Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945

What is in This Collection?

This collection consists of passenger lists of arrivals in New Orleans, Louisiana for the years 1820 to 1945. It corresponds to two NARA publications:

• Record Group 36, Records of the United States Customs Service, M259: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-1902 Covering January 1, 1820 to January 31, 1903
• Record Group 85, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, T905: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1903-1945 Covering January 8, 1903-December 31, 1945

The passenger lists are digital copies of the original records. The earliest records are handwritten pages. Later records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages. The records are arranged by the date of entry into port. Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival. Arrival lists was used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States. The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

• Department of the Treasury. Customs Service. Collection District of New Orleans. (6/15/1844 - 1913)

Related Collections National Archives Catalog

• Work Projects Administration Transcript of Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1978–1996 NAID 122157683 Covers 1813-1849 Digital Images

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:
Passenger lists prior to 1906

• Name
• Date of arrival
• Port of embarkation
• Name of ship

Passenger lists after 1906

Collection Content

Sample Image

• 

  1903 Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger List

Inventory

For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Louisiana, New Orleans, Passenger and Crew Lists and Indexes - Inventory.