• Immigrants awaiting inspection in front of Ellis Island's Main Building

    Ellis Island

    Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument NJ,NY

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  • Ellis Island Closed Until Further Notice

    As of May 2013: Due to the conditions caused by Hurricane Sandy, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will be closed until further notice. A projected reopening date has not yet been established, follow our twitter account for updates. More »

Hayter Family

Hayter 9949

Family portrait – Walter and Vida holding their son and daughter in 1926.

National Park Service, Statue of Liberty NM

Two years after his father died in 1909, Walter Hayter left Purleigh, England for the United States. He was 22 years old and felt a responsibility to help his mother and 12 brothers and sisters. Shortly after his arrival in America he found work on a Michigan farm. In a matter of months, he was able to send for three of his sisters and one brother, all of whom became ill during their voyage and recuperated in Ellis Island's contagious disease hospital. Eventually, the entire Hayter family, except the oldest son, settled in America.

All immigrants arriving at Ellis Island had to undergo a medical inspection. Medical officers screened immigrants for any indication of physical or mental illness. If illness was suspected, immigrants were detained at Ellis Island's hospital complex. In some cases, the incurable or extremely ill were sent back to their home countries. In total, approximately 3,500 immigrants died at Ellis Island; 1,400 being children. Nevertheless, most patients, such as the Hayter siblings, recovered after treatment and joined their families in the United States.

Walter returned to England in 1922 to find an English wife. After a brief courtship, he and Vida Dixon married and sailed to the United States in 1923.

Did You Know?

Angel Island aerial cropped2

From 1910 to 1940, the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay processed approximately 1 million Asian immigrants entering into the US, leading to it sometimes being referred to as "The Ellis Island of the West". Due to the restrictions of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, many immigrants spent years on the island, waiting for entry. Access to the island is by private boat or public ferry from San Francisco, Tiburon or Vallejo. Ferry services are reduced during the winter. More...