Petitions for naturalization, 1906-1911

Notes

Microfilm of original records housed in the Chicago Branch of the National Archives, Chicago, Illinois.

The library has another index compiled by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service which is a Soundex/Index that also corresponds to these records. This index mostly contains names of persons living in the Chicago, Cook County area who applied for citizenship. See entry in the Author/Title catalog: United States. District Court (Illinois : Northern Division). Soundex index to naturalization petitions for the U.S. District and Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois and Immigration and Naturalization Service District 9, 1840-1950.

In 1855, Illinois was divided into two judicial districts. The Northern District which comprised the northern quarter of the state sat at Chicago. The Southern District, which served the remainder of the state, sat at Springfield. Later, in 1887, the Northern District was separated into two divisions. Chicago was designated the seat of court for the Northern Division and Peoria that of the Southern Division. In 1937, a third district--the Eastern--was established which encompassed much of the southern third of the state as well as the eastern counties. Peoria was shifted to the Southern District, and the Northern District was realigned when the divisions were changed to Eastern and Western, the principal courts being Chicago and Freeport respectively.

Both District and Circuit Courts in the Northern District of Illinois kept records concurrently until 1911 when the U.S. Circuit Court was abolished. Patrons should check both courts when searching for citizenship records during these years.

Includes index at the beginning of each volume.

Subjects

Locality Subjects

Film/Digital Notes