CLOSURE: On Nov. 12, 1954, after processing more than 12 million immigrants, Ellis Island closed its doors.

From the National Park Service: “On average, the inspection process took approximately 3-7 hours. For the vast majority of immigrants, Ellis Island truly was an “Island of Hope” — the first stop on their way to new opportunities and experiences in America. For the rest, it became the “Island of Tears” — a place where families were separated and individuals were denied entry into the United States.”

The Park Service described a typical day at the immigration station: “Immigrants came face to face with inspectors, interpreters, nurses, doctors, social workers, and many others. As a large federal facility employing approximately five hundred employees at a time, Ellis Island was a well-organized workforce.

“The complex work of processing thousands of immigrants a year required a full complement of staff. Some names are known; others remain anonymous, but all of them contributed to the primary function of the Immigration Station on Ellis Island — to make sure that newcomers to the United States were legally and medically fit to enter the country.”

The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island museum collection includes more than a million archival records, along with “1886 models of the Statue of Liberty sold to raise funds for the Statue’s construction; a number of letters exchanged between Auguste Bartholdi (designer of the Statue of Liberty) and Joseph Pulitzer (publisher of the New York World newspaper); immigration documents such as inspection cards, passports and steamship tickets; and personal items families brought with them through Ellis Island.”

A library at Ellis Island is named in memory of Bob Hope, and is open by appointment only for research purposes.

The history of so many American families must be present at the historic site.