Agency Sketch | Series Description | Order of Microfilming

Agency Sketch

The United States Customs Service, created by an act of July 31, 1789, became part of the Department of the Treasury when that Department was established in September of 1789. The service has been responsible for the enforcement of numerous laws and regulations pertaining to the import and export of merchandise, collection of tonnage taxes, control of the entrance and clearance of coastwise and fishing trades, and the protection of passengers. A Bureau of Customs was established March 3, 1927, to supervise these activities and in 1942 it assumed the responsibilities of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation relating to the registering, enrolling, licensing, and admeasurement of merchant vessels. This responsibility was assigned to the Coast Guard in 1967.

The act that established the Customs Service in 1789 also provided for the creation of collection districts in various coastal, river, Great Lakes, and inland ports. A Collector of Customs in each district was responsible for the enforcement of all rules and regulations including the protection of American seamen and passengers and the forwarding of basic data on immigration, imports, and exports. A Naval officer in each district, coordinate in rank with the Collector, was required to keep separate accounts and copies of all manifests and entries and to countersign certain of the daily record of all vessel arrivals and clearances, and was assisted by inspectors, weighers, and gaugers in the collection and payment of bounty allowances and fees and the admeasurement of foreign vessels for tonnage duties.

Port Huron, Michigan was under the jurisdiction of the Collector of Customs at Detroit, Michigan until April 13, 1866 when the customs district of Port Huron was established. John P. Sanborn was appointed and confirmed as Collector in March 1867.

Series Description

BILLS OF SALE AND ENROLLMENTS
58 volumes
1866-1956

1. Bills of Sale, 37 volumes, 1866-1956
2. Bills of Sale, 8 volumes, 1878-1885
3. Enrollments, 9 volumes, 1866-1888
4. Consolidated Certificates, 2 volumes, 1912-1921
5. Index of Enrollments & Licenses, 2 volumes, 1903-1940

LICENSES
31 volumes
1866-1916

1. Licenses, 17 volumes, 1868-1909
2. Index & Licenses for Vessels above 20 Tons, 10 volumes, 1866-1916
3. Licenses & Bills of Sale for Vessels under 20 Tons, 3 volumes, 1870-1882
4. Copies of Yacht Licenses, 1 volume, 1903-1910

CONVEYANCES, MORTGAGES, AND ENDORSEMENTS
24 volumes
1866-1942

1. Conveyances & Indexes, 8 volumes, 1866-1942
2. Mortgages, 14 volumes, 1866-1941
3. Record of Endorsements, 2 volumes, 1869-1884, 1927-1941

ENTRANCES AND CLEARANCES
15 volumes
1910-1972

BONDS OF ENROLLMENT, OATHS
15 volumes
1875-1960

CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRY
5 volumes
1867-1921

MISCELLANEOUS
6 volumes
1867-1958

1. Annual Material for Merchant Vessels of US, 1917-1937
2. Record of Marine Documents Deposited, 1918-1958
3. Abstracts of Tonnage from Enrollment Records, 1919-1937
4. Documented Vessels, 1920-1926, 1928-1938
5. Wreck Reports, 1918-1942
6. Steamboat Inspector's Journal,Detroit, Michigan, 1867-1889

Order of Microfilming

Roll 1: Bills of Sale

1. October 1866-March 1869
2. Bills of Sale & Enrollments, October 1873-April 1875
3. Bills of Sale & Enrollments, March 1875-April 1876

Roll 2: Bills of Sale and Enrollments

1. April 1876-March 1878
2. October 1876-May 1880
3. May 1885-May 1886
4. Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels, April 1886-March 1887

Roll 3: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book 3), March 1887-August 1887
2. August 1887-March 1888
3. Copies of Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels, March 1888-September 1888
4. September 1888-March 1889
5. (Book 7), March 1889-August 1889

Roll 4: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book 8), August 1889-April 1890
2. Copies of Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels, April 1890-December 1890
3. (Book 10), December 1890-April 1891
4. (Book 11), April 1891-January 1892
5. (Book 12), January 1892-February 1892

Roll 5: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book 13), March 1892-January 1893
2. (Book AA), February 1893-May 1893
3. (Book 15), May 1893-April 1894
4. (Book 16), December 1893-May 1895

Roll 6: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book 17), May 1895-April 1896
2. (Book 18), April 1896-February 1897
3. (Book 19), March 1897-June 1898
4. (Book 20), February 1897-March 1899

Roll 7: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book 21), March 1899-March 1900
2. (Book 22), March 1900-April 1901
3. (Book 23), April 1901-September 1902
4. (Book 24), October 1902-October 1904

