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Archiver > USA-Naturalizations > 2003-10 > 1066590620


From: "fritzh31" <>
Subject: Re: [USA-Nat] who to contact
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2003 14:15:08 -0500
References: <000c01c39182$4d0c3ed0$01fea8c0@D6JFF721>


Hi Katherine:

A. The chances of your Annie Christine having a record of naturalization
are remote, probably more than 100 to one. Few women became naturalized in
their own right before 1920 (when women got the right to vote, and had to be
citizens to do so). Before that time (from and after 1795):
(1) there was little reason for single alien women to become
naturalized, although some of them did do so; and
(2) wives and minor children of alien men who became naturalized
were given what was called "derivative citizenship", deriving the same
through their naturalized husband's/father's naturalization proceedings. It
was only in extremely rare situations that the man's naturalization records
even mentioned his wife's and children's names. If it became necessary for
any of the family members who had acquired derivative citizenship to later
on prove it they probably did so with a combination of marriage license (or
some other proof of marriage) at the time of the grant of citizenship to the
husband (in the case of the wife) and proof of birth and continuing minority
at the time of the grant of citizenship to the father (in the case of the
children). (3)For a thorough discussion of women and naturalization
log onto this website and read a good article by a historian of the
Immigration and Naturalization Service:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/summer_1998_women_and_naturali
zation_1.html

B. I have some suggestions for you as to where to start looking for Fred
Carlsen, provided you are relatively certain he was naturalized in 1883 in
either Franklin or Hamilton county, Iowa.

1. The Nebraska State Histrocial Society is supposed to have a name index
to naturalization records for those two counties (plus a bunch more of the
Iowa counties and all of Nebraska). Log onto this web site to read about
the index:

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/services/refrence/la_pubs/natural3.h
tm.

That website says (in part) the following: "...This index includes only
individuals who received their final papers in Nebraska. It does not record
those who received only their declaration of intention in Nebraska...." I
think this statement is limited to the Nebraska portion of the index. If it
also relates to the Iowa portion of the index, and your grandfather did not
get his final papers in Nebraska, then the index will be useless for your
purposes.

2. But even if the NE index is useless for your purposes, all is not lost.
Historically (including the year 1883) an applicant for naturalization could
go to *any* court of record of his choice. That opens up a lot of
possibilities, but *usually* the applicant went to a court nearest to him
(or at least relatively near to him if for some reason he did not want to go
to the *nearest* one). I assume that means in your case a court in either
Franklin or Hamilton county.

3. There is a wonderful book by Christina Schaefer entitled "Guide to
Naturalization Records of the United States". It says the following about
both Franklin and Hamilton county:
a. Franklin - i) The original naturalization records for Franklin
county's district court for the years 1855-1918 are at the County Court
house in Hampton. They are available on Mormon Church Family History
LIBRARY microfilm film numbers 1487280 and the numbered films following that
number. Those microfilms are accessible by the public (both Mormon and
non-Mormon) on a nominal rental basis through your nearest Mormon Family
History CENTER.
ii) The first set of legal papers in a
naturalization court proceeding (called a Declaration of Intention to Become
a Citizen) for Franklin county for the years 1878 to 1906 are indexed on a
Mormon microfiche numbered 6049140. accessible by you at the same place as
the microfilm at 3.a.i. above.
iii) Another Mormon microfiche (number 6087209) is
an index of Franklin county naturalization records for the years 1856-1943.
I imagine this is an index of the second (and final) set of legal papers in
a naturalization court proceeding , including a Petition for Naturalization
and a court order granting citizenship to the petitioner.
iv) All Mormon microfiche records are accessible by
you at the same place as the microfilm at 3.a.i. above is accessible.

b. Hamilton-i) The original naturalization records for Hamilton
county's district court for the years 1871-1930 are at the County Court
house in Webster City. An index to them for the years 1868-1928 is
available on Mormon microfilm number 1379367 and the film numbers following
that number, also accessible by you at the same place as the microfilm at
3.a.i) above is accessible.

4. If none of the above leads to a successful search by you, then you
should consider searching United States Federal Court records for your time
frame, or maybe seeing if you can either confirm or refute your present
knowledge that maybe your grandfather was naturalized in one of the above
two counties in the above time frames.

I am not familiar with the history of the evolution of the organization of
the federal court system in Iowa. Another source book available to me
(entitled They Became Americans, by Loretto Dennis Szucs) shows only one of
ten possible federal court locations in Iowa as having retired
naturalization records for 1883 to the National Archives Regional record
storage center at Kansas City, MO. That one was the US District Court in
Keokuk in the southeastern corner of the state, and therefore unlikely to
have been the court your grandfather went to if he was living in Frnaklin or
Hamilton county at the time. There might be other federal court records
available for 1883 at the courts themselves. I just don't know. Neither of
the two books mentioned above (Schaefer and Szucs) indicate that there are
such other federal court records.

Good luck! Stay persistent!

Fritz Hansen, Wichita, Kansas

----- Original Message -----
From: "katherine hirsch" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 7:05 AM
Subject: [USA-Nat] who to contact


> I want to find the naturalization records for my grandparents Fred
Carlsen and Annie Christine Petersen both for the year 1883 in either
Hamilton or Franklin County Iowa , but I'm not sure who to contact any help
would be appreciated. Kathy
>
>
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