Regarding Ellis Island as it relates to Scots/Scots-Irish in America:

Ellis Island probably played only a minute part in the Scots and Scots Irish immigrations to the US, if any. Until 1892 Ellis Island had been a sometimes staffed, sometimes abandoned military base, that was later expanded and amalgamated to its current landmass by landfill (moslty from constuction projects elsewhere in the area). Prior to 1892 most NYC immigration was administered in one or more of several land based centers around the city. With passage of significant immigration legislation by the federal government in 1892 Ellis Island became the major east coast immigration center we all have heard stories about, but that lasted only until about 1924 (yes only about 32 years) whereupon its immigration duties diminished significantly and it became primarily a center for detention and deportation for immigration related cases, until its ultimate closure in 1954. Millions of new americans were processed through Ellis island in its 32 year boon, but these were mostly of eastern and southern european origin, and a significant irish population. Although statements about half of Americans being able to trace at least one relative to the Ellis Island immigration route may be true, I think that is more likely due to huge numbers of immigrants processed through there and the subsequent breadth of intercultural marriages that have occurred in the years since.

Considering most of the Scots and Scots Irish waves of immigrants occurred before, during and in the 100 years after the American Revolutionary War, it is unlikely that most of Scots or Scots-Irish ancestry had their line come through Ellis Island, although more likely that those who did have actual records of those (relatively recent) immigrations, compared to those of us whose families came in the preceding waves before (1635 in my case), as complete records either were never kept in those earlier days, or, in the case of thosee who ended up in Confederate states during the Civil War, were destroyed as a result of that war and lost to history forever. But most Scots were already here long before Ellis Island ever opened or closed its doors. They just either haven't, can't trace their ancestry that many generations back to their original immigrant ancestors, or aren't particularly interested in doing so.

One man's opinion.

We now return you to your regular programming. Sorry for the temporary threadjack.

jeff