Pennsylvania, Crew Lists Arriving at Erie - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection corresponds with NARA publication A3459: Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Erie, Pennsylvania, April 1952 to March 1957 and is part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Arranged in chronological order the records contain full name, citizenship, position in crew, whether discharged at the port of arrival, and other information for each crew member.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name
 * Length of service
 * Position within the crew
 * Age
 * Nationality
 * When and where signed on to crew


 * Significant remarks
 * Name of vessel
 * Date & Port of departure
 * Date & Port of arrival
 * Serial number and form of required foreign service or immigration form

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date or place of immigration

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find other records such as emigrations, port records, and ship’s manifests
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Learn the place of origin and find church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information to find land and probate records
 * Use the information to find additional family members in census records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. You could get a copy of the original record from National Archives and Records Administration
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * Pennsylvania Guided Research
 * Pennsylvania Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Pennsylvania Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Pennsylvania, crew lists arriving at Erie, 1952-1957 NARA Pub A3459, 4 rolls

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1956
 * United States, Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1894-1954
 * Vermont, St. Albans Canadian Border Crossings, 1895-1954

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.