Passage to the New World

SS OHIO Manifest

An update on the Franz Prokosch family immigration records. I finally was able to find the correct records.  Their immigration records were miss-posted in the Leo Baca Immigration Records, Volume VIII for arrival in 1874 vs. the actual year of 1879.  Franz Prokosch and family (included 2 Lilla kids) immigrated to the U.S. on September 13, 1879, their port of departure, Bremen, Germany.  They sailed on the "SS Ohio" into the Port of Baltimore.  Source: NARA Microfilm

SS OHIO Ship Manifest – Partial List of 279 passengers

Bremen, Germany to Baltimore, MD

13 September 1879

I, G. Meyer master of the Ship OHIO of Bremen do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear that the annexed list, subscribed with my name, contains, to the best of my knowledge and belief, a just and true account or report of all the passengers who have been taken on board the said vessel at Bremen or any other foreign port, or at sea, and brought in the said vessel into any district of the United States since her departure from the said port of Bremen, Germany sworn to this 13 day of September 1879, 


Gustave Meyer Before me David W. Elyaih.


Columns represent: passenger number, names, age, sex, occupation, last legal residence/country claiming allegiance, and destination.

 Passenger  Name                       Age   Sex  Occupation  Residence  Destination

176.         Franz Prokosch              37  M   Farmer   Bohemia    Minnesota

177.         Barbara Prokosch          44   F

178.         Georg Prokosch             17  M

179.         Marie Prokosch              13  F

180.         Josef Prokosch                 8  M

181.         Barbara Prokosch             5  F

182.         Magdalene Prokosch        9 months F

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The manifest shows the following souls onboard: Germany -138, Austria – 61, Hungary – 2, London – 1, US – 48, Total 245.  Five - first class cabin passengers, the remainder in steerage.

Their ship, the SS OHIO sailed up the Chesapeake towards Baltimore, MD, they passed Annapolis.  The first buildings the Prokosch family saw were very likely from the deck when Captain Meyer, pointed out the U.S. Naval Academy.  After the family debarked from the SS OHIO, they likely took the B&O Railroad (Baltimore & Ohio) immigrant train toward the Midwest.  The railroad in 1879 ran to New Ulm. They may have bought a wagon and team and set off across the prairie in search of New Ulm, MN., but likely decided the train was faster.

Steerage

Duration: 16 – 25 days, longest trip 119 days

Ship Name: Ohio 

Years in service: 1869-1894

Funnels: 1 

Masts: 2 

Aliases: Amazzone (1894), Rio Santa Cruz (1897) 

Ship Description: Builder: Caird and Company, Greenock, Scotland. Tonnage: 2,394. Dimensions: 301' x 39'. Single-screw, 10 knots. Inverted engines. Two masts, one funnel. Iron hull. 

Shipping Line: North German Lloyd