Editing Ellis Island (section)

===First immigration station===
[[File:JudgeMagazine22Mar1890.jpg|thumb|right|upright|190px|Anti-immigrant cartoon expressing opposition to the construction of Ellis Island (''[[Judge (magazine)|Judge]]'', March 22, 1890)<br />''"Mr. Windom, if you are going to make this island a garbage heap, I am returning to France"'']]
The Army had unsuccessfully attempted to use Ellis Island "for the convalescence for immigrants" as early as 1847.<ref name="NPS-ellis-island-chronology" /> Across New York Harbor, [[Castle Clinton]] had been used as an immigration station since 1855, processing more than eight million immigrants during that time.<ref name="NPS-places_immigration">{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/elis/learn/historyculture/places_immigration.htm |title=Immigration |date=December 17, 1900 |website=Ellis Island Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument |publisher=U.S. National Park Service |access-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501173252/https://www.nps.gov/elis/learn/historyculture/places_immigration.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/history |title=The Battery Highlights: NYC Parks |date=June 26, 1939 |website=New York City Department of Parks & Recreation |access-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=November 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129170108/http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=7712 |url-status=live }}</ref> The individual states had their own varying immigration laws until 1875, but the federal government regarded Castle Clinton as having "varied charges of mismanagement, abuse of immigrants, and evasion of the laws", and as such, wanted it to be completely replaced.<ref name="Stakely p. 27">{{harvnb|ps=.|Stakely|2003|p=27}}</ref> The federal government assumed control of immigration in early 1890 and commissioned a study to determine the best place for the new immigration station in New York Harbor.<ref name="Stakely p. 27" /> Among members of the [[United States Congress]], there were disputes about whether to build the station on Ellis, Governors, or Liberty Islands. Initially, Liberty Island was selected as the site for the immigration station,<ref name="Stakely p. 27" /> but due to opposition for immigration stations on both Liberty and Governors Islands, the committee eventually decided to build the station on Ellis Island.{{Efn|The opposition to an immigration station on Liberty Island stemmed from the fact that the [[Statue of Liberty]] would be built there, while Governors Island was still an active military fort.<ref name="Stakely p. 28" />}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1890/03/25/archives/in-favor-of-ellis-island-uncle-sam-and-the-immigration-problem-the.html |title=In Favor of Ellis Island; Uncle Sam and the Immigration Problem |date=March 25, 1890 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605150023/https://www.nytimes.com/1890/03/25/archives/in-favor-of-ellis-island-uncle-sam-and-the-immigration-problem-the.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Since Castle Clinton's lease was about to expire, Congress approved a bill to build an immigration station on Ellis Island.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1187989/ |title=Ellis Island for the Immigrants |date=April 6, 1890 |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |access-date=June 5, 2019 |page=1 |via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref>

On April 11, 1890, the federal government ordered the magazine at Ellis Island be torn down to make way for the U.S.'s first federal immigration station at the site.<ref name="EI-EIS p. 3" /> The [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]], which was in charge of constructing federal buildings in the U.S.,<ref name="Robins Urbanelli p. 142">{{harvnb|ps=.|Robins|Urbanelli|1993|p=14}}</ref> officially took control of the island that May 24.<ref name="Stakely p. 28">{{harvnb|ps=.|Stakely|2003|p=28}}</ref> Congress initially allotted $75,000 ({{inflation|index=US|value=75000|start_year=1890|fmt=eq|r=-3}}) to construct the station and later doubled that appropriation.<ref name="NPS-Fact-Sheet" /><ref name="Stakely p. 28" /> While the building was under construction, the Barge Office at the Battery was used for immigrant processing.<ref name="HSR Main p. 12">{{harvnb|ps=.|Belle|Finegold|1988|p=12}}</ref> During construction, most of the old Battery Gibson buildings were demolished, and Ellis Island's land size was almost doubled to {{cvt|6|acre|ha}}.<ref name="Ralph1891">{{cite magazine |last=Ralph |first=Julian |year=1891 |title=Landing the Immigrant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zkJaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA821 |magazine=Harper's Weekly |series=Library of American civilization |volume=35 |page=821 |access-date=June 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Robins Urbanelli p. 142" /> The main structure was a two-story structure of [[Pinus palustris|Georgia Pine]],<ref name="HSR Main p. 12" /><ref name="EI-EIS p. 5">{{harvnb|ps=.|Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island EIS|2005|p=5}}</ref> which was described in ''[[Harper's Weekly]]'' as "a latterday watering place hotel" measuring {{cvt|400|by|150|ft|m}}.<ref name="Ralph1891" /> Its outbuildings included a hospital, detention building, laundry building, and utility plant that were all made of wood. Some of the former stone magazine structures were reused for utilities and offices. Additionally, a [[ferry slip]] with [[Breakwater (structure)|breakwater]] was built to the south of Ellis Island.<ref name="HSR Main p. 12" /><ref name="Ralph1891" /><ref name="EI-EIS p. 5" /> Following further expansion, the island measured {{cvt|11|acre|ha}} by the end of 1892.<ref name="Stakely p. 28" />
[[File:Ellis Island First Bldg Burnt 15-June-1897.jpg|thumb|left|First Ellis Island Immigrant Station, built in 1892 and destroyed 1897]]

