A Special Stone for Annie

You might remember that Annie Moore Schayer—the first person to pass through Ellis Island—was buried in an unmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery, Queens. The Irish Echo reports that the money raised to mark her resting place is being well spent.

After a personal appeal by New York City's commissioner for public records, Brian Andersson, Cardinal [Edward] Egan waived the existing prohibition against the use of limestone headstones at Calvary.

Limestone imported from Ireland will now be used for Annie Moore's planned headstone, Andersson told the Echo. [Link]

Update: Megan has more here. You can contribute to the memorial fund here.

From Cork to New York

I found time this evening to watch From Cork to New York—a dramatization of Annie Moore's journey to America written, produced, directed, and acted by 11-year-olds from Scoil Oilibhéir in Cork, Ireland. (You can watch the trailer here.)

My school projects at that age involved gluing macaroni to poster board. These kids commandeered a train and reenacted a transatlantic sea voyage on film, then got people on another continent to watch it. I guess they don't have macaroni in Ireland.

Could It Be Annie Moore Dramatic?

Megan Smolenyak had the (as she describes it) "surreal" experience of watching a play in which she was a character.

There I was in the front row watching intense, borderline neurotic "Megan" (yeah, that was definitely accurate!) and her quest for Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island. And there were the right and wrong Annies, Annie's brother Anthony, Megan's assistant Melinda (sort of a combination of my husband Brian, my virtual assistant Alyssa, and others who are forced to deal with me on a consistent basis), two of Annie's kids, and Weber of Ellis Island.

In Utero Baptism

Megan reports that there are still lingering questions about Ellis Island gatecrasher Annie Moore.

The civil registration matches the day and month given on her death certificate -- May 30th -- but her baptism record claims that she was born on May 25th and cleverly christened on May 24th. Guess she's not quite ready to give up all her secrets! [Link]

Annie Moore Gets Her Own TV Show

The September 15 press conference at which the real Annie Moore was presented to the world may now be viewed at Roots Television. Megan Smolenyak² offers a compelling account of the search in the second and third segments, Brian Andersson adds some "breaking news" in the fourth, and some appreciative Moore descendants personalize the production with family stories in the fifth.

I especially enjoyed learning how the family of the "wrong" Annie Moore came to believe that she was the "right" Annie. Never again will I use commemorative plates as primary sources.

Celtic Musicians Left Reeling

There was a downside to finding the real Annie Moore. Some people in Texas learned that they'd memorialized the wrong Annie Moore.

The news left an Irish-culture group in Texas reeling. The Southwest Celtic Music Association dedicated a statue to their Annie Moore last March at the North Texas Irish Festival.

But that Annie Moore was actually born in Illinois, according to [Megan] Smolenyak's research.

"It's too bad we got it wrong," said Jim Miller, the festival's spokesman. "I don't know what we can do about it now. It's unfortunate." [Link]

The festival website now has a retraction and apology.

A Rewarding Experience

Tonight we learn Annie Moore's name after marriage—as well as the best way to spend $1,000 in New York City.

Four generations of descendants of Annie Moore Schayer, the first immigrant to be processed on Ellis Island, gathered yesterday in New York for the first time to celebrate her rediscovery — and their own — and to raise money for a headstone for her unmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery in Queens.

The first contributions, of $500 each, came from Brian G. Andersson, the city’s commissioner of records, and Patricia Somerstein of Long Beach, N.Y., Annie’s great-niece. They donated their share of a $1,000 reward they received from a professional genealogist. [Link (reg. req.)]

Start Spreading the News

The discovery of the real Annie Moore—the first person to pass through Ellis Island—just made the New York Times.

She married a bakery clerk. They had at least 11 children. Five survived to adulthood and three had children of their own. She died of heart failure in 1924 at 47. Her brother Anthony, who arrived with Annie and Philip on the Nevada, died in his 20’s in the Bronx and was temporarily buried in potter’s field. [see corrections in comments]

Annie lived and died within a few square blocks on the Lower East Side, where some of her descendants lived until just recently. She is buried with 6 of her 11 children (five infants and one who survived to 21) alongside the famous and forgotten in a Queens cemetery.

Her living descendants include great-grandchildren, the great-nephew and the great-niece. One of the descendants is an investment counselor and another a Ph.D.

Mrs. [Megan] Smolenyak Smolenyak described them as “poster children” for immigrant America, with Irish, Jewish, Italian and Scandinavian surnames. “It’s an all-American family,” she said. “Annie would have been proud.” [Link (reg. req.)]

Annie Moore's Second New York Debut

The real Annie Moore will be unveiled on September 15th at the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society. That she was tracked down in just six weeks with a handful of conflicting clues should hearten any genealogist who thinks her brick walls are too high to scale. Congratulations to Megan for overseeing the successful search, and to the contributing researchers for making me feel inadequate as a genealogist.

She's Not Lost Annie Moore

By mustering the power of the Internet and dangling $1,000 in front of some talented genealogists, Megan Smolenyak² has succeeded in discovering the fate of the first person to pass through Ellis Island.

The $1,000 will be split between two people -- Brian Andersson, who was the first to identify the correct Moore family, and a great-niece of Annie's who provided the critical last few clues. Credit is also due to ProGenealogists, which contributed vital research at the Family History Library and kept pace with my entirely unreasonable research requests (without complaint, no less!). And an honorable mention goes to Sharon Elliott, who did a terrific job of sleuthing and sharing her findings. [Link]

I guess I can end my page-by-page search of the 1900 census. I kind of wish I hadn't already spent that reward money on an "I Found Annie Moore" tattoo.

Annie Moore Found Living in Iowa

A Genealogue Exclusive [What's That?]

Annie Moore has been the object of a frantic search since genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak announced a $1,000 reward for information on her fate. Now comes news that Annie—the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island—is alive and well, a resident of the Cedar Rapids Home for the Aged.

Mrs. Annie (Moore) Donnelly is in remarkably good health for a 129-year-old woman, and is the reigning arm-wrestling champion at the home. She spoke to The Genealogue on Wednesday morning.

"Yes, I was the first at Ellis Island," she confirms. "I heard they were giving away a $10 gold coin to the first person off the ship, so I ran to grab it. Might've pushed down a couple of old folks. My brothers were fast runners, so I kicked 'em in the shins."

Mrs. Donnelly was surprised to learn that genealogists were looking for her, but not surprised that they could find no trace of her.

"Never trusted the government," she says. "Me and my husband never got a marriage license, never had any births certified. Census takers would come once in a while, but we'd beat 'em off the porch with a stick of wood."

Now that she has been found, Mrs. Donnelly is anxious to regain her anonymity.

"I don't care to have visitors. You tell that Smolenyak woman to send me my thousand dollars, and then leave me the hell alone!"

[Photo credit: Joan by Jon Eben Field (license)]

Can't Find Her Annie Moore

Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak is offering a $1,000 reward for information on Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island in 1892. If your research leads you to an Annie (Moore) O'Connell who caught a train in 1923 the hard way, you're on the wrong trail.

The problem is that the Annie Moore whose story is told time and time again – and whose photo is even displayed in the American National Tree (and companion book) at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center – is the wrong one.

How do I know? I researched her for a documentary. Guess what? This Annie Moore was born in Illinois, not Ireland. [Link]