North Dakota, Manifests of Immigrant Arrivals - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This collection contains arrival manifests of immigrants arriving in North Dakota from two National Archives collections. Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Northgate and Saint John, North Dakota,1910-1921, A3479 over 1400 manifests and Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Ambrose, Antler, Carbury, Fortuna, Noonan, Northgate, Portal, Sherwood, and Westhope, North Dakota, 1/1921-12/1952, A3560. The collections are part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.


 * A3479
 * Northgate, December 1913-December 1921
 * Saint John, February 1910-December 1911; January 1914-February 1915;December 1917-November 1921

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records may include any of the following:


 * Full name
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Marital status
 * Citizenship
 * Last permanent residence
 * Birthplace
 * Final destination
 * Name of ship
 * Birth date and place
 * Name and address of friend or relative at last address
 * Final destination
 * Name and address of friend or relative in U.S.
 * Physical description and distinguishing marks
 * Who paid for passage
 * Purpose of visit
 * Port and date of departure
 * Port and date of entry

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of arrival.
 * The port of arrival.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the  Select the NARA Publication which takes you to the images.

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.

Remember to:
 * Whenever possible, look at the original record. If often has more information than the indexed record.
 * Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation found on each record or image. Familysearch wiki has a Example Research Log that you can download and use for this purpose.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
Use these lists to:
 * Use age and birthplace to find church and vital records such as birth and baptism records.
 * Use the record to see if other family members who may have immigrated with the person you are looking for are listed and have additional information or leads; you may also find additional information on new family members in censuses.
 * Confirm their date of arrival.
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names.
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigration, port records, or ship’s manifests.
 * Find federal immigration records.

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

 * 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.
 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of other port cities.
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, 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.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

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:

"North Dakota Manifests of Immigrant Arrivals, 1910-1952." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004, Record Group 85, NARA microfilm publication A3479 and A3560 "Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Ambrose, Antler, Carbury, Fortuna, Noonan, Northgate, Portal, Sherwood, and Westhope, North Dakota, January 1921-December 1952", (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2009).

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