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Where to begin your search: When researching your Hoosier family tree, you can find certified copies of birth and death records from 1882 to the present at your local County Health Department. Though the earliest available records may vary by county, in general, birth and death records were not kept prior to 1882 in Indiana. The State Department of Health can also provide copies of records for births which occurred after October 1907, and deaths which took place after 1900. Local genealogical societies, historical organizations and public libraries can also provide invaluable help. For example, the Allen County Public Library has a rich online genealogical reference site for that region; and of course, the Indiana State Library also has many resources. And don't forget to ask relatives if they've written any family histories!
Here's a useful rule of thumb: if the naturalization took place in a Federal court, citizenship documents can usually be found in the National Archives and Records Administration regional records services; some of these documents have been microfilmed. The National Archives has also published several indexes to state and local court naturalizations in Indiana. One series of microfilms, M1285, Soundex Index to Naturalization Petitions for the United States District and Circuit Courts, includes extensive information for counties in northwestern Indiana, specifically Benton, Fulton, Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph and Stark counties.
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