In 1903, steam ships would actually take passengers to the Hudson or East River piers, according to the Ellis Island website, and they would be sorted at the dock area. First and second-class passengers and US citizens were subject to a cursory health screening and were then allowed to pass through customs. Third class passengers, which is what most immigrants traveled as, were loaded onto ferries or barges and taken to Ellis Island for a full health and legal screening.
The health and legal screening could take between three and five hours once the immigrant reached Ellis Island, assuming they were healthy and were not fleeing any legal issues. If the immigrant was deemed healthy and was not thought to be a threat to the American people, he was sent to New York City on a ferry or barge and allowed to begin a new life. According to the Ellis Island website, only two percent of immigrants were turned away at Ellis Island.
Once the immigrants were in New York City, they were responsible for finding a home, a job and other accommodations. Many immigrants had family in the United States who had already immigrated and would help get the new life started. For family reasons, many people would travel to other large cities like Boston. In 1903, according to Yale University, the most popular way for immigrants to get to Boston was by steam train. Some immigrants would arrive with train tickets already purchased, but others would need to use their remaining money or look for work to purchase a train ticket before beginning the trip to Boston.
The majority of immigrants traveling to Boston from New York City would take the train; but, for some, that was not an option. Walking, while a long process, would have been something some immigrants might have undertaken, according to Yale University. The trip would have been close to 200 miles, but would have been possible, especially during the spring and summer months. Horse-drawn wagons were another option in 1903. Gasoline-powered automobiles had been invented, but they were few and far between and would most likely not have been available to immigrants.
