantic Ports:  
 New York, N. Y.178,416150,014
 Boston, Mass.15,9839,033
 Philadelphia, Pa.7,1147,052
 Baltimore, Md.3,017335
 Canadian Atlantic Ports5,0402,448
 Portland, Me.11595
 New Bedford, Mass.827225
 Providence, R. I.2,5361,984
 Newport News, Va.192 
 Norfolk, Va.30 
 Savannah, Ga.13 
 Miami, Fla.1,154843
 Key West, Fla.7622,595
 Other Atlantic27 
Ports of Gulf of Mexico:  
 Tampa, Fla.1,6379
 Pensacola, Fla.4 
 Mobile, Ala.612
 New Orleans, La.1,694800
 Galveston, Tex.2,272119
 Other Gulf35 
Pacific Ports:  
 San Francisco, Cal.8,0553,090
 Portland, Ore.93 
 Seattle, Wash.2,613748
 Canadian Pacific Ports246250
 Alaska485 
Border Stations:  
 Canadian Border81,38222,922
 Mexican Border9,003211
Insular Possessions:  
 Honolulu, Hawaii2,966475
 Porto Rico928824
 ——————
  Total326,700204,074

Occupations of Admitted Immigrants

 1914.1915.
Professional14,60112,279
Skilled Laborers173,20855,638
Miscellaneous710,456141,843

Immigrants 1914–1915

Immigrant Aliens came in the years  
 1914.1915.
  to  
Alabama1,450430
Alaska886693
Arizona3,8862,100
Arkansas399147
California32,08920,116
Colorado4,4931,339
Connecticut33,1926,620
Delaware1,559245
District of Columbia1,9131,087
Florida6,4714,810
Georgia778356
Hawaii5,6222,934
Idaho1,9761,226
Illinois105,81119,062
Indiana14,7272,146
Iowa9,3073,407
Kansas2,520744
Kentucky944268
Louisiana2,2681,451
Maine7,2784,401
Maryland8,9441,883
Massachusetts93,20027,482
Michigan49,63917,438
Minnesota22,2329,115
Mississippi500138
Missouri13,7812,743
Montana6,0703,454
Nebraska5,0561,388
Nevada1,171387
New Hampshire7,3132,832
New Jersey62,49511,248
New Mexico895561
New York344,66395,028
North Carolina463267
North Dakota4,3133,290
Ohio74,6159,341
Oklahoma946387
Oregon5,5472,629
Pennsylvania184,43824,596
Philippine Islands1316
Porto Rico1,203812
Rhode Island12,5693,621
South Carolina260132
South Dakota1,7541,095
Tennessee846306
Texas14,6309,447
Utah3,3871,296
Vermont3,5031,928
Virginia1,959855
Washington20,06113,093
West Virginia12,3992,030
Wisconsin20,6603,850
Wyoming1,377430
Unknown  
 ————————
  Total1,218,480326,700

Departed 1914–1915

Emigrant Aliens departed in the years1914.1915.
  from  
Alabama277175
Alaska7840
Arizona560606
Arkansas4425
California8,0497,063
Colorado1,079607
Connecticut7,5714,995
Delaware370141
District of Columbia405269
Florida1,9613,555
Georgia12189
Hawaii747561
Idaho270195
Illinois23,63711,682
Indiana4,5441,331
Iowa1,469755
Kansas421110
Kentucky17899
Louisiana531369
Maine673665
Maryland1,313999
Massachusetts15,98314,612
Michigan10,8095,524
Minnesota3,4021,504
Mississippi4721
Missouri2,7441,426
Montana723532
Nebraska520280
Nevada288168
New Hampshire1,545978
New Jersey13,9837,108
New Mexico320206
New York76,01767,016
North Carolina7347
North Dakota405114
Ohio16,4727,640
Oklahoma21571
Oregon907583
Pennsylvania55,21727,499
Philippine Islands1120
Porto Rico969849
Rhode Island2,8212,566
South Carolina4333
South Dakota18360
Tennessee10860
Texas927371
Utah965718
Vermont516483
Virginia330233
Washington2,6381,491
West Virginia3,3572,617
Wisconsin4,7311,824
Wyoming350167
Unknown31,42122,922
 ——————
  Total303,338204,074