The Naturalizing Courts
United States District Court
Room 211
211 S. Court Street
Rockford, IL. 61101
Phone: (815) 987-4355
Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The
Northern District of Illinois, Western Division encompasses ten
counties which include, Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee,
McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago.
The U.S.
District Court for the Western Division did not start immigration
proceedings until 1930. The court was located from 1906-1978 in
Freeport, Illinois. Those records are kept in the U.S. District
Court, here in Rockford, IL.
If a person was
naturalized between 1920-1978, and it would have occurred in
Freeport, IL., then the person could have been naturalized in the
U.S. District Court or the Stephenson Circuit Court because at
that time, the individual County Courts were naturalizing also.
So if a person said they were naturalized in Winnebago County in
1955, you would need to research that information with the
Circuit Clerk's Office in Winnebago County.
From the time
of 1978 through 1983, both the U.S. District Court (which is now
in Rockford) and the Winnebago Circuit Court naturalized people,
so you must check the certificate for the name of the court if
possible. People sworn in the U.S. District Court will have that
court on the certificate, as does the Winnebago Circuit Court
have that court typed on the certificate.
The U.S.
District Court has the petitions of those naturalized up through
7/91. After that time, Immigration and Naturalization processes
and retains the petitions. This was done by act of Congress in
October of 1991.
On those
petitions you will find the following:
- Alien Registration Number
- Address of Petitioner at time of application
- Birth date
- Country of Birth
- Name change if desired
- Certificate Number
- Date of Naturalization
Prior to 1982,
all petitioners were required to have TWO Witness affidavits
attesting to the knowledge of that person to be of good moral
character. The petitions prior to 1967 also have the following
information in addition to that above:
- Name of spouse
- Date of marriage
- Children with birth dates and residences
- Name of ship on arrival from country
- Certificate of Arrival
Every
certificate has a duplicate but those duplicates are usually kept
by Immigration and Naturalization. (Immigration and
Naturalization Service, Northern Service Center, P.O. Box 87400,
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501-7400). There are some Circuit Courts in
this Division of the Northern District of Illinois that do have
the "Certificates of Naturalization". These are very
old Naturalizations.
Copying Cost: .50
a page
Naturalization
is a court activity because only the Judge is empowered to
naturalize anyone, therefore, the records are kept with the
Circuit Clerk of each county if done in the Circuit Court, and
with Clerk of the US. District Court, if the naturalization was
done by a U.S. District Judge.
[Winnebago County Homepage] [USGenWeb] [ILGenWeb] [Boone County Homepage]
Katy
Hestand
County Coordinator
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This page created by Cecelia Yeruski for the ILGenWeb Project.
Last updated: Monday, 18-Apr-2005 10:03:19 MDT