Who do you contact for naturalization papers?

Question

We have the naturalization certificate for my husband's grandfather who came from Slovakia.  We have not been able to find when he immigrated and are hoping his application for naturalization will give us more info.  Do we contact the county or the federal government to get a copy of the naturalization papers?  He became a US Citizen in 1932 in Lorian, Ohio.   Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Most likely you will find them in the archives of the Federal District Court that served that community (in this case, Lorian, Ohio) at the time of his naturalization.

You should be able to get both the Petition (application) dated at least five years in advance of the actual naturalization and the Naturalization document itself.  The Petition often contains more useful information than does the final document.

If the Court there no longer has them, they can direct you to where they are stored.

Good luck and good hunting.

 

Keith Baker

Comments

Just wanted to add that some of these things are now on familysearch.org.  I found one for a gg-uncle a short time ago.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-14879-27607-66?cc=1838804

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Thanks Keith.  That's very helpful.  Now I can stop looking at the certificate and saying "now what", I can actually find more info.  THANK  YOU!

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Thank Fred.  I have searched on familysearch.org and was unable to find anything on the naturalization.  Since you mentioned it I took another look and looked on Family Search's Wiki.  Thank you for mentioning them!  I found lots of info in Wiki and although they don't have the info online there's a good possibility I can order the microfilm at our local FHC library.  Thank you!