The Lost Girl of Ellis Island: A 15-Year-Old Italian Stowaway’s Journey to Find Her Father (1910)

At just 15 years old, Maria Cavallero stowed away on a steamship to America, determined to find her father after losing her family in the Messina earthquake. Held at Ellis Island, she faced deportation unless he could be found. Discover the remarkable true story of one of the youngest stowaways in U.S. immigration history.

15-Year-Old Italian Girl Stowaway (Illustrative). GGA Image ID # 220cf3e60a

Maria Cavallero, 15, of Messina, Italy, came to the United States to find her father, and Ellis Island officials are helping her. If he cannot be found, she will be deported.

The youngest girl stowaway ever brought to the Port of New York is now held in the detention room at the immigration station on Ellis Island. She is Maria Cavallero, a bright, dark-eyed girl of 15 who has lived all her life in Messina.

Maria came here on the Italian liner, San Giorgio. She walked and rode from Messina to Palermo, and when she got there, she found the steamship San Giorgio just ready to depart for New York.

The bustle of departure was all around, and the little girl had no trouble slipping aboard with the stream of emigrants being hurried up the gangplank.

She mingled on board with the steerage passengers, played with the children, and shared their food. It was not until the San Giorgio was well on her way to America that the elderly passengers noticed that the girl was all alone.

Suspicious reached the ship's officers that the girl was a stowaway, and when questioned, Maria told her story, the same story she told yesterday to Commissioner of Immigration Williams.

Even the sea lawyers on board found it difficult to decide what to do with a girl stowaway. She could not be sent into the coal hole to keep the steam going, nor could she be set to work cleaning decks. In the end, it was decided that she be treated simply as a passenger, but her name was entered in the ship's papers as a stowaway.

Maria made friends on the steamship, as she made them among the officials on Ellis Island. She said that she lost her mother, sister, and brother in the Messina earthquake. After it was over, her father came to America, leaving her in the care of relatives.

She got tired of life with them and longed for her father, who had promised to send for her as soon as he could. Making up her mind to run away, she put on her best clothes and slipped quietly out of the house. She said she did not know how far off America was but knew she could get there.

The officials questioned the girl, who said she did not have her father's address but remembered that he worked in Brooklyn. Commissioner Williams and the Italian Immigrant Aid Society have taken an interest in the girl, and an effort will be made to find the father.

The Italian Society has undertaken the task for the Government and expects agents to locate him within a few days. If he is not found, little Maria will have to be deported.

In the meantime, a self-confident little Miss sits in the detention room with courage unshaken, feeling certain that there will be "no trouble in finding Papa," who, to the child, was quite a personage in Messina.

"Italian Girl Stowaway Held in Detention at Ellis Island," in The New York Times, March 20, 1910

Recap and Summary of "Italian Girl Stowaway Held in Detention at Ellis Island (1910)" 🚢👧🇮🇹

This heartfelt and compelling story follows 15-year-old Maria Cavallero, a young Italian stowaway who embarked on a journey of hope and desperation to reunite with her father in America. Maria's story stands out not just for her boldness at such a young age, but for the sheer resilience she demonstrated as a child navigating the complex world of immigration at the turn of the 20th century.

Unlike many stowaways who hid for economic reasons or adventure, Maria’s motivation was deeply personal and emotional—she had lost her family in the Messina earthquake and was desperate to find the only person she had left. Her case, held in limbo at Ellis Island, illustrates both the human side of immigration policy and the bureaucratic challenges of reuniting families when official records were scarce.

Relevance to Ocean Travel and Historical Significance 🌍🚢

Maria’s story provides valuable insight into early 20th-century immigration, making it particularly useful for:

Teachers & Students 📚 – A real-life case study on Ellis Island, early immigration policies, and the impact of natural disasters on migration.

Genealogists 🧬 – Highlights the struggles of unaccompanied minors in immigration records, a common yet under-documented occurrence in many family trees.

Historians 🏛️ – Provides a glimpse into the challenges faced by child immigrants and the role of immigration aid societies in helping newcomers.

Maritime Enthusiasts ⚓ – Showcases how stowaways navigated large passenger steamers, including the San Giorgio, an important liner in transatlantic migration.

Most Engaging Content ✨

🔹 A 15-Year-Old’s Daring Solo Journey 🌎 – Maria walked and rode from Messina to Palermo before boarding a steamship completely alone, making this one of the most incredible accounts of youthful determination in immigration history.

🔹 A Stowaway Who Became a Passenger 🛳️ – Unlike typical stowaways who were forced into labor or punished, Maria was simply treated as a passenger once discovered, illustrating the compassion shown to vulnerable travelers.

🔹 The Emotional Tragedy Behind Her Journey 💔 – Having lost her mother, sister, and brother in the Messina earthquake, Maria’s only hope was to reunite with her father—a story that echoes the experiences of thousands of immigrants separated by disasters and war.

🔹 Will Her Father Be Found? 🔍 – The article leaves readers in suspense, as Maria does not have her father’s address, only knowing that he lives in Brooklyn. The efforts of the Italian Immigrant Aid Society to track him down create a gripping, real-life search story.

🔹 Her Unshaken Confidence 💪 – Maria’s youthful optimism and resilience shine through as she sits in the Ellis Island detention room, certain that she will be reunited with her father—a testament to the hope that drove millions of immigrants to America.

Noteworthy Images 🖼️

📷 "15-Year-Old Italian Girl Stowaway (Illustrative)." – A striking depiction of a young girl caught between two worlds—one of uncertainty at Ellis Island and the hope of reuniting with her father.

This image highlights the vulnerability and courage of young immigrants, making Maria’s story even more impactful.

This poignant and inspiring tale sheds light on the struggles of child immigrants, the hope that fueled their journeys, and the bureaucratic hurdles that could determine their fate—a must-read for history lovers, genealogists, and maritime enthusiasts alike. 🚢🕊️📜