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 Memorabilia -
Two TeSelle Brothers Voyage to America -
Castle Garden, New York City
CASTLE
GARDEN
CASTLE CLINTON
KASTELGAARDEN
"So we sailed slowly on and after travelling for 17 days we
arrived at New York on Sunday afternoon the 29th. The wind had been
against us all the time, otherwise (as it had been calculated) it
could have been done in 12 or 13 days. Yet we had to stay off shore
from that Sunday afternoon until Monday afternoon when we were taken
to Castel Garden and there we had to pay again for the remaining
stretch to Milwaukee 46 and a half dollars as well as 6 dollars for
the excess weight of the luggage. Then we were taken from Castle
Garden to an Inn. There that man Vogel made an agreement for a
dollar a day for each of us, but when we came to pay we were charged
two dollars. We did not like that too much: six dollars for the
three of us". (Excerpt from
Letter
2, November 26, 1865, from Harmen Jan te Selle to his mother in
the Netherlands, Dela te Selle-ten Damme)
 In spite of the fact that
Harmen Jan here, in 1865, has the feeling that they were overcharged
in the inn where they spend the night after their departure from
Castle Garden, their voyage and journey had already taken place
under much better circumstances than those under which their uncle
Gerrit Willem Bloemers and aunt Janna Bloemers-te Selle in 1842 are
on their trip.
In chapter 6 of the Te Selle Chronicle is already
mentioned that from 1855 on the circumstances, under which the
European emigrants arrived in America were improved strongly. In the
early period of emigration the passage to America was a perilous
undertaking. The ships on which the voyage were made were
abominable. Extortion for money by ship owners, captains, and crew
for the voyages made by the emigrants often made the journeys take
catastrophic turns. Of 90,000 Irish people crossing the ocean in
1847, 15,000 died on their way or immediately after arrival in the
hellish quarantine stations. On board, women and girls were in the
greatest dangers by crews. In November 1853, the twenty-eight
emigrant ships that arrived in New York showed a loss of lives
totaling 1,141 out of 13,762 passengers. As a consequence of these
statistics, the American press started a campaign against the
“damned pest ships and floating coffins” and Congress passed a law
which fined ship owners ten dollars for every death on board.
Once the emigrants landed,
they were swarmed by shady characters who relieved the new arrivals
of their last cents. The American coastal cities were centers of
vice, robbery and other crimes. If immigrants came safely through
those two initial zones, then they met with the gamblers and the
cheaters on the riverboats who also gladly made use of the
emigrants' naivety. At the place of destination, there were many
more aspects stacked up against and waiting for our earlier
relatives who boldly took on emigration to a new land.
The newly passed law, not
surprisingly, was a blessing for the immigrants. Not only Harmen
Jan, Jan Hendrik, both born at farm "De Selle", were received at
Castle Garden, a former fortification in front of New York's harbor.
Also other members of the family put here their first footsteps on
American soil. And so they also arrive from the farms "Diekebosch",
"Graaskamp", "De Stegge", "Oonk", "Rooks", "Kampershuisje", "Meekes",
"Tenkink-Kavenstee", "Fökkink" and "Fökkinkschoppe".
HISTORY OF CASTLE GARDEN
1811 - 1822 Defensive Fort
Although the United States by 1783 had clearly gained
independence from England, the British still had a presence in North
America. The fact that the Americans were great friends with
Britain's
archenemy France was not particularly appreciated by the English.
As of 1803 the United States was doing a good business with Napoleon.
He agreed to sell Louisiana, the last French colonial property in America,
to the United States for the amount of 15 million dollars.
The new United States and
England continued to quarrel about Indian affairs, and both lay
claims to territories in the West. In addition, there was a lot of
trade competition. [ Missing
text here???.... ] He is persuaded by his party to the second War of
Independence (1812 - 1814) with Great-Britain,
a.o. for the conquest
of Canada. In this war the mighty British fleet launches attacks at
the American coast. The Americans cannot prevent the city of
Washington from being destroyed in these actions. General Jackson defended
New Orleans with a great deal of difficulty. In 1814 the United States
and Great Britain make the Eternal Peace of Ghent.
In consideration of the position in Europe England
conceded to
restoration of the situation already existing before the breakout
of the war. The Great Lakes are neutralized. The American Revolution
painfully taught New Yorkers that their city needed better
protection against enemy fleets.
Between 1807 and 1811 a stout circular sandstone battery was erected
as a harbor fortification just off Manhattan Island's southern tip. It stood off Manhattan
Island where the Hudson River and East River join. The Dutch had built a
fort nearby on Manhattan Island in 1625.
At the same time four other new forts were constructed to defend the
harbor of New York.
The second war of independence brewed. First called Southwest Battery, and off shore then, it never fired
a shot except for target practice. Changes in naval guns and in
relations with European powers soon made forts like Castle Clinton
obsolete.
 1824 - 1854 Cultural Emporium
As New York City developed into a world metropolis, the city needed
a public venue for cultural events. In 1824 Castle Clinton became
the open-air Castle Garden. Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de
Lafayette of France launched his triumphal return visit to America
here later that year.
From 1824 to 1855 Castle
Garden was the largest public assembly hall and entertainment center
in the United States. Presidents and other
dignitaries would be honored here. Samuel F.B. Morse displayed his
telegraph invention. A roof added in the 1840s made even grander
events possible. Promoted by P.T. Barnum of later circus fame, the
wildly popular Swedish opera diva Jenny Lind made her
American debut here in 1850, enthralling her audience of 6,000 (see
photo right). In
dezelfde tijd begon men met landaanwinning tussen het fort en het
vasteland. Dit gebied kreeg de naam Battery Park. [English text is
missing.]
1855 - 1892 Immigration
Center
New York State opened the first official emigrant-receiving center
at Castle Garden in 1855. New York leased Castle Garden, now
joined to the mainland, to protect newly arrived immigrants from
predatory con artists. As Castle Garden Emigrant Depot, it welcomed
over 8 million immigrants until 1890 when it was closed. Two
of every three U.S. immigrants from 1855 to April 1890 came through
here, receiving lodging and travel information, medical attention,
and honest currency exchange. The operation was temporarily moved to
the Barge Office while a new facility was built. In 1892 the
immigration station, now a federal operation, moved to Ellis Island.
1896 - 1941 Aquarium
In 1896 the Castle was transformed into the New York Aquarium, one
of the nation's earliest public aquariums. Its opening day in
December 1896 saw 30,000 people pour into the New York Aquarium to
marvel at creatures from the nearby waters. Soon it featured species
from around the world. Its West India harbor seal became a city
character. When the aquarium closed in 1941, its sea creatures went
to the Bronx Zoo and later to Coney Island.
1946 - Present National Monument
Beginning in 1941 much of the Castle Garden area and structures were
demolished in preparation for construction of a New York tunnel
project. Concerned citizens petitioned Congress to halt the
destruction of the remaining historical Castle Garden structure.
At that point only Castle Garden's nineteenth century walls remained
standing in tact. Fortunately the remains of the Castle were
saved from the wrecking ball by designating the building as a
National Monument. Saved from demolition in 1946, the Castle in the
1970s was restored to its original look as a fortification and now
serves not only as a museum, but the ticket office for the Statue of
Liberty and Ellis Island ferry.
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