Berkeley County WV

West Virginia Naturalization Records

Naturalization Certificate

Naturalization in the U.S. involved a two-step process: the Declaration of Intent (First Papers) and the Naturalization Record (Final Papers). Typically, First Papers were filed five years before Final Papers due to residency requirements. Before 1906, records were decentralized, but federal forms standardized the process. These naturalization records are accessible through Ancestry (paid) and Family Search (free), with various records spanning from 1814 to 1991, including numerous county-specific documents throughout West Virginia.

Biographical Sketch of Newton Diehl Baser

Newton Diehl Baser, born on December 3, 1871, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, was an accomplished politician and attorney. He earned his B.A. from Johns Hopkins in 1892 and an LL.B. from Washington and Lee University in 1894. After serving as private secretary to Postmaster-General Wilson, he practiced law in Martinsburg before becoming city solicitor in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1902 to 1912. Baser was elected mayor of Cleveland from 1912 to 1913 and was a member of the Democratic Party and Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.