I am going to respond to this list with these questions as I have had some experience with naturalizations as my great grandparents both went through different procedures. >>1) I've seen that some other counties have indices of declarations of intent and naturalizations. Do some county courthouses have these indices?>> ( Most of the courthouses have indexes to naturalizations and intent to naturalize ( 1st papers) but each handled them in different ways. On the 1900 & 1910 census, if you found them, will tell the year they immigrated.. When you find that, you will have to decide if they came by the way of Ellis Island, which they probably did?? BUT you can also find when he immigrated by several others ways. I found one sister of my great grandfather by looking at film at the LDS which they have indexed. Look for various spellings as people wrote their names as it sounded to them. For my other German family, I found them on the "German to Americas" this is a series of books with list of Germans who came to America. Found in libraries or genealogy societies. This is a great series to look as they are indexed in the back of each book, again, look for lots of spellings. Then I sent for copies of the ships records and found out there was two more children that came over and have not been found since. They did not die on the ship as there was no record of death on the ship so they died sometime after 1884 when they came, and never heard of again. My great grandfather, I found his naturalization certificate on his homestead papers from the archives as he had to prove his was a citizen of the US. But I have not found his first papers as he could apply for 1st papers or the Intent to Naturalize anywhere, before he got his final papers. He immigrated in 1899 and most likely through Ellis Island, I just have not found the spelling to match the list of passengers. >>2) Am I correct in assuming that Great Grandma would have been naturalized whenever Great Grandpa was without any effort of her own, really? Or when she married him?<< He could have filed his 1st papers one place and final papers in another place but he should have shown his first papers( Intent to Naturalize) when he filed for his final papers. That is what I am trying to find now. I know he filed in La Salle County Illinois for his final papers but they do not have copies at the courthouses.( Remember some courthouses have had fires, floods, etc) >>3) When did most immigrants in the 20th century get naturalized? Since Great Grandpa and Great Grandpa were Luxembourg (and spoke German) would they probably have tried to obtain citizenship in the 19teens?>> Your best bet is to try to find out when he immigrated which you can find on the 1900 & 1910 census. Then figure that he had to be here for 5 yrs before he naturalized BUT that does not mean he done it after 5 yrs as some of them waited for a long time. Arlene L. Crowfoot P.O. Box 1626 Miles City, MT 59301 [email protected]