S/S Waesland

An undated photo of the Waesland but we know it was before 1902 as it sunk in a collision with another ship that year.

I recently found the passenger record for the Lillig family. They departed from Antwerp, Belgium aboard the S/S Waesland, part of the Red Star line. They arrived in New York October 13, 1881. From there they went to Philadelphia briefly where a parish priest arranged for passage to the Conception Abbey, Missouri. Before long they moved to Kansas City.

The entire family made this voyage together except for their oldest son, Peter. He had made the trip sometime earlier in the 1870s first staying at his Uncle Matthias Michels (Regina's brother) farm near Ravenwood in Nodaway County Missouri before moving on to Marysville, Kansas to settle for good. Mathias had immigrated sometime in the 1860s first to Indiana and eventually to Northwest Missouri.

The ship has quite a history itself. Originally named Russia it was built in Scotland in 1867 and outfitted for first class travel, purchased by Red Star in 1880, renamed Waesland and refitted for 1500 third class passengers. It was a steam powered propeller driven vessel, the sails were for backup should a propeller break.

This print is from 1867 and inexpensive reprints are available.