A Guide to the Clifton Forge (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1909-1929,

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Department of Commerce and Labor, Division of Naturalization, Record of Declaration of Intention, 1909-1928, and Department of Commerce and Labor, Division of Naturalization, Petition and Record, 1909-1929, are only available on microfilm as an Archives Masters copy stored at the Virginia State Records Center on reel barcode 28131, SRC box 901. Security microforms (i.e. microfilm and microfiche) stored through this program are not used for reference purposes and access restrictions apply. Contact the State Records Center with questions regarding these materials.

Use Restrictions

Department of Commerce and Labor, Division of Naturalization, Record of Declaration of Intention, 1909-1928, and Department of Commerce and Labor, Division of Naturalization, Petition and Record, 1909-1929, are only available on microfilm as an Archives Masters copy stored at the Virginia State Records Center on reel barcode 28131, SRC box 901. Security microforms (i.e. microfilm and microfiche) stored through this program are not used for reference purposes and access restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

Clifton Forge (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1909-1929. Local government records collection, Alleghany County/Clifton Forge Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Acquisition Information

Microfilm images made from the original two standardized volumes of naturalization records issued by the federal government that are housed in the Alleghany County clerk's office.

Original volumes retained in the locality. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for access.

Processing Information

The two standardized volumes of naturalization records issued by the federal government were microfilmed by the Library of Virginia’s Imaging Services Division.

Encoded by M. Long: March 2025.

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: Following the passage of the Naturalization Act of 1906, the federal government standardized the naturalization process by issuing bound volumes containing standard naturalization forms. These bound volumes were kept by the various courts of record in which a person could make a declaration of intent to become a U.S. citizen, and copies of the records were sent on to the federal government.

Locality History: Clifton Forge, in Alleghany County, was named for James Clifton's iron furnace, which was located in the Iron Gate Gorge by 1828. Known as Williamson's Station in 1857 when the railroad arrived, it was established as a town in 1861 and took the name Clifton Forge when it was incorporated in 1884. Clifton Forge was incorporated as a city by court order in 1906. On 20 March 1991, the General Assembly authorized the consolidation of Alleghany County and the independent city of Clifton Forge into a new independent city of Alleghany. The citizens of both locales voted against the proposal on 5 May 1992, however, and the change did not take effect. On 6 March 2001, its citizens voted to relinquish city status and Clifton Forge reverted to town status in Alleghany County on 1 July 2001.

Scope and Content

Clifton Forge (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1909-1929, consists of Department of Commerce and Labor, Division of Naturalization, Record of Declaration of Intention, 1909-1928, and Department of Commerce and Labor, Division of Naturalization, Petition and Record, 1909-1929, standardized volumes of naturalization records issued by the federal government. There were two primary types of naturalization volumes issued by the federal government: Declaration of Intention volumes and Petition volumes. Oftentimes, applicants were documented in both of these volume types within a locality, but that is not always the case. An applicant may have entered their declaration of intention in one locality before moving and completing their naturalization petition elsewhere.

Declaration of Intention volumes record declarations of intent to become United States citizens. Information on the declaration of intent includes a person's name, age, occupation, color, complexion, height in feet and inches, weight, color of hair, color of eyes, other visible distinctive marks, place and date of birth, current residence, place from where emigrated to the United States, vessel arrived on, last foreign residence, a renunciation of allegiance and fidelity to the state of which the person is currently a citizen, and the date the intention was sworn.

Petition volumes, often called Petition and Record, record the petitions for naturalization, oaths of allegiance, and orders of court admitting petitioner to United States citizenship. Not all parts may be completed as all stages of the citizenship process could be completed in different courts and in different locations in the United States.

A petition for naturalization contains the petitioner's name, address, occupation, birthdate and place, place where emigrated from and date and port of arrival in the U.S., name of ship on which emigrated, where declared intention to become a citizen, spouse's name, place of birth and address, and number of children with their names, birth dates and places of birth. Additional recorded information includes a renunciation of allegiance and fidelity to the state of which the person is currently a citizen or subject, a statement that the petitioner can speak English, and the date since the petitioner has resided constantly in the U.S. An affidavit of witness to these facts is signed by two persons.

For many petitions, a declaration of intent and occasionally other correspondence or related documentation is inserted into the volume facing the naturalization petition. Also sometimes included is an order of the court admitting the petitioner to United States citizenship that includes date of citizenship and certificate of naturalization number.

Inserted into the volumes at various points were correspondence and regulations from the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Naturalization.