1910 Census Records for Pierce County in Washington State

Dear Mr. Boitano,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

While we were not able to locate a census entry regarding Maria or Louie Boitano consistent with your description, we searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Population Schedules for the 1910 Census in the Records of the Bureau of the Census (Record Group 29) that may contain information about Maria Boitano in Washington state. For information about the U.S. Census, see the Decennial Census of Population and Housing Technical Documentation as well as NARA’s page on Census Records.  You may also contact the National Archives in Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RR1R) via email at archives1reference@nara.gov.

The web page Search Census Records Online and Other Resources provides information about accessing these records online. Please note there may be a fee for using such services as Ancestry or Fold3. Please check for access at your local library as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons. FamilySearch can be accessed with a free account.

In addition, as Ms. Brooks stated above, Maria Boitano may have been considered naturalized through marriage and thus might not have naturalization records in her own name. The status of married immigrant women in the United States was usually determined by that of their husbands from the mid-19th century until the U.S. Congress passed the Married Women's Act of 1922. Please see the article Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940 by Marian L. Smith on the National Archives and Records Administration website for details.

In general, naturalization was a two-step process that took a minimum of five years. After residing in the United States for two years, an alien could file a "declaration of intention" ("first papers") to become a citizen. After three additional years, the alien could "petition for naturalization" (”second papers”). After the petition was granted, a certificate of citizenship was issued to the alien. These two steps did not have to take place in the same court.

Prior to September 27, 1906, any "court of record" (municipal, county, state, or Federal) could grant United States citizenship, thereafter the function was transferred to the Federal courts. If a naturalization took place in one of the U.S. District Courts for the Federal judicial districts of Washington state then naturalization indexes, declarations of intention (with any accompanying certificates of arrival), and petitions for naturalization will be in the custody of the National Archives at Seattle (RRFE) in the Records of District Courts of the United States (Record Group 21). No central index exists. To ensure a successful request with RRFE, your email to seattle.archives@nara.gov should include: the name of petitioner (including known variants); date of birth; approximate date of entry to the US; approximate date of naturalization; where the individual was residing at the time of naturalization (city/county/state); and country of origin.

You may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

In addition, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) kept duplicate copies of court records (including the certificate of citizenship) created from September 27, 1906 through March 31, 1956 within its Certificate Files (C-Files). All INS records are now overseen by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). C-Files may be requested through the USCIS Genealogy Program.

We also suggest that, if you have not already done so, that you contact the Washington State Archives regarding their collections of county court and census records. You may wish to review as well NARA’s Resources for Genealogists and the History Hub Blog titled Suggestions and Advice for Family History Researchers. Also, the FamilySearch Research wiki for Washington, United States Genealogy may be useful.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!

Dear Mr. Boitano,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

While we were not able to locate a census entry regarding Maria or Louie Boitano consistent with your description, we searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Population Schedules for the 1910 Census in the Records of the Bureau of the Census (Record Group 29) that may contain information about Maria Boitano in Washington state. For information about the U.S. Census, see the Decennial Census of Population and Housing Technical Documentation as well as NARA’s page on Census Records.  You may also contact the National Archives in Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RR1R) via email at archives1reference@nara.gov.

The web page Search Census Records Online and Other Resources provides information about accessing these records online. Please note there may be a fee for using such services as Ancestry or Fold3. Please check for access at your local library as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons. FamilySearch can be accessed with a free account.

In addition, as Ms. Brooks stated above, Maria Boitano may have been considered naturalized through marriage and thus might not have naturalization records in her own name. The status of married immigrant women in the United States was usually determined by that of their husbands from the mid-19th century until the U.S. Congress passed the Married Women's Act of 1922. Please see the article Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940 by Marian L. Smith on the National Archives and Records Administration website for details.

In general, naturalization was a two-step process that took a minimum of five years. After residing in the United States for two years, an alien could file a "declaration of intention" ("first papers") to become a citizen. After three additional years, the alien could "petition for naturalization" (”second papers”). After the petition was granted, a certificate of citizenship was issued to the alien. These two steps did not have to take place in the same court.

Prior to September 27, 1906, any "court of record" (municipal, county, state, or Federal) could grant United States citizenship, thereafter the function was transferred to the Federal courts. If a naturalization took place in one of the U.S. District Courts for the Federal judicial districts of Washington state then naturalization indexes, declarations of intention (with any accompanying certificates of arrival), and petitions for naturalization will be in the custody of the National Archives at Seattle (RRFE) in the Records of District Courts of the United States (Record Group 21). No central index exists. To ensure a successful request with RRFE, your email to seattle.archives@nara.gov should include: the name of petitioner (including known variants); date of birth; approximate date of entry to the US; approximate date of naturalization; where the individual was residing at the time of naturalization (city/county/state); and country of origin.

You may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

In addition, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) kept duplicate copies of court records (including the certificate of citizenship) created from September 27, 1906 through March 31, 1956 within its Certificate Files (C-Files). All INS records are now overseen by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). C-Files may be requested through the USCIS Genealogy Program.

We also suggest that, if you have not already done so, that you contact the Washington State Archives regarding their collections of county court and census records. You may wish to review as well NARA’s Resources for Genealogists and the History Hub Blog titled Suggestions and Advice for Family History Researchers. Also, the FamilySearch Research wiki for Washington, United States Genealogy may be useful.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!