The Jordan Story

Elizabeth Priscilla Jordan Chapters

Coming to America

by Dave Jordan

With the death of Joseph Steward in October 1892 and the death or divorce of James Jordan, Elizabeth P. Jordan and her mother were on their own. In addition, there was still young James Henry, age 13 and Charles age 19. There was rent to pay and groceries to be purchased. In addition, Poplar by the 1890s had become severely overcrowded, less healthy and a hotbed of activists marching and demonstrating about the various social ills. In the late 1880s, there had been riots as part of one of the demonstrations. It was not the rapidly expanding, growing community it was in the 1850s to 70s that Elizabeth grew up in.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth's brother Charles was in Chicago as was her oldest son Oscar. Chicago was experiencing rapid growth in the 1890s and was a beckoning point for people all over the world. There were jobs in many industries and the1893 World Columbian Exposition was about to take place. Huge areas of the city were being transformed for the event, along with the building of new subway lines and buildings. Most likely Elizabeth had been in touch by mail with her son and brother and a decision was made to pull up stakes and move to Chicago to consolidate their remaining family.

In the summer of 1893, Elizabeth Jordan age 46, sons Charles age 19 and James Henry age 13, and Elizabeth Holloway in her sixties, packed and left Poplar by rail for Liverpool. Here they boarded the S. S. Britannic for its regular run to New York. The Britannic held over 400 passengers and had four huge smokestacks with auxiliary sails. There were different classes of travel but the Jordans were didn't have much money and traveled in steerage. The voyage took about a week and on or about August 18, 1893 the Statue of Liberty appeared on the horizon. They slowly approached, then went passed and turned left to dock at the newly opened Ellis Island. They were processed, had their money exchanged, took a short ferryboat and boarded trains for the journey by rail to Chicago.

In Chicago Elizabeth Jordan and family likely took a horse drawn streetcar a few miles west down 12th Street to 1469 Fillmore where her brother Charles and son, Oscar Jordan lived. Oscar had purchased a bicycle for young James Henry, which he used to drive to a new job in the Chicago Loop. In the later days of summer they took in the Columbian Exposition, the huge Ferris Wheel and settled in to their new life.

Notes

1. Initial Web Publication Date: 2/5/2003
2. Modified:
3. Desktop Master file: Stories_Jordan