United States, Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1956
This database contains an index of aliens and citizens crossing into the U.S. from Canada via various ports of entry along the U.S.-Canadian border between 1895 and 1956. Data courtesy of Ancestry.com.
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United States, Border Crossings from Canada to United States
What is in This Collection?
This article describes multiple collections. The collections consist of indexes of aliens and citizens crossing into the United States from Canada through various ports of entry along the U.S.-Canadian border between 1895 and 1956.
Manifests for Pacific and Atlantic ports provide two types of lists: one, the traditional passenger lists on U.S. immigration forms and two, monthly lists of names of aliens crossing the border on trains. These monthly lists are arranged by month, then alphabetically by name of port, and then by railway.
A variety of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) forms were used to record information about individuals entering the United States. Types of forms used included: Primary Inspection Memorandum; Manifest; Record of Registry; and Land Border Departure Record. Due to the variety of forms, the amount of information available for an individual in this database will vary according to the form used and the questions asked on it.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Name
- Age
- Date of birth
- Birth country
- Gender
- Race or ethnicity
- Ship name
- Departure contact
- Arrival contact
Collection Content
Coverage Table
In many cases, the index cards are the only record of the crossing.
- This collection is also available on Ancestry.com, U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960, a list of sources included in this collection is also available.
- Online index is also available at Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1956 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- The FamilySearch Library has on microfilm all four sets of indexes of the records:
| Title of Collection | NARA Microfilm (# Rolls) | FS Library (Starting Roll#) | Type | Special Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundex Index to Canadian Border Entries through the St. Albans, Vermont, District, 1895-1924 | M1461 (400 rolls. Missing roll 218) | 1472801 | Index | Soundex name index to entries at ports along the border and Great Lakes. Includes • ALL manifest lists from 1895-1917. • After June 1917, includes only arrivals east of North Dakota-Montana state line. Anyone entering west of this state line after 1917 was filed in Seattle. • 1915 to 1924 indexes cover ports east of Buffalo, New York only. In most cases, an original manifest exists. Some index cards are the only record of crossing, with no original manifest. |
| Alphabetical Index to Canadian Border Entries through Small Ports in Vermont, 1895-1924 | M1462 (6 rolls) | 1430987 | Index | Arranged alphabetically by ports of entry, all in Vermont. Especially useful for identifying Canadians who settled in the New England area. |
| Soundex Index to Entries into the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1924-1952 | M1463 (98 rolls) | 1570714 | Index | Includes border crossings in New York and Vermont area. |
| Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954 | M1464 (640 rolls) | 1561087 | Original manifests | Manifests indexed by the above Soundex indexes. These forms were completed when the immigrant entered the U.S. through a border port station. Most European immigrants will be found in these lists. |
| Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific Ports, 1929-1949 | M1465 (25 rolls) | 1549387 | Original manifests | Supplement to the above manifests. These manifests list travelers to the United States from Canadian Pacific seaports only. |
| Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Individuals Entering through the Port of Detroit, Michigan, 1906-1954 | M1478, M1479 (140 rolls) | 1490449 | Original card manifests | Original card manifests, arranged alphabetically, for Michigan ports of entry only: Bay City, Detroit, Port Huron, Sault Sainte Marie (117 rolls). An additional 23 rolls Include passenger and alien crew lists of vessels arriving in Detroit, 1946 to 1957. |
Inventory
For a list of titles included in this collection see United States Border Crossings from Canada to United States - Inventory.
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
National Archives and Records Administration
"United States, Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1956." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 4 October 2025. From "Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956." Database and images. Ancestry. http://www.ancestry.com : 2010. Citing Various NARA microfilm publications, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, RG 85 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
