Pennsylvania, Middle District Court, Naturalization Records, 1901-1992

What is in This Collection?

This collection contains petitions for naturalizations, declarations of intention, and other naturalization records from the Middle District Court of Pennsylvania, including courts held at Williamsport and Harrisburg. Original documents are apart of Record Group 21 Records of District Courts of the United States held at the National Archives Philadelphia Branch. NARA microfilm publication M1626

Naturalization is a voluntary process by which immigrants can become American citizens and receive the rights granted with citizenship. Before 1790, British immigrants were automatically considered citizens. Some Protestant immigrants from other counties swore allegiance and requested citizenship from civil authorities. The process by which foreign immigrants could become citizens of the British empire colony, and later American citizens, was handled by the individual states until 1906, when the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization standardized immigration laws and procedures. The general requirements for citizenship include residency in one U.S. state for one year and in the United States for five years.

Naturalization papers are an important source of information about an immigrant's nation of origin, his foreign and “Americanized” names, residence, and date of arrival. Naturalization records were created to process naturalizations and keep track of immigrants in the United States. Immigrants could naturalize in any court that performed naturalizations. That included city, county, state and federal courts. Begin by looking for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived. Look first for the petition (second papers), because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigrant eventually settled. After 1906, the declaration can be filed with the petition as the immigrant was required to submit a copy when he submitted the petition. Because immigrants were allowed to naturalize in any court, they often selected the most convenient court. If they lived in the Western District but worked elsewhere, they may have gone to a court closer to work.

In 1906, the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization was created and later renamed Immigration and Naturalization Services or INS. Some results included standardized forms throughout the country and copies of naturalization papers sent to the INS in addition to the court keeping a copy. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:
Before 1906 Information recorded differed widely and often didn't mention the immigrant's town of origin or parents' names. These records may contain:

• Arrival date and port of entry
• Name and age of immigrant
• Age of immigrant
• Current residence of immigrant
• Country of origin or allegiance

After 1906 The records contain more detailed information about the immigrants and their families. Possible information given in post-1906 naturalization records include:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  1908 Declaration of Intention

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  1912 Petition Part 1

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  1912 Petition Part 2