The station opened on January 1, 1892,<ref name="Ellis Island Foundation, 2000" /><ref name="EI-EIS p. 5" /><ref name="nyt18920102">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1892/01/02/archives/landed-on-ellis-island-new-immigration-buildings-opened-yesterday-a.html |title=Landed on Ellis Island; New Immigration Buildings Opened Yesterday |date=January 2, 1892 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605150021/https://www.nytimes.com/1892/01/02/archives/landed-on-ellis-island-new-immigration-buildings-opened-yesterday-a.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The First to Land |date=January 2, 1892 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |location=Rochester, NY |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24069185/newspaper_article_about_the_first_group/ |access-date=June 5, 2019 |page=1 |via=newspapers.com {{open access}} |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607003611/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24069185/newspaper_article_about_the_first_group/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and its first immigrant was [[Annie Moore (immigrant)|Annie Moore]], a 17-year-old girl from [[Cork (city)|Cork]], Ireland, who was traveling with her two brothers to meet their parents in the U.S.<ref name="AMNY-Facts" /><ref name="nyt18920102" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passRecord.asp?pID=604534030002&MID=02806987110023700416& |title=Passenger Record: Annie Moore |work=The Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation |access-date=April 24, 2013 |archive-date=May 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521072930/http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passRecord.asp?pID=604534030002&MID=02806987110023700416& |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5194366/ |title=First Foot on Ellis Island |date=January 2, 1892 |work=New York Sun |access-date=June 5, 2019 |page=2 |via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> On the first day, almost 700 immigrants passed over the docks.<ref name="Stakely p. 28" /> Over the next year, over 400,000 immigrants were processed at the station.{{Efn|The cited figures may run as high as 480,000.<ref name="NYTimes-Stats-1893" />}}<ref name="HSR Main p. 13">{{harvnb|ps=.|Belle|Finegold|1988|p=13}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes-Stats-1893">{{Cite news |title=Immigrants of a Year.; Some Statistics from Landing Agent Moore of Ellis Island |date=January 1, 1893 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/01/01/archives/immigrants-of-a-year-some-statistics-from-landing-agent-moore-of.html |access-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606001109/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/01/01/archives/immigrants-of-a-year-some-statistics-from-landing-agent-moore-of.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The processing procedure included a [[#Inspection lines|series of medical and mental inspection lines]], and through this process, some 1% of potential immigrants were deported.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gateway of the Continent |date=January 5, 1896 |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20781025/ |access-date=June 5, 2019 |page=9 |via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> Additional building improvements took place throughout the mid-1890s,<ref name="Stakely p. 29">{{harvnb|ps=.|Stakely|2003|p=29}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32294070/ |title=Ellis Island's Crowds |date=April 17, 1896 |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |access-date=June 5, 2019 |page=7 |via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1896/08/20/archives/improvements-at-ellis-island.html |title=Improvements at Ellis Island |date=August 20, 1896 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606001108/https://www.nytimes.com/1896/08/20/archives/improvements-at-ellis-island.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Ellis Island was expanded to {{cvt|14|acre|ha}} by 1896. The last improvements, which entailed the installation of underwater telephone and telegraph cables to Governors Island, were completed in early June 1897.<ref name="Stakely p. 29" /> On June 15, 1897, the wooden structures on Ellis Island were razed in a fire of unknown origin. While there were no casualties, the wooden buildings had completely burned down after two hours, and all immigration records from 1855 had been destroyed.<ref name="NPS-ellis-island-chronology" /><ref name="HSR Main p. 13" /><ref name="Stakely p. 29" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=Fire on Ellis Island; It Broke Out Shortly After Midnight in the Furnace of the Main Building |date=June 15, 1897 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1897/06/15/archives/fire-on-ellis-island-it-broke-out-shortly-after-midnight-in-the.html |access-date=March 22, 2018 |archive-date=March 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322082149/https://www.nytimes.com/1897/06/15/archives/fire-on-ellis-island-it-broke-out-shortly-after-midnight-in-the.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Over five years of operation, the station had processed 1.5&nbsp;million immigrants.<ref name="HSR Main p. 13" /><ref name="Robins Urbanelli p. 142" />