Florida, Fort Lauderdale Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection contains crew lists of vessels arriving at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 1939 to December 1945. These records correspond with NARA publication A4233 Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida, 12\1939-12\1945 and are part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The records are arranged chronologically by date of arrival.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

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

If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

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 the crew list, 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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
You can 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
 * 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

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

 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Florida.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Florida Guided Research
 * Florida Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Searching Passenger Lists

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