Minnesota Passenger and Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of passenger and crew lists from the following National Archive microfilm publications from Minnesota and is part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.


 * Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Two Harbors, Minnesota, August 1929 to October 1956(A3384). The crew lists of vessels that last departed from a Canadian port are arranged by date of arrival and includes two vessels (John C. Williams and Goderich) arriving in July 1950 from Ashland,Wisconsin. Missing crew lists 1930-32;1934-40,1942
 * Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Baudette, Grand Marais, International Falls, Ranier, and Warroad, Minnesota, 1946 to 1956(A3444). The crew lists of vessels that last departed a Canadian or foreign port are arranged by port of arrival then chronologically
 * 1) Baudett Oct 24, 1954 only
 * 2) Grand Marais Sept 16, 1946-Aug 31, 1954; May 29-Oct 12, 1955;May 8-Oct 23, 1956
 * 3) International Falls, June 3, 1949-June 1, 1954; May 29-Nov 14, 1955; June 4- Nov 24,1956
 * 4) Ranier, June 18,1948-Aug 22, 1954;June 1-Aug 18, 1956
 * 5) Warroad, June 6, 1948-July 3, 1955; May 17-23, 1956
 * Manifests of Alien,January 1912-July 1924, and Citizen, January 1912-December, 1956, arrivals at Noyes,Minnesota and at Dunseith,Neche,Pembina,Saint John,and Walhalla, North Dakota(A3491)

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

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


 * Significant remarks
 * Name of vessel
 * Port of departure
 * Date of departure
 * Port of arrival
 * Date 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 port of arrival
 * The date of arrival or departure
 * The age of your ancestor
 * The names of other family members who may have immigrated at the same time

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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor on a passenger list, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details and lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
Use these 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
 * Find federal immigration records
 * Download a copy of the record or transcribe the details
 * 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 lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives 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. 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 check for variant spellings of their names
 * Please note that when you select an image to view, sometimes the manifest includes more than one page, and when you use the "click to enlarge manifest" link, the image that appears is not always the first page of the record. You may need to click on the "previous" or "next" links to view the remaining pages of the full manifest

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of other localities
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * Consult the Minnesota Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Minnesota.
 * Minnesota Guided Research
 * Minnesota Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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.


 * Collection Citation: "Minnesota Passenger and Crew Lists, 1912-1956." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 28 September 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publications A3384, A3444, and A3491. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2003-2010.

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