Roll 8: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book 25), October 1904-January 1907
2. (Book 26), February 1907-June 1910
3. (Book 27), June 1910-January 1914
4. (Book 28), January 1914-August 1917

Roll 9

1. Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels (Book 29), August 1917-April 1922
2. Bills of Sale and Enrollments (Book 30), April 1922-November 1929
3. Bills of Sale and Enrollments (Book 31), September 1929-April 1938

Roll 10: Bills of Sale, Enrollment and Licenses

1. (Book 32), April 1938-December 1941
2. (Book 1), December 1941-April 1951
3. (Book 2), April 1951-September 1956

Roll 11: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book M), May 1878-March 1880
2. (Book L), March 1880-March 1881
3. (Book O), March 1881-September 1881
4. (Book P), September 1881-April 1882

Roll 12: Bills of Sale of Enrolled Vessels

1. (Book S), April 1882-March 1883
2. (Book U), March 1883-September 1883
3. (Book X), December 1883-August 1884
4. (Book Y), August 1884-June 1885

Roll 13: Enrollments

1. (Book A), October 1866-July 1867
2. (Book B), July 1867-October 1868
3. (Book C), October 1868-May 1870
4. (Book D), June 1870-March 1874
5. (Book E), Temporary: November 1866-October, 1873; Regular: April 1874-March 1875
6. (Book F), April 1875-October 1877

Roll 14

1. Temporary Enrollment, April 1875-June 1879
2. Enrollment (Book G), October 1877-March 1880
3. Bills of Sale and Enrollment (Book M), May 1880-May 1888
4. Consolidated Certificate of Enrollment and Licenses, March 1912-June 1912
5. Consolidated Certificate of Enrollment and Licenses (Book Y), August 1912-April 1921
6. Index of Enrollments and Licenses for Enrolled Vessels, 1903-1927
7. Index of Enrollments and Licenses for Enrolled Vessels, 1920-1940
8. Licenses, June 1868-June 1869
9. Licenses of Enrolled Vessels, March 1882-April 1883

Roll 15: License of Enrolled Vessel

1. April 1883-April 1884
2. April 1884-June 1885
3. June 1885-October 1886
4. October 1886-February 1888

Roll 16: License of Enrolled Vessel

1. February 1888-March 1889
2. February 1890-October 1890
3. October 1890-September 1891
4. August 1891-November 1891
5. October 1891-September 1892

Roll 17: License of Enrolled Vessel

1. September 1892-August 1893
2. August 1893-September 1894
3. September 1894-November 1895
4. November 1895-February 1897

Roll 18: License of Enrolled Vessel

1. February 1897-March 1898
2. March 1898-March 1899
3. March 1899-April 1900
4. April 1900-August 1901

Roll 19

1. License of Enrolled Vessel, November 1901-June 1903
2. License of Enrolled Vessel, June 1903-March 1906
3. License of Enrolled Vessel, March 1906-September 1909
4. License of Enrolled Vessel, October 1909-June 1912
5. Index of Licenses of Vessels above Twenty Tons, October 1866-July 1877
6. Index of Licenses of Vessels above Twenty Tons, 1867-1888

Roll 20

1. Index of Licenses of Vessels above Twenty Tons, 1887-1894
2. Bills of Sale and Licenses of Vessels over Twenty Tons, September 1870-September 1873
3. Bills of Sale and Licenses of Vessels over Twenty Tons, September 1873-May 1878
4. License of Vessels over Twenty Tons, April 1875-May 1876

Roll 21

1. License of Vessels over Twenty Tons, August 1880-March 1882
2. Index of Licenses of Vessels above Twenty Tons, 1889-1890
3. Index of Licenses of Vessels above Twenty Tons, 1894-1899
4. Index of Licenses of Vessels above Twenty Tons, 1909-1916
5. License of Vessels under Twenty Tons, July 1870-April 1875
6. Bills of Sale and Licenses of Vessels under Twenty Tons (Coasting Trade), September 1870-June 1878

Roll 22

1. License of Vessels under Twenty Tons, October 1878-September 1879
2. Bills of Sale and Licenses of Vessels under Twenty Tons, February 1879-April 1882
3. Copies of Yacht Licenses, May 1903-August 1910
4. Index of Conveyances of Vessels, 1866-1884
5. General Index of Conveyances of Vessels, 1892-1930
6. Index to Conveyances of Vessels A-N, 1867-1911

