Immigrant ships is newest exhibit at Goessel museum
How would you like to move to Mars? That would probably be the modern-day equivalent to an emigrant leaving his homeland for the United States in the late 1800s.
You would sell your home, pack up a few belongings, board an unfamiliar means of transportation and begin the long, arduous journey to a new country to begin a new life.
Almost everyone has ancestors who immigrated to the United States in an immigrant ship. Due to economic reasons, they often spent the several-week voyage below decks in the steerage section.
In August 1874, the SS Cimbria an the SS Teutonia sailed from Hamburg, Germany, for New York with almost the entire Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church congregation on board.
Goessel Mennonite Heritage Museum announces its newest exhibit, "Immigrant Ships — the SS Cimbria and the SS Teutonia." The exhibit includes a wall gallery of interesting facts, pictures, and personal stories about steamships and what it was like onboard the Cimbria and Teutonia.
An immigrant trunk display shares the secret of what may have been packed for the journey and in the steerage section, a set of family bunks hint at what conditions may have been like there.
"The exhibit's goal is to answer questions about steamships and what the ocean voyage was like for steerage passengers," researcher Mayleen Vinson said.
Despite the harsh traveling conditions and high mortality rate on each crossing, emigration from European countries was strong during the late 19th century. Beginning in 1850, 8.5 million immigrants were processed through Castle Garden before it was replaced by Ellis Island in 1892.
Vinson said, "Emigrants must have had a strong faith and a sure vision for the future to make the journey. Many emigrants had never even ridden a train and so the ocean voyage must have been harrowing. It was no modern day cruise."
This temporary exhibit is available for viewing through November.
Goessel Mennonite Heritage Museum, located at 200 N. Poplar, is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
