Naturalization Morgan County IL

Early on, say before 1880, to be naturalized, the person went to a Federal Court. Sometime after 1900, a person no longer had to go to a Federal Courthouse to be naturalized; the local county courthouse was the place to go.
Many times MINOR children were naturalized with their parents and there are no separate records for them. And, in the earliest years, women did not have naturalization records.
Elsie Wasser said, "Anyone who entered the U.S. under the age of 21 years was eligible to receive his Naturalization on the same day he applied for citizenship."

The naturalization process took several years, because:

• First, the person had to file papers of intent (this may not be in the county where they did their residency requirement),
  
• Second, the person had to have sponsors which may have been relatives or friends from the old country,

• Third, the person had to fill the residency requirement, usually five years and in the county with their sponsors,
  
• Fourth, the person would have to file final papers for the court where they were naturalized.
  

This means that the papers that you need MAY NOT be located in the area where the individual was living at the time that he or she became a citizen.




Ships Passengers List indexes are on microfilm

I have heard all available passenger lists of all ports except New York have been indexed. Massive numbers of immigrants came thru New York. If your ancestor came through New York and without an index for New York, you would need a very close date to search the lists for New York. There might be a thousand immigrants or so a month to search through.


Your local LDS (Latter Day Saints) FHC (Family History Center) has a catalog of all recorded Ships Passenger List indexes on microfilm held in Salt Lake City. You can order these films at your local LDS FHC for a small amount of money. You cannot remove the film from the FHC. Check your phone book for a local LDS FHC. LDS catalog now online at http://www.familysearch.org/Search/searchcatalog.asp

St Louis Public Library (downstairs) on Olive Street north of Union Station has the indexes for Ships Passenger Lists



IMMI-GRAND-L -- A mailing list for those attempting to do genealogical research whose grandparents (or parents) arrived in the USA after 1875. Volunteers who have addressed this issue in the United States or other countries are especially welcome in order to assist others in their research efforts. Also available in digest version IMMI-GRAND-D

To subscribe, send email msg for mail mode to immi-grand-l-request@rootsweb.com or immi-grand-d-request@rootsweb.com for digest mode and in the body of the msg, put the word "subscribe" without the quotes.

Possible Help at the National Archives Regional Center in Kansas City.
I checked NARA records at Kansas City

NARA Records at Kansas City:
Record Group 21
RECORDS OF THE DISTRICT COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES Record group description includes, "naturalization papers" - declarations of intention, petitions for naturalization, depositions, and certificates of naturalization;

Record Group 36
RECORDS OF THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE Related Microfilm Publications
M174, "Letters Received by the Secretary of the Treasury From Collectors of Customs ("G", "H", "I" Series), 1833-1869";
M175, "Letters Sent by the Secretary of the Treasury to Collectors of Customs at All Ports, 1789-1847, and at Small Ports, 1847-1878 ("G" Series)";
M178, "Correspondence of the Secretary of the Treasury With Collectors of Customs, 1789- 1833";
M334, "Supplemental Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports (Excluding New York), 1820-1874";
M575, "Copies of Lists of Passengers Arriving at Miscellaneous Ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and at Ports on the Great Lakes, 1820-1873";
M1357, "Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Galveston, Texas, 1896- 1906";
M1358, "Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Galveston, Texas, 1906-1951";
M1359, "Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Galveston, Texas, 1896-1951";
T527, "Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving At New Orleans, Louisiana, 1853-1899";
T905, "Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1903-1945".







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