Hello,
I have citizenship intent papers for a relative from Leipzig filed in St. Clair Co., April 25, 1844. I am wondering what route was common for immigrants in St. Clair County. Did many people come through Canada? or from New York?

Thanks,
Laura K.

In that time period, most people coming from NY, Canada or other countries traveled by water to Michigan.

I’m not related to any member of this family.

My ggfather & family came from GER in the 1880's before Ellis Island opened. I suspect that the route taken to get to Huron county was by water in this way -

arrived in New York city
took a boat up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal
took the Erie Canal west to lake Erie
sailed Lake Erie to Canada & crossed over to Port Huron
Port Huron to Huron county

I agree with Michael that most people traveling to St. Clair Co. in the 1840's traveled by water via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes; however, it was possible to take a land route through Ontario (Canada West) as well. It would have been more arduous and the area sparsely settled but pioneers did travel that way by wagon, horseback and foot, and crossed the St. Clair River into Michigan by ferry or flatboat. It was also possible to travel by water through Ontario using the Thames River and the Sydenham River. The city of London, Ontario, was pretty well settled at that date and would make a good jumping off point for the wilderness between it and Michigan, now about an hour's drive by car.