NEW BOOK AND SOFTWARE FOR GENEALOGISTS

by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.

In the introduction to her new book, They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins, Loretto Dennis Szucs writes, "While working at the National Archives, I witnessed the great excitement of researchers as they saw for the first time the signature of an ancestor whose decision to become an American had profoundly affected their own lives. More than once, I saw a researcher looking in awe at a naturalization photograph of a parent or a grandparent he or she had never seen before ... Words simply can't describe the spiritual quality of a meeting made possible through a simple piece of paper.''

Naturalization records are among the most heavily used textual records in the National Archives system, and the loss of the 1890 census to a fire makes naturalization records a source of unparalleled value for the 20-year gap between the 1880 and 1900 censuses. America is a nation of immigrations, and it is through naturalization records that genealogists, historians, and other scholars can trace the stories of individuals and groups.

They Became Americans provides an highly readable and interesting historical framework for the citizenship process. The book is divided into seven chapters:

-- The Naturalization Process in the United States: Historical Background

-- How to Find Immigration and Naturalization Information

-- Naturalization Courts and Process

-- Published Naturalization Records and Indexes

-- Immigration and Naturalization Service

-- Naturalization Records in the National Archives

-- Finding Naturalization Information on the Internet

Immigration Chronology, selected addresses and an INS Form (which can be photocopied and submitted to Immigration and Naturalization Services for a search) can be found in the appendices.

Chapter Six -- Naturalization Records in the National Archives -- is particularly good, providing details about the naturalization records found at the National Archives and its regional archives. It includes a breakdown by state, showing which courts and what dates exist in the regional archives.

This is a must-have for libraries, and will be a valuable reference addition to your personal genealogy library.

They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins, by Loretto Dennis Szucs, 294 pages in softcover, ISBN 0-916478-71-X, $24.90 postpaid, is available from Ancestry, P.O. Box 990, Orem, UT 84059; (800) 262-3787 or on the Web at: http://www.ancestry.com.

STAR BREAK

Organize Your Files -- Electronically

Clooz (TM) is a database application, not a genealogy program. It's designed to assist the genealogist with filing records and tidbits of information electronically by record type and then allowing you to sort, filter and manipulate the information in various ways.

Clooz now comes in two versions. Its original version required Microsoft Access 97, which limited its market somewhat. However there is now a stand-alone version, requiring only Microsoft Windows 95. The Access 97 version requires at least 15 MB free on your hard drive while the stand-alone version needs 30-40 MB free. The user's manual is included in Adobe Acrobat format, and you will need to read it carefully.

If you've been looking for software to help you organize those piles of paper, take a close look at what this application can do. Visit Ancestor Detective's website (http://www.ancestordetective.com) for more details, the Clooz Newsletter, Knowledge Base, and message board.

Clooz 1.1 is available for $39.95 from its developer, Ancestor Detective, P.O. Box 1457, Woodbridge, VA 22193-1457, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

(c) 1997, Los Angeles Times Syndicate