Passport applications are an excellent source and one that is particularly helpful for searching on those extended family members. Passport Applications 1795-1905
John Goldenstein was born in Wrisse, Gemany, 4 January 1876. He is a first cousin of my great-grandmother. His passport was dated 1905 and it indicated he had naturalized in Albuquerque in 1902. It also provided his date of immigration to the United States.
He had lived in Gothenburg, Nebraska; Sterling, Nebraska; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Douglas, Arizona; since coming to the United States. The first two locations were areas where other family members were known to have lived. He was a 29 year old motorman on the application. The witness was L. U. Albers, a distant relative, who lived "out west" but I was unaware that Albers had spent time in the Southwest.
These images are pretty nice as well.
Too bad his uncle, Frank Goldenstein (my actual ancestor) never got a passport when he visited Germany in 1910.
Check out the applications for more than just your direct line ancestor. If I had not known where the Goldensteins were from, this would have been a very helpful document.
Those wishing to search the Passport Applications 1795-1905 can do so at Footnote.com.
(The first time this entry was published, I hit the publish key a little too fast and all that was published was the image.)
