New York City

This will be my last post before returning to Missoula for Christmas (and to see whether or not the National Endowment for the Humanities will fund six months of my research project)...

Shortly before I left for the city, my photo duplication request from the Houghton Library at Harvard arrived in the mail. I can't wait to get a chance to organize my treasures from the Theodore Roosevelt collection!

On Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, I ventured into the Big Apple for a combination research trip and reunion with two friends from Missoula. I had secured my aunt's apartment on the Upper East Side for the duration of our stay, which worked out well (since it was so close to the #6 subway stop at Lexington and 96th).

I spent the first two days at the Regional National Archives building on Varick and Houston, which also happens to be the headquarters for the Regional Homeland Security Division (so the entrance had particularly tight security). I was disappointed to find that their microfilm passenger arrival lists for the Port of New York are the very same as the ones I had already consulted in Washington, D.C. The first day I found the librarians particularly unfriendly and I would've gone away from that experience with a bad taste in my mouth, had I not returned the following day and been treated to much better service.

In the afternoon of the second day, I took the #1 subway down to Battery Park to visit the site of Castle Garden, the first immigration station in New York (used before Ellis Island was built in 1892). The facade is still there, and there is a small National Park exhibit on immigration, but the rest of the grounds are now used to sell tickets for admission to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

In the reading room at the New York Public Library I consulted a reference book on passenger ship manifests, which explained the reasons for my frustration in trying to document early immigration solely with primary sources. The worst case scenario is that I may have to piece together that part of the story through secondary sources (including the letters of Theodore Roosevelt, who may be deemed a fairly reliable secondary source). While I was there I also visited the Jack Kerouac Exhibit (featured on the banner hanging from the front entrance in the accompanying picture).

The only other task I completed in NYC was to locate (and photograph) the former homes of Theodore Roosevelt, where he was living when he corresponded with members of the family I am researching. They were both in very fashionable neighborhoods! One is now an Italian pizzeria and barber shop - and the other is Club Monaco with a very high-end woman's clothing store on the street level.

Now, as to our sightseeing in New York... We went through Central Park in a hansome cab (pulled by Norman and driven by Emmett), played in FAO Schwarz (the toy store with the piano featured in the movie "Big"), visited Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Times Square, and the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. I spent two half days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Most notable among the special exhibitions I saw were: Tapestry in the Baroque, Gifts for the Gods (Egyptian temple artifacts), and The Age of Rembrandt (very crowded). Regular exhibition favorites were: Silversmiths to the Nation (Fletcher and Gardiner), and the new galleries of Oceanic Art (terrific wood carvings).

I came out of the city last Wednesday on the Lakeland Bus Line from Port Authority and was able to spend Thanksgiving on the east coast with my family for the first time in many years. The weekend was chock full of fun events, good company and delicious food for which I was indeed, grateful.

Washington, D.C.

I returned to Washington, D.C. (via Fredericksburg and Arlington, VA) on Sunday, October 28th, 2007. I stayed with my new friend Kathy, whom I met this summer (my first time through Washington, D.C.). I commuted each day via the METRO (on the orange line) from East Falls Church.

At the National Archives, I looked through passenger manifests of vessels sailing between Liverpool, England, and Queenstown, Ireland to the New York Harbor. I had some information regarding the sailing of the men in the family, but not a clue about the passage of the women I am studying. The indices of the passenger lists (including ancestry.com, library edition) have huge date gaps - and wouldn't you know, the dates I am searching for fall within those gaps! A lot of microfilm for a little reward... (and I got dizzy, too).

Tuesday morning I poured over historical maps in the Map Division of the Library of Congress, Madison building. This past summer (during the teacher institute) we had a tour of the Map Division, and it was satisfying to put the knowledge from that training to use on my own project. In the afternoon I went to the Photograph and Print Division to find images relating to my research. The librarians in these divisions were very helpful and accommodating.

Wednesday I spent the day in the Manuscript Division selecting, requesting, and reading microfilm copies and original files seeking letters written back and forth between members of the family and Theodore Roosevelt. I was sidetracked momentarily by a woman's love letter to T.R., her last name being the same as the family I am studying...

Thursday I tied up loose ends in each of the divisions I had researched; collecting price lists, downloading images, and checking references. Then I went to the Current Newspaper and Periodical Division to find the institutions which have holdings of the historical newspapers I will need to consult. I also walked across the hall to the Film Division and watched a brief promotional film produced by the Northern Pacific Railway about North Dakota. I was aghast as I watched the 'spin' on acculturation of the American Indians. In the afternoon, I walked back to the National Archives to find an unusual discovery about my subject (which may contradict some earlier findings).

Since I had a few hours to kill in the late afternoon, I decided to visit the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial (island) and Georgetown, so I jumped on the METRO, and off I went. I walked so much that day, that I wore a hole in one of my socks!

On Friday, I drove back to northwest New Jersey (about a 5-6 hour drive). En route I finally took the time to visit the Gettysburg National Military Park, which was amazing. At first, I thought I'd be satisfied to stretch my legs and walk around the cemetery, but then I decided to walk the route of the 2 hour auto tour, which I accomplished in an hour! (Of course, I didn't read every inscription along the way... but I highly recommend a visit for anyone who happens to be in the area!)

Next stop - New York, New York.