Published: March 03, 2007 05:22 pm         

Genealogy: State Archives house all naturalization records up to 1951

TERRE HAUTE — The Indiana State Archives is the place where all naturalization records in Indiana, from its beginning to the year 1951, are to be housed and preserved. The Archives obtains these records from the individual counties, microfilms them, and then adds them to a searchable on-line database. This database is located at the Indiana Commission on Public Records web site at www.in.gov/serv/

icpr_naturalization.

The database can be searched by name and county (or all counties statewide). The results yields the following basic data: full name of the person, his nationality, his date of arrival, and the location of the original record (such as Parke County, Book 1, page 18). This information comes from the county naturalization books only — it doesn’t include any naturalization or citizenship information that would be in the court order books. The order books are still located solely in the individual counties. After getting the basic information on line, the researcher can get a copy of the complete record by contacting the Archives at arc@icpr.in.gov (be sure to put “naturalization records” in the subject line of the e-mail), by phone at (317) 591-5222, or by mail or in person at 6440 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46219. The Archives are open from 8-4:30 Monday through Friday, and closed on all state holidays.

One of the challenges of finding naturalization information is the fact that immigrants moved around and often made a declaration of intent in one state or county and then later became naturalized in another state or county. This searchable database is helpful in that it can at least search for an ancestor’s name in every county in Indiana. The Web site cautions, however, that the database is not complete and they are adding to it on a regular basis.

Another resource for finding naturalization records, as pointed out on the site, is the National Archives, Great Lakes Region, 7358 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, 60629. This repository contains the records of everyone naturalized in the Great Lakes Region.

Naturalization records after 1951 were no longer made or kept at the county level. These records can be found by contacting the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 425 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20536.

Query

n Seeking information on the descendants of Israel H. Buker, born 1827 in Otsego, Muskingum County, Ohio, and died 1886 in Paris, Edgar County, Illinois. He is buried at Deer Creek Cemetery, Douglas County, Illinois. It is possible that Israel also lived in Coles and Douglas counties in Illinois. We are looking for a will, obituary, or other proof that he had the following childern: (1) Charles Franklin Buker, born 1856 in Muskingum County, Ohio, and died in 1939 in Castle Rock, Cowlitz County, Washington, (2) Robert Boal Buker, born 1851 in Muskingum County, Ohio, and died 1912 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, (3) Elizabeth Alice Buker Leavell Antrim, born 1861 in Muskingum County, Ohio, and died 1930 in Tacoma, Thurston County, Washington. This search is to prove DAR lines to Revolutionary War Soldier, Isreal H. Buker, born 1756 in Massachusetts, died 1848 in Muskingum County, Ohio. Other children were Mary Melissa 1848-?, Alpha A. 1850-?, Eliza Catherine 1853-?, Or(r)en Edson 1858-1943, Ada F. 1863-1864, Perry Madison 1865-?, and Isaac Carver 1868-1940. His first wife was Mariah Boal 1830-1868, his second wife was Zulima Keeler 1833-? Please contact James Buker, 1361 Chapman Rd., Castle Rock, WA 98611, e-mail jcbuker@gmail.com.