-
My Birth
On a rainy day in Cork, Ireland I was the only blessing to an unlucky family. Mother ran away when I was two. I was left with my father, who was working hard to support us. We were renting a small plot of land that barely kept us floating. Vegetables like carrots and radishes were our main crops. -
Period: to
LS Immigration Timeline
My Timeline of Aoife Whelan's Immigration -
Mother Left
After taking care of me for two years,my mother just disappeared one morning. I was all alone with a father working on the fields full-time. I soon had to learn how to take care of the land so production would go much faster. Father still handled dinner as I was much too young to work the stove. -
My Father's Death
We couldn't produce enough food to feed us because our money would go to paying the mortagage the landlord demanded. My father always made sure I ate before him. He died of malnutrition. One of his dreams was of moving to the new country. I think he was too attached to his farm though. -
Leaving for America
I tried to keep my father's farm running, but I was unsuccessful. I left for America, trying to get away from all the bad memories. I boarded the boat with a small book of pictures from my childhood, the clothes on my back, and six various seeds from the farm. I was at sea for two weeks in the crowded steerage with no money. Conditions were horrible; many got sick. I narrowly avoided it, but i still contracted a small cough. -
Arriving in America
The Ellis Island process was completely foreign to me. They detained me in the medical ward because of the small cough I contracted on board. Two weeks passed until they were satisfied I was germ-free. The inspectors weren't very nice; they would roughly shove me around and talk loudly towards me. I just stayed quiet and tried to cause no trouble. -
Finding a Job
In this new country where everything moves fast, I needed a job. In Upstate New York, I was hired by a wealthy Irish family as a servant. It was a rough job with their two bratty kids and measly pay. I spent days running aroud taking care of their daily needs. the wife was horrible; she would always scream at me for not moving fast enough. -
Lost my Job
One day when I was busy making a grande supper, the wife of the family called me to do more work. Since I was busy concentrating on perfecting the meal, I missed the call. The wife got so angry at me she just threw me out on the street during the coldest winter. I never saw that family again. I do miss the toasty house; I had to walk aroud all night to keep warm. -
Meeting a Friend
At my dangerous job at the sewing factory, I made my first friend coming to America. Her name was Jenny; she was around the same age. She was leaving soon though to move west with her family. Eventually she convinced me to come with her. I agreed because I missed farming and I wanted to do something with my life. we quickley made plans for me to accompany her. -
Moving West
I left with Jenny's family. We often got lost during the trail, as there were not a lot of other wagons guiding us. The trail was hard to hike, too. It would constantly rain for days making everything wet and slippery, then it would suddenly dry up. Condition weren't in favor of us during this trip. -
Fighting for Land
We finally reached Utah, the place to be because of the good farming conditions. Jenny and I decided we wanted our own land to take care of so we applied together at the land office. Under the Homestead Act we recieved 160 acres of land free if we agreed to stay on it for six years and make the land better. The land officers didn't trust us though. They would always question whether or not we were prepared to take care of ourselves and the land. It was quite a struggle for what we deserved. -
Settling In
As soon as we staked our land, friendly Exodusters came by to greet us. They mentioned to us that we should join the Grange to meet more folks. I already like this town! Hopefully no bad experiences will come my way. Only if father could see me now! -
Good Life
After a year of hard work, the farm started producing fine crop. A small plot of the land was dedicated to the six seeds I brought from Ireland. They are growing well. We first had to trade the vegetables for essentials like thread and oil, but we produced enough food to just sell for profit. This is the best decision I have made for my life and the many years to come, but someday i want to explore the neighboring frontier and make more memories.
