So, I'm doing a bit of family research and one branch landed in NYC on May 28, 1880. It was a husband, wife, and 3 kids (ages 4, 3, & 1). They somehow managed to get to the wife's brother's house (he'd been in the US at least 8 years) in Baileys Harbor, WI by June 9, in time to be counted by the 1880 census. I know the dates are correct and I've seen images of the documents.
What would be the most likely way they would have traveled? By train? Which routes? Coach? How much would this have cost?
Maybe I'm underestimating the transportation system of that time, but I know these people were dirt poor, illiterate, and spoke zero English. Not to mention dragging 3 very little kids with them. I figure this might be a question of interest to others since it seems many immigrants made similar journeys.
Thank you for your insight.
They would probably have traveled by train. New York to Chicago, Chicago to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
From Green Bay, they could have gone by rail to Marinette, Wisconsin, on the other shore of Green Bay from Bailey's Harbor (which is on the Door County Peninsula) and taken a boat across the Bay, or they might have taken a boat or traveled overland from Green Bay (69 miles). (In 1880 the railroad which later ran up the peninsula to Sturgeon Bay had not yet been built.)
Railroad map of Wisconsin in 1880:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY81305091140036:County-and-township-map-of-the-stat
The train trip from NYC to Green Bay would have taken about 2 days.
Maps of train travel times from NYC at different dates:
The cost of the train from NYC to Green Bay might have been about $23.33 per person (not sure about children) based on the average passenger fare per mile and a circa 1000 mile trip. (Average cost per passenger mile for all train travel across the US might not be very accurate for a specific journey. I expect they might have got away with less because long journeys often cost less per mile than short ones, and because they probably would have traveled on the cheapest fares, while the average cost would include first class, and more expensive fares.)
The less predictable part of the journey would have been from Green Bay on to Bailey's Harbor. If all overland by wagon, it might have taken 3 days to travel the 69 miles. If all by steamboat, perhaps a day. If by sail, less predictable. If by train to Marinette, then boat then overland, maybe two days.
In any event, the total travel time should have been somewhere between 3 and 5 days. They should have had no problem making the trip in under 12 days.