Coming to America

In 1892, at the age of 17, John left behind his mountain village in Bohemia and traveled (presumably) by train to Hamburg, Germany. From there, he traveled alone to the United States.

Crop failures, falling grain prices, and farm foreclosures contributed to a major wave of emigration that occurred during the 1880s and early 1890s. Thousands of Czech farmers, laborers, and village artisans came to America to escape economic hardship at home. Many young men also left because 10 years of military service was required of them, starting at age 20.

Transcription of the Hamburg (Germany) departure manifest:

Jungwirth, Joh+
Age 17 years
Family members: none
Place of residence: Tisch
State of residence: Bohmen (Bohemia)
Profession: Tischler (carpenter)
Place of destination: New York
Passenger number: 01.0703
Passage number: A1892.0160
Date of departure: 6-May-1892
Ship's destination: New York (via Southampton)
Ship's name: Normannia (later renamed Auguste Victoria)
Ship type: Dampfschiff (steamer)
Accomodation: Zwischendeck (steerage)
Shipping company: Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft
Country flag: Deutschland (Germany)
Captain's name: Hebich

(Cimorelli's Manifests shows this ship arrived in New York eight days later on 14-May-1892.)

The "Normannia" (at left) was the first German express steamer, built in Glasgow for the Hamburg-American Line in 1890. It was 500 feet long; 57 feet wide; with a service speed of 19 knots. It held 1,100 passengers (400 first-class, 120 second-class, and 580 in steerage), with a crew of 245.

When John arrived in New York, he passed though Ellis Island (at left), which had opened just five months earlier. His ship sailed past the Statue of Liberty, which had been unveiled six years earlier, on October 28, 1886. At 305 feet, it was New York's tallest structure until 1899.