Roll 23

1. Index to Conveyances of Vessels, O-Z, 1866-1916
2. Index to Conveyances of Vessels, 1868-1873
3. Conveyances of Vessels, March 1869-April 1872
4. Conveyances of Vessels, February 1872-June 1883

Roll 24

1. Record of Miscellaneous Conveyances of Vessels, July 1916-May 1942
2. Mortgages, October 1866-August 1870

Roll 25

1. Bills of Sale and Mortgages, August 1870-December 1873
2. Records of Mortgages/Enrollments, April 1877-April 1881
3. Mortgages, December 1873-August 1882

Roll 26

1. Mortgage of Enrolled Vessels, August 1880-January 1883
2. Mortgage of Enrolled Vessels (Book T), February 1883-April 1885
3. Bills of Sale and Mortgages (Book W), August 1883-September 1890
4. Mortgages of Enrolled Vessels, April 1887-October 1888

Roll 27: Mortgages

1. April 1882-November 1890
2. Registered or Enrolled Vessels, March, 1897-September 1904
3. Registered or Enrolled Vessels, November 1888-March 1890

Roll 28: Mortgages--Registered or Enrolled Vessels

1. March 189-March 1892
2. April 1892-May 1894
3. May 1894-February 1897

Roll 29

1. Record of Discharge of Mortgages, December 1888-March 1919
2. Index of Preferred Mortgages and Maritime Liens, 1922-1937
3. Mortgages of Enrolled Vessels, January 1932-November 1941
4. Record of Endorsements, 1869-1884
5. Record of Endorsement of Change of Master, 1927-1941
6. Record of Entrances and Clearances of Vessels in Foreign Trade, October 1913-June 1939
7. Record of Entrances and Clearances of Vessels in Foreign Trade (Foreign Boats), July 1913-September 1919

Roll 30: Record of Entrances and Clearances of Vessels in Foreign Trade

1. (American Boats), January 1918-September 1920
2. April 1921-July 1942
3. (Foreign Boats), October 1920-May 1924
4. (Foreign Boats), June 1924-January 1933
5. (American Boats), October 1919-March 1929
6. (American Boats), May 1929=January 1933
7. April 1933-October 1934
8. Transcript of Entrance Vessels Engaged in Trade, November 1934-December 1936

Roll 31: Record of Entrances and Clearances of Vessels in Coastwise Trade

1. August 1910-September 1938
2. July 1913-June 1924
3. July 1924-May 1930
4. April 1935-January 1939
5. Entered or Arrived under Permit to Proceed, July 1939-October 1972
6. Bond of Enrollment, April 1875-May 1879
7. Bond of Enrollment--Owner's--Master's Oath, May 1879-April 1882

Roll 32

1. Bond of Enrollment--Owner's--Master's Oath, April 1882-1886
2. Master's Oath for Renewal, October 1916-October 1932
3. Master's Oath for Renewal, 1924-1926
4. Ownership Oath, March 1926-April 1926
5. Master's Oath for Renewal, September 1926-October 1930
6. Master's Oath for Renewal, November 1932-November 1934

Roll 33

1. Master's Oath for Renewal, November 1934-July 1938
2. Master's Oath for Renewal of License of Vessel, June 1929-March 1960
3. Master's Oath for Renewal of License of Vessel, August 1938-December 1946
4. Master's Oath for Renewal of License of Vessel, January 1947-December 1952
5. Oaths for Enrollment and License of Merchant Vessel or Yacht, June 1922-April 1932

Roll 34

1. Oaths for Enrollment and License of Merchant Vessel or Yacht, March 1932-June 1939
2. Oaths for Enrollment and License of Merchant Vessel or Yacht, June 1939-November 1941
3. Oaths on Registry, License, or Enrollment and License of Vessel, November 1941-April 1960 through page 420

Roll 35

1. Oaths on Registry, License, or Enrollment and License of Vessel, November 1941-April 1960, pp. 421-751
2. Index of Registers, 1867-1879
3. Temporary Registry, June 1867-October 1874
4. Certificates of Registry, May 1891-September 1898
5. Copies of Certification of Registry, April 1902-October 1917
6. Certificates of Registry, August 1918-February 1921
7. Annual Material for Merchant Vessels of the United States, 1917-1937
8. Record of Marine Documents Deposited, 1918-1958
9. Abstracts of Tonnage from Enrollment Records, 1919-1937

Roll 36

1. Documented Vessels, December 1920-December 1938 (missing 1927)
2. Wreck Reports, May 1918-November 1942
3. Steamboat Inspectors Journal--Detroit, Michigan, July 1867-December 1889
4. Quarterly/Annual Reports to Secretary of Treasury, 1877-1891

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