Illinois, Stark County, Circuit Court Naturalization Records, 1892-1913

What is in This Collection?

This publication will consist of the following naturalization records from the Circuit Court of Stark County. Naturalization petitions, Vol 1 Nos 1-50 13 Apr 1908-9 Jun 1913 and Naturalization Declarations Form 2202, Vol 1 1 to 50. 27 Oct 1906-14 Oct 1913. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen.

No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  Naturalization record 1910

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  Petition for Naturalization 1910