Overland trek to Malaga, 1907

Possible land route to the port of Malaga
the top blue markers identify Torredonjimeno and Martos

Grandpa’s family was from Martos, Grandma’s family from Torredonjimeno, both in the province of Jaen. The two families lived about 10 miles from each other (17 km). In order to make it to port city of Malaga to board the SS Heliopolis, which would in turn take them to Hawaii, they traveled from Jaen to Malaga which was around 170 miles (268 km). Only the 1907 SS Heliopolis departed from Malaga, the other five voyages departed from Gibraltar between 1911 and 1913.

Robert Rodriguez, a descendent of another SS Heliopolis passenger, has shared the following translated information from a Malaga newspaper.

            Most of the travelers congregated in the larger towns like Jaen, and Granada. From these towns, Don Carlos Corvetto, the company responsible for hiring the new workers, transported all of the passengers to Malaga via wagon trains, then on to Hawaii aboard the SS Heliopolis.

Because of the people and animals walking with the wagon trains, they generally only traveled between 3 and 5 miles a day. They would have traveled on dirt and gravel roads, many of which would have had large ruts from previous wagons that traveled the roads. However, Spaniards being early risers and accustomed to long work days, they may have traveled more like 10 miles a day. That means the journey could have taken only 17 or so days, by wagon train.

                                                                                                       

Along the way, the wagon train stopped at small “hotels” (pensionses) along the route that provided a room with breakfast (desayuno), midmorning snack (almuerzo), lunch (comida), afternoon snacks (merienda), or dinner (cena).  Since the families were large, there were not enough rooms in these inns. Many slept in the wagons, in the barns, or in the cooler storage areas under the hotels. Don Carlos Corvetto paid for all expenses along the way, recording them by family to each man’s name to be paid off later with wages earned from the plantations. The average expense of the voyage from the first 3 ships was just over $207 per adult male or around $62 per individual.

After they arrived in the port city of Malaga, they were housed in warehouse like buildings and provided blankets. One building served as a dining hall, another as a bathhouse with showers and space to wash their clothes.

Spanish Families embarking the SS Heliopolis at the Port of Málaga Spain

Once they were in Malaga, families waited their turn to begin the process of being accepted as passengers aboard the ship. First, their documents were checked, then they were given a quick physical to detect physical defects or illnesses; scars and other distinguishing marks were recorded as were their physical descriptions such as gender, age, height, weight, color of hair and eyes. As they were registered by family, the ship also recorded place of origin, and number of people in the family; with each member going through the same process, it took quite a while to board the ship. As they boarded the ship the families were given an ID number, this number was used throughout the voyage and their time in Hawaii.

All three brothers and their parents along with Juan’s betrothed, Guadalupe, and her parents, not only immigrated to America together, but stayed close by in those early years.