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Re: Seeking grandfather's & great grandfather's naturalization papers
Prior to 1906 a person could be naturalized in any court (city, county, state, or federal) in the US. You should start looking for records in the court that was geographically closest to where your ancestor lived at the time. Some records are on-line, but others are still in the courthouse or in archives.
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Re: Seeking grandfather's & great grandfather's naturalization papers
1 person found this helpfulThank you very much for this hint. I was able to find my Great Grandfathers Naturalization papers. Since my Grandfather was only 6 years old at the time of my Great Grandfathers final papers. I have not been able to locate his Naturalization papers as of yet.
Your help was much appreciated.
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Re: Seeking grandfather's & great grandfather's naturalization papers
Was your grandfather named on his father's naturalization petition? If so, he may have been naturalized through his father's naturalization. One place that sometimes men stated that they were naturalized through their fathers was on their WWI draft cards. Also, if you have not already done so, check the 20th C censuses that list your grandfather as an adult, to see if there is a year of naturalization listed.
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Re: Seeking grandfather's & great grandfather's naturalization papers
Cara Jensen
Oct 6, 2020 11:47 AM
Dear Mr. Braner,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
Prior to September 27, 1906, any "court of record" (municipal, county, state, or Federal) could grant United States citizenship. Often petitioners went to the court most geographically convenient for them. As a general rule, the National Archives does not have naturalization records created in state or local courts. However, a few indexes and records have been donated to the National Archives from counties, states, and local courts. We suggest that you contact the National Archives facility serving the state in which the petitioner resided to determine if records from lower courts are available. If the records are not available, we suggest that you request a search for the naturalization records from the State Archives or County Historical Societies.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from various NARA units. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.
You may wish to review the National Archives Naturalization Records website for additional information.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!
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Re: Seeking grandfather's & great grandfather's naturalization papers
1 person found this helpfulThank you very much for this hint. I was able to find my Great Grandfathers Naturalization papers. Since my Grandfather was only 6 years old at the time of my Great Grandfathers final papers. I have not been able to locate his Naturalization papers as of yet.
Your help was much appreciated.
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