abs@nbc1.UUCP (Andrew Siegel) (01/03/86)
I thought it might be valuable to post information concerning the
local availability of census and immigration records. I have
read about (but not yet visited) regional branches of the
U.S. National Archives, some of which have indexes to U.S.
Censuses, as well as indexes and photocopies of some
naturalization records for people who arrived in the U.S. before
September 26, 1906 (when citizenship procedures became a Federal
function).
The source of this information is a book by Arthur Kurzweil,
entitled "From Generation to Generation" (William Morrow and
Company, New York, 1980). He says about pre-1906 immigration
records:
Let us say that you are looking for the naturalization
records of someone who arrived in the United States well
before September 26, 1906. I say "well before" because
if the immigrant arrived shortly before that cutoff date,
there is still a good chance that the naturalization
took place after the 1906 date. It is here where
excellent detective work is essential. What you must try
to determine is where the immigrant whose papers you are
looking for entered the United States (which port) and
where he or she resided right after arrival.
Kurzweil goes on to say that for the states of Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island, or New York City,
there exist Soundex indexes of pre-1906 naturalization records.
These are kept at the National Archives in Washington.
He also suggests a book, "Locating Your Immigrant Ancestors, A
Guide to Naturalization Records", by James C. Neagles and Lila
Lee Neagles, published in 1975. (Available from The Everton
Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, Logan, Utah 84321.) It contains
a state-by-state, county-by-county listing of courts and what
records they have, for what years, as well as whether or not the
records are indexed.
The National Archive Branches are listed below. Kurzweil
suggests visiting them personally.
Archives Branch
Federal Archives and Records Center
Boston:
380 Trapelo Road
Waltham, MA 02154
617-223-2657
New York:
Building 22-MOT Bayonne
Bayonne, NJ 07002
201-858-7252
Philadelphia:
5000 Wissahickon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-951-5591
Atlanta:
1557 St. Joseph Avenue
East Point, GA 30344
404-763-7477
Chicago:
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629
312-353-0161
Kansas City:
2306 East Bannister Road
Kansas City, MO 64131
816-926-7271
Fort Worth:
4900 Hemphill Street
Fort Worth, TX 76115
817-334-5515
Denver:
Building 48
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
303-234-5271
San Francisco:
1000 Commodore Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066
415-876-9009
Los Angeles:
24000 Avila Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
714-831-4242
Seattle:
6125 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206-442-4502
Good luck!
Andrew Siegel
NBC Computer Imaging
New York, NY
(212)664-5776
philabs!nbc1!abs