[This has been updated from a 2015 post on our old blog site.]
George Trautvetter, his wife and children immigrated to the United States in July of 1853. The family apparently made a relatively direct route to Hancock County, Illinois, where George appears to have paid cash for a farm later that same year in the northern part of that county’s Rocky Run Township. The conclusion that he paid cash is based upon the fact that there is no mortgage ever recorded in his name on that same piece of property. 
Trautvetter made a declaration of intention to become a United States citizen in January of 1855 (part of which is shown in this blog post). If he completed the naturalization process, it was not done in Hancock or Adams Counties in Illinois and, given that he apparently lived in Hancock County until his return to Germany in the 1869/1870 time frame, it would have been unusual for him to have traveled elsewhere to naturalize.
George’s sons, Michael, George, and Theodore were all born in Germany before their family’s immigration to the United States. If their father had naturalized and if they had been under the age of majority at that point in time, they would have become citizens via their father’s naturalization.
George returned to Germany (by himself) in 1869/1870 where he died. His wife and children remained in the United States.
There are no naturalization records for the Trautvetter boys in the United States–at least none in Hancock County where they lived from 1853 until their deaths in the early 20th century. The family lived relatively close to the Adams County line and there is no naturalization for any of them in Adams County, Illinois, either. Census records for the Trautvetter boys consistently indicate that they were United States citizens. There’s no record of them ever having naturalized in their own right and their father apparently never naturalized. While it is possible they went outside the Hancock/Adams County area to naturalize, it seems unlikely. The most common reason for individuals to travel to naturalize is that they have naturalized relatives in other areas. The Trautvetters did not.
It’s possible that they thought their father was naturalized by the 1855 declaration of intention and that, since they were underage at that time, they were naturalized as well.
Possible.
Some immigrants were confused by the naturalization process–especially in cases where the citizenship status of the father was not clear. It’s also possible that George (the father) intentionally never completed his citizenship status–particularly if in the back of his mind he thought that some day he may return permanently to Germany.
Possibly.
Judith Augspurger says:
Apparently the father never completed the required process. Therefore, the sons were not naturalized, as was not the father.
No evidence exists to show that the two brothers ever naturalized by their own applications. Therefore, I conclude that they did not naturalize.
augspurger@prodigy.net
mjnrootdig says:
I tend to agree. All three brothers do state that they were US citizens in 1900-1930 census records. I’ve not checked records to see if they actually voted, but every time they were asked if they were a citizen, they indicated that they were.
My theory is that they actually believed they were naturalized via their father’s paperwork. The father returned to Germany permanently in the late 1860s and, while I have no proof, I am wondering if he never intended to complete the naturalization process and intended to return to Germany.
Donna B says:
You did not mention anything about the wife/mother. I do not have any experience with naturalizations as I have not yet researched my ancestors for those records. I looked at https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/summer/women-and-naturalization-1.html which says “While original U.S. nationality legislation of 1790, 1795, and 1802 limited naturalization eligibility to “free white persons,” it did not limit eligibility by sex. But as early as 1804 the law began to draw distinctions regarding married women in naturalization law. Since that date, and until 1934, when a man filed a declaration of intention to become a citizen but died prior to naturalization, his widow and minor children were “considered as citizens of the United States” if they/she appeared in court and took the oath of allegiance and renunciation.(2) Thus, among naturalization court records, one could find a record of a woman taking the oath, but find no corresponding declaration for her, and perhaps no petition.”
Is it possible that there is something under the wife’s name?
mjnrootdig says:
It’s possible the mother naturalized, but there’s nothing for her either. The last name in this case is unusual enough that any reference to the last name in the index gets noticed. Sophia probably had little reason to naturalize during this time period as she would not have been able to vote even if she had been a United States citizen. There were no restrictions upon unnaturalized aliens owning property in Illinois during the time period–so that would not have been a reason either. It’s pretty rare for a woman to naturalize in the 19th century. The main reason some did was so that they could file homestead claims in those areas where homesteading was taking place. Only US citizens could file homestead claims.
Thanks for your comments and your question!