Rhode Island Passenger List Resources in the RIHS Collections

The following items are located in the Reading Room.

  • 1798-1872     Rhode Island Passenger Lists: Port of Providence 1798-1808, 1820-1872;  Port of Bristol and Warren 1820-1871, by Maureen Taylor (book)
    • Call Number: CS 44 T39
  • 1872-1910     Passenger lists for this time period have been lost. They do not exist anywhere.
  • 1911-1920     Book indexes to passenger lists, Providence, RI, 1911-1920 (on microfilm)
    • Call Number: Mfilm CS 44 P
    • These Book Indexes are arranged by date of ship arrival and provide the surname, given name, date, list number, line number on the list, and name of the ship.
  • 1911-1954     Index to Passenger Arrivals, Port of Providence, 1911-1954 (on microfilm)
    • Call Number: Mfilm CS 44 P35
    • Note: While this index covers arrivals through 1954, the records themselves only go as far as 1943 (see entry below). Arrival index cards are on high reduction (42x) microfilm. Use high magnification reader. The index is filmed in two columns. One column is filmed upside down in comparison to the other column. The microfilm reader head must be turned in order to properly read both columns.
    • The Arrival Index Cards are first arranged alphabetically by surname and then chronologically under surname. The cards provide the surname, given name, age, sex, year, volume number and line number, where each individual can be found in the passenger lists.
  • 1911-1943     Passenger Arrivals to Port of Providence, 1911-1943 (on microfilm)
    • Call Number: Mfilm CS 44 P35
    • These are the records listed in both indexes above. The index includes 1943-1954 but the actual records have been lost.
  • 1943-1954     Passenger lists for this time period have been lost. They do not exist anywhere. The only record of them is in the index listed above.