When hunting for immigrant ancestors, naturalization records, or those records created by individuals wanting to become U.S. citizens, can be immensely helpful. KHS recently received a donation of 10 rolls of microfilm containing naturalization records, specifically Petitions for Citizenship books, for 23 Kentucky counties. While the earliest records in this group go back to 1829 (Campbell County), most of the records are for the early 20th century.
The counties and years included are:
- Barren: 1908-1916
- Boone: 1908
- Campbell: 1829-1851, 1859-1904, 1906-1929
- Casey: 1892-1900
- Christian: 1909-1932
- Daviess: 1840-1876
- Fayette: 1892-1905
- Franklin: 1907-1910
- Fulton: 1907-1912
- Gallatin: 1914-1916
- Graves: 1911
- Grayson: 1914-1920
- Hardin: 1837-1913
- Harlan: 1911-1959
- Jessamine: 1907-1912
- Lawrence: 1891-1924
- Letcher: 1912-1916
- Madison: 1909-1910
- Marion: 1911-1927
- Martin: 1920-1927
- Meade: 1907-1918
- Montgomery: 1910-1911
- Pendleton: 1849-1899, 1909-1912
Petitions for Citizenship (sometimes called “final papers’) were the last step in the naturalization process. The petition would be submitted after filing a declaration of intention to become an American citizen and meeting all length of residency requirements. Genealogical information available on these records can vary, particularly before the Bureau of Naturalization and Immigration was created in 1906. Possible information can include name, U.S. address, occupation, birthplace/city or county of nativity, birth date or age, years of residency in the United States, date of emigration, port and mode of entry, name of ship, date of intention, as well as potential information about the applicant’s spouse or children.
While the records on these reels fall under the category “Petition for Citizenship”, some Declaration of Intention papers are included. As a two step+ process, the Declaration of Intention may have been filed in another state and the paper brought to the Kentucky Court when sufficient time had passed to complete the final petition. Which means, you may run across some documents from their state of arrival or first settlement. So far, we have seen Wisconsin, New York, and Ohio, but I’m sure there are many more among the various counties. For more information about the two-step process, visit this page from the National Archives: Naturalization Records
In addition to this recent acquisition, KHS also has naturalization records on microfilm for Jefferson County. These records include both Petitions for Citizenship and Declarations of Intention, plus Certificates of Naturalization for varying years. The entire collection of Jefferson County naturalization records spans 1851-1913.
To see additional information about any of these materials, please search the KHS Collections Catalog at http://khscatalog.kyvl.org. When visiting the library, these new reels can be found in the following range: MIC 6650-6660.
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