Annie Moore was the first immigrant processed at Ellis Island on opening day: January 1, 1892. The Irish teenager was accompanied by her two brothers and they were the first people to appear on the first page of Ellis Island arrivals. (Previous arrivals were processed at Castle Garden.) Annie's name appeared first in the records.
Genealogist Megan Smolenyak has spent hundreds of hours researching Annie Moore and what happened to her after she left Ellis Island. You can read more about Megan's efforts in several past articles in this newsletter if you start at http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q=site%3Aeogn.com+%22Annie+Moore%22&aq=f&aqi=&oq=.
Megan now believes that she has found a picture of Annie Moore and her brothers taken at Ellis Island on the day of her arrival. However, Megan is asking for help in proving or disproving the authenticity of the photograph. She is even offering a significant cash award.
Megan writes, "The last time [a prize was offered], it restored Annie to her rightful place in history, and this time, I want to do this same with this photo - because it matters. Ellis Island is synonymous with immigration, and as the first to arrive, Annie symbolizes the fabled American dream that so many came here to pursue. As an Irish girl, she also represents the Irish diaspora which is so intertwined with the story of Ireland itself. On the surface, she may seem to be a random teenager who accidentally stepped into history, but when she did, she became an important symbol for two nations. This image captures that moment and belongs to all of us."
You can read more about this research effort and the prize being offered at: http://bit.ly/9VkPJH.
