Popular Ellis Island site lists immigrants from 1892 to 1924

The first time you tried to get on the Ellis Island Web site, you probably couldn’t get there because it was busy.

You’ll likely have better luck now, so give it a try at www.ellisislandrecords.org.

The records cover the period 1892-1924, and you’ll be glad to know that you don’t even need to be specific about a first name.

For instance, I plugged in the name “Hopkins,” and found 3,983 matches. The entries included a passenger Mrs. Frances A. Hopkins who landed in 1912 at age 40, and was said to be living in Boston. A Mrs. Frank Tucker Hopkins came in 1907 at age 38, and a Mrs. Frank Tucker Hopkins at 46 in 1911.

In other words, women may have been listed under their own names, or under their husband’s.

You won’t need a computer to find your way to Majorbigwiduce, or to Pentagoet either, for that matter. Both are names for the area where you’ll find towns such as Castine.

That’s where the Maine Old Cemetery Association will hold its summer meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wilson Museum, 107 Perkins St.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. The speaker at 10:15 a.m. will be Mark Honey, with the topic “Tales from the Crypt – Legends in Stone from Hancock County.”

In addition, Brad Tenney, president of the Castine Cemetery Association, will speak briefly on cemeteries in town. He also will give a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. for those who are interested.

Registration for the meeting is $2. Lunch, provided by the Wilson Museum, is $5. Note that while the museum has a ramp for handicapped entrance, the restrooms are not accessible to those in wheelchairs. There is such a facility down the street.

One of the older family gatherings in this state may be the Kalloch family reunion, scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at John Street United Methodist Church, Camden.

You may know that Kallochs descend from Clan Donald in Scotland.

Gerry Kearns has invited me to be the speaker, and my topic will be “All My Cousins,” including some of the resources that can help us find out what interesting people we are related to. In addition, I’ll talk about how we can get sidetracked when a surname has so many different spellings – and certainly a good example of that is Kalloch, Kelloch, Kellogg, Cullough, McCullough and so on.

The reunion committee needs to have registrations by Aug. 7. Registration is $12 with a buffet lunch, $5 without lunch, sent in care of Evelyn Kalloch, P.O. Box 124, Thomaston, ME 04861.

Remember the historic road that ran between Ducktrap and Searsmont, then on to Augusta?

Rosey Gerry of Lincolnville will give a talk, illustrated with slides and a large map, on that subject at the meeting of the Mid-Coast Genealogy Group, 7 p.m. Wednesday at the LDS Church on Old County Road in Rockport. For more information, contact Marlene Groves at 594-4293.

This is a good time of year to catch up with the Mayflower Society. The group will hold its summer meeting at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at New Meadows Inn in West Bath.

Historian Judith Elfring, who is a most knowledgeable genealogist, will give a workshop at 10 a.m. for those interested in tracing their Mayflower lineage in hopes of joining the society.

The afternoon program, by Eben Elwell, will be “A New Look at Early Pilgrim Activity at ‘Kenibec’ in Maine.”

Luncheon at noon is a choice of prime rib or broiled haddock, at a cost of $16. Send check and reservations by Aug. 1 to Anne Deletetsky, 22 Cleaves St., Auburn, ME 04210.

The descendants of Scottish immigrant Robert Dunbar of Hingham, Mass., the Dunbar Family Association, will hold a New England regional reunion all day Saturday at the Iron Works in Saugus, Mass. Maps will be provided to those who wish to visit local family sites that weekend.

The annual New York reunion of the Dunbar group will be held Sunday, Aug. 12, at Stony Brook State Park in Dansville.

You may receive the Dunbar Notes newsletter by writing Bill Budde, 123 McKinley St., Bennington, VT 05201-1824. A donation of $10 is suggested to help with costs.

You may check out the Clan Dunbar tent, and those of other Scottish families during the Maine Highland Games Saturday, Aug. 18, at Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick.

3124. FIELD-COMBS. Searching for info on Frederick Field Combs, who I believe is just Frederick Field. He was living with Samuel Field in Bangor according to 1880 Census, and listed as Samuel’s son. Samuel Benson Field was b. Oct. 4, 1817, Carmel, md. July 2, 1855, Mary Proctor Burr of Brewer. Kenneth A. Field, summer address, P.O. Box 1317, York Beach, ME 03910; winter address, 504 Susan Drive, West Melbourne, FL 32904.

3125. MCKAY. Seeking location, info and descendants of Kenneth McKay Jr., b. 1923, Calais. Michael F. York, P.O. Box 44, Charleston, ME 04422.

Send queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or e-mail familyti@bangordailynews.net. Full name and address of sender are required.