the reillys. from ireland to ellis island on a ship

at travel town, dylan engineers an authentic southern pacific railroad engine--much like the one his great grandpa cornelius must've worked on in the early part of the century. 

little wonder dylan loves trains and railroads--it's in his blood. his great grandpa cornelius, or 'con' as he was better known, had a job working for southern pacific, and raised his family in east l.a.'s lincoln heights. dylan is the youngest descendant of con reilly and nellie downey--who came to the u.s. via ellis island sometime around 1900. grandpa emmett says that his father came from a village called knockadoon in county cork, ireland, and nellie from county kerry.

to pay homage to his grandparents, john made his way to ellis island last year and took a ferry from new york city--and i imagine he arrived there just like con and nellie did over a hundred years ago. ship records state that cornelius arrived with $20 in his pocket.

cornelius came as an indentured worker who eventually had to pay back his ship's passage, and i  assume once the debt was paid, he made his way to california---and in l.a. is this where he met nellie downey? did they meet at a church, at a social gathering, at a dance? what was lincoln heights like back then in old l.a.?

grandpa emmett's sister may, john's aunt, was born in a boxcar as the story goes, and that his mother nellie always welcomed in a hungry friend or neighbor with a hot meal. she turned away no one, emmett recalls.

my heart sort of fills with longing, wanting to know who they were, what their lives were like.

years ago, john had contributed his grandparents' names to the wall of honor memorial at ellis island. he came to see if their names were on the wall.


and there were their names: cornelius, and four names below is nellie downey, dylan's great grandparents.