Naturalization Records

You can view Naturalization Records by Name in the Allen County Naturalizations Records from State Indexes, 1840-1930 on the ACGSI.org Records page. These naturalization records come from the Indiana Digital Archives at the Indiana Archives and Records Administration at IN.gov.

May 19, 2022 post by on the Indiana Archives and Records Administration Facebook:

Genealogists rejoice!

Naturalization records that have never been published online are now available on FamilySearch! Adams, Allen, and Blackford Counties have recently been added online and other county naturalizations will be added throughout the year.

Records can be quickly located when using FamilySearch and the Research Indiana Indexes together. 

Head to our website for search tips: https://rb.gy/wkpy8w

An online index Allen County Application for Naturalization 1844-1906 is at the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They also have 11 rolls of Naturalization Records 1844-1930 on microfilm.

The Genealogy Request page at the Allen County Department of Health directs visitors to the online records at the Indiana State Digital Archives.

Page two of Finding Indiana Records has additional information on the Indiana State Digital Archives from the Indiana Historical Society.

The Indiana State Digital Archives

Search the Allen County Naturalization records index covering 19,000 entries spanning 1844 to 1930, but does not include naturalizations that were done in Fort Wayne's federal court. The records were indexed by Anne L. Rodick; and edited by Kaelynn Hayes and Erica Sgroi. This Information was copied from the Indiana State Archives Adds Allen County Naturalizations Database published May 22, 2013 on the Indiana Genenealogical Societyblog. Read more about Nationalization Records at the Indiana Archives and Records Administration at IN.gov.

The Indiana Commission on Public Records online database of naturalization records states:

The Indiana State Archives is the official repository for all Indiana naturalization records prior to 1951* as designated by the Indiana Rules of Court, Administrative Rule 7. The archives is pursuing the acquisition of naturalization records from the counties for the purposes of conservation and to provide greater public access to this valuable Hoosier historical resource, but, at this time, not all naturalization records reside in the Archives.

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AAGSFW Research Tools & Tips: Immigration, Naturalization and Travel Records uploaded Jan 12, 2022 by AAGSFW Fort Wayne on YouTube
African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne (AAGSFW) Research Tools & Tips: Immigration, Naturalization and Travel Records. Join Dr. Al Brothers, vice-chair of the African American Genealogy Society of Fort Wayne (AAGSFW), as he explains how to use immigration, naturalization and travel records in your genealogy research. PLUS, hear about his own ancestor's journey and much more!

Other Information

  1. Immigration and Naturalization Records in Genealogy at The National ArchivesThe National Archives maintains records of passenger arrival manifests and border crossings, naturalization proceedings, alien registrations, travel documents, enemy alien regulations, immigrant exclusion programs, and other immigrant research topics. They also have the History Hub page and #HistoryHub hash tag on their US National Archives on Facebook page for finding and asking questions as a research support community for everyone, including genealogists, historians, and citizen archivists.
  2. With nearly 31,000 students, Fort Wayne Community Schools is Indiana's largest school district. ... with more than 75 languages spoken. From their Fort Wayne Community Schools Board of Trustees Raising the Bar Record Number: 5717 displayed from December 3, 2009.
  3. Historical Records Series Available From the Genealogy Program at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
  4. Indiana, Allen County, naturalization records, 1930-1984 is part of the Indiana naturalization records and indexes : COLLECTION RECORD, 1848-1993 browse through card file images including Fort Wayne (ARC #5674638) filmed at the Regional NARA facility in Chicago on FamilySearch.org. Read more about FamilySearch Adds Indiana Naturalization Index 1848-1992 published September 3, 2013 on the Indiana Genealogical Society blog and Indiana, Naturalization Records and Indexes (FamilySearch Historical Records) on FamilySearch.orgWiki.
  5. A Guide to Naturalization from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  6. Naturalization Records available at the Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library
    1. DAR. Application for naturalization records, December 16, 1844-September 26, 1906
      Genealogy Division, 977.201 A425ap
    2. DAR. Naturalization records, Old Records Office, Circuit Court order books A,B,C,D,E,
      Genealogy Division, 977.201 A425nat
  7. USCIS Genealogy Program is a fee-for-service U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services program that provides researchers with timely access to historical immigration and naturalization records of deceased immigrants.
  8. How to Find and Use Naturalization Records by Lisa A. Alzo on familytreemagazine.com has lots of useful information.
  9. Wikipedia Naturalization information
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Immigration Laws

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigration became a major issue. Prior to 1880, most immigrants came from northern and western European countries such as Great Britain, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. After 1880, immigrants came from Asia, southern and eastern Europe, often Jews and Catholics with few labor skills. Often desperately poor, they preferred the ways of the old country.

May 6, 1882 Chester A. Arthur signed The Chinese Exclusion Act a United States federal law which barred almost all Chinese from immigration or naturalization, it was repealed in 1943.

In 1921, Congress passed the first quotas based on the Dillingham Commission (1907–1910) limiting immigrants to a fixed percentage of foreign-born already in the United States as of 1910. Later, the date was pushed back to 1890. This formula favored British descent discriminating against Southern and Eastern Europeans. These quotas were not abolished until 1965.

Immigration throughout history timeline summarizes the ebb and flow of government immigration policies and programs over the past 170 years published on June 26th 2018 on USA Facts. 

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Page updated: May 20, 2023