Source Information

Ancestry.com. Alaska, U.S., Lists of Alien Arrivals, 1906-1956 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
Original data:

View Sources.

About Alaska, U.S., Lists of Alien Arrivals, 1906-1956

This database is an index to aliens (and a few returning U.S. citizens) arriving at various Alaskan ports, between 1906 and 1956. In addition, the names found in the index are linked to actual images of the records (some are index cards to long form manifests and some are actual passenger arrival lists), copied from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm (see source information below).

Ports and How They Came:

Ports of arrival found in this database include:

  • Eagle
  • Hyder
  • Ketchikan
  • Nome
  • Skagway (White Pass)

The majority of the aliens arriving in Alaska came by way of crossing the border from Canada either by railroad or on foot. Many also arrived by ship. The majority of the aliens were from Canada, Russia, Austria, Great Britain, Montenegro, Italy, Greece, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and other European countries.

Information Included:

Information contained in this index varies according to the type of form used and the amount of information recorded on it. Where available, the following information is included for each entry:

  • Given name and surname of alien
  • Age
  • Gender
    Birthplace
  • Birth date
  • Ethnicity or nationality
  • Last Residence
  • Name of vessel or railroad
  • Port of entry/arrival
  • Port of embarkation
  • Date of arrival

Additional information about an individual such as their occupation, marital status, final destination in the U.S., names of persons accompanying the individual, personal description, or manifest and line numbers (for those that are index cards to the long forms) may also be recorded on the original document and may be obtained by viewing the corresponding image.

Some lists also include returning U.S. citizens, but these lists contain little information other than the person’s name and arrival date.

Note About the Images:

The passenger arrival lists consist of two-page forms. Each page is a separate image. Be sure to view the next or previous image so that you see the full record for the individual.

These records are generally arranged in chronological order.

(Some of the above information was taken from: Publication Details of each microfilm series).