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Samuel Ellis Sold the island
Samuel Ellis's heirs sold the island to New York State. The name Ellis Island stuck. Later in the year, the Federal Government bought Ellis Island for $10,000. -
First Day
The first Ellis Island Immigration Station was officially opened. The first immigrant to pass through Ellis was Annie Moore, a teenager from County Cork. That first day, three large ships were waiting to land, and 700 immigrants passed through Ellis Island. -
Main Building
The present Main Building opened. It cost some $1.5 million and was designed to process 5,000 immigrants per day. This was scarcely big enough for the surge in immigration in the pre-World War I years. -
Ellis Island's Peak
This was the peak year at Ellis Island with 1,004,756 immigrants received. The all-time daily high was on April 17th of 1907 when a total of 11,747 immigrants were processed. -
Immigration Quota Law
The first Immigration Quota Law passed the U.S. Congress. No more than 3% of the United States' population could be immigrants of a certain nationality. -
Period: to
Entered the War
After the U.S. entered the war in 1941, Ellis Island served primarily as a detention center for alien enemies. Approximately 7000 aliens were detained at Ellis Island. Ellis Island was also used as a hospital for returning wounded servicemen and trained about 60,000 servicemen there. -
Ellis Island Closed
Ellis Island, with its 33 structures, was closed and declared excess Federal property. -
Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
The largest restoration in American history was undertaken by the non-profit Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., established in 1982, which raised all the funds from private citizens, corporations, and other groups and oversaw the restoration. -
The Ellis Island Museum
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened to the public. Also unveiled was The American Immigrant Wall of Honor®, the largest wall of names in the world, where individuals can have the name of an immigrant ancestor inscribed for posterity. -
Present
Over 3 million visitors visit Ellis Island in 2018.
