Florida, Key West Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1898 to 1920.

The passenger lists are digital copies of the original records. The earliest records are handwritten pages. Later records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages. The records are arranged by the date of entry into port.

This collection consists of lists of those arriving at Key West, Florida. This collection corresponds in part to NARA Publication T940: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Key West, Florida, 1898-1945.

Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival.

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Arrival lists was used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States.

The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Passenger lists prior to 1906 generally include the following information:




 * Name
 * Date of arrival
 * Port of embarkation
 * Name of ship

Passenger lists after 1906 generally include the following information:


 * Name of ship
 * Port of departure and port of entry
 * Name and age of passenger
 * Birth place of passenger
 * Citizenship, gender, marital status and occupation of passenger
 * Height, hair color, and eye color of passenger
 * Nationality of passenger
 * Passenger's last place of residence
 * Name and address of relative living near former residence
 * Destination
 * Name and address of relative or friend in current country

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Description which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

To begin your search it is helpful to know the full name of your ancestor and the approximate date of immigration. If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example, use passenger lists to:


 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests

You may also find these tips helpful:


 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct.
 * Continue to search the passenger lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have immigrated at the same time.
 * If your ancestor has an uncommon surname, you may want to obtain the passenger list of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors.

If you do not find the name you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the name.
 * Look for an index. Records are often indexed by local historical and genealogical societies.
 * Search the passenger lists year by year.
 * Search the indexes of other port cities.

Related Websites

 * Find Your Ancestors in One Step $
 * US Ports of Arrival and their Available Passenger Lists 1820-1957

Related Wiki Articles

 * Florida
 * Florida Emigration and Immigration

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Florida, Key West Passenger Lists, 1898-1920." digital images FamilySearch (https://www.Familysearch.org: accessed 16 June 2011); S.S. Clinton, Sailed for Havana, 30 June 1908; citing Passenger Lists, 11-Vol. 17 (01 July 1908-31 Dec 1908&gt; image 8; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D. C., U.S.A.