|
|
The Columbia County Historical & Genealogical Society is very appreciative of the cooperation and assistance of Tami B. Kline, Columbia County Prothonotary & Clerk of the Courts, in allowing it to microfilm these naturalization records. Clearly, these records can be very valuable in researching family history and in doing local historical research on immigration to Columbia County.
There are 2,781 names listed in the Columbia County Naturalization Records Name Index Database #2. They are searchable by using the applicant’s surname. They cover two time periods: 1837 to 1906 and 1930 to 1956. Within these records, Certificate of Arrival, Declaration of Intention to Become a Citizen, and Petition for Citizenship, there are numerous items which provide information about the individual seeking citizenship. Depending on which records are used, one may find the following information: name, age, place of birth, date of birth, name of spouse, names of children, port of entry, date of entry, name of ship, last residence before emigrating, residence in Columbia County, occupation, physical description (sometimes a photo), and date of naturalization. It is important to remember that the amount of information will vary depending on the specific record and the time period. Records in the period 1930 to 1956 have far more information than the early period of 1837 to 1906.
In using this database to do genealogy research, it is important that you know the name of the individual who immigrated to Columbia County and began the citizenship application process. If the person is listed in the database, the search results will identify the "book number" and "microfilm roll" that would have his or her naturalization records. Please bear in mind that only a limited amount of the person’s naturalization information is included in this database; it is mainly an index. The complete naturalization records are available on the microfilm at the Society.
If you can not come to the Society to use the naturalization records that are on microfilm, then submit a research request form at the end of this page to get a copy of the information for a fee.
