Ellis Island records show my grdfather's residence being Skolsky, Russia. I can't find it on any map. Plz help

Question

Ellis Island records show my grdfather's residence being Skolsky, Russia. I can't find it on any map. Plz help

Answer 1

The records at Elllis Island were hand written and often used phonetic spellings.  This resulted in many name changes not only for people, but for where they came from. Also, Russian is written in a different alphabet so translations were not as accurate as today.  An old map might give you a clue.  Are your parents available to question about what your grandfather mentioned about the old country? It is difficult to trace ancestors, record keeping wasn't as much of an obsession as it is today.

Answer 2

If you have a date of arrival this might help.  Many town names were changed after the revolution (90 years ago, or so).  Also, borders were changed, so that the town could now be in a different country, with a different spelling.

Answer 3

Google only recognizes Skolska, Czech Republic and Skolski, Poland.  I think it is Skolksi, Poland.  The problem is Skolski is not a Google location.  Based on other searches, I think it is close to Lublin, Poland.  You can scour the Polish country side trying to find Skolski if you wish.

The reason I favor Skolski, Poland is because Russia and Poland experienced a revolution in 1905.  Poland was called Russian Poland at the time.  "Millions of Poles emigrated to North America and other destinations.  Piłsudski's party, the Polish Socialist Party, was the largest socialist party in the entire Russian Empire." I found Ellis Island results and saw three names from "Skolsky, Russia" in 1906, one year (or less) later.

Here is another immigrant from 1907 with the same background and place of residence.

Name:  Milczyslaw Korbaczynski

Ethnicity:  Russia, Polish

Place of Residence:  Skolsk, Russia

Date of Arrival:  19 Nov. 1907