Camozzi family

Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
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pteehan
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Camozzi family

Post by pteehan »

Hello,

I am trying to find naturalization info to see if I and my relatives qualify for Italian citizenship. I don't have any naturalization records. I have heard there are miracle-workers on this forum, maybe some of you can help.

I am looking for two people, my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, John and Giuseppe Camozzi. Giuseppe came to the US from Italy; the family later moved to Canada. I am interested in naturalization info for both of them.

Most of the info I have is on the Camozzi family tree here: camozzi.wikispaces.com
Here is a summary

Giuseppe (Joseph) Camozzi
(son of Giovanni Batista Camozzi b. 1826 Como, Italy, d. 1900 Drugno, Italy)
b. 1864 Drugno , Italy
d. Vernon BC 1956
m. Carmine Veltri 1892 (born in Grimaldi, Calabria), married in Spokane,Washington

John Batista Camozzi
b. Sept. 14 1894 in Priest River, Idaho, United States of America.
d. 1968 in Rossland, British Columbia, Canada.
m. 1919 to Rosa Frances Micielli
b. February 12th, 1903 in British Columbia, Canada.
d. July 7th, 1948 in British Columbia, Canada.

I understand Giuseppe came to the US in the 1880s. I am interested in knowing if he naturalized before John was born in 1894. Also I understand the family moved to Canada around 1905. I am interested in knowing if John naturalized in Canada before my grandfather was born in 1926.

While I am primarily after these two nuggets as they will tell me if I need to start digging for official records or not, I and my large extended family would certainly appreciate anything else you might happen to dig up along the way.

Thank you very much!
- Paul
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by vj »

Hi Paul,
Welcome to the Forum!
Not sure if you have these records.

possible 1900 census
- immig 1885, hard to read if he was naturalized (No or Na?)

possible 1911 census
- column 13 is naturalization information,
They appear to be naturalized?
Giuseppe in 1890?

Not much information on 2 border crossings except, nationality - Canada
1932
1941
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pteehan
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Re: Camozzi family

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Wow. Amazing. That was fast.

You definitely found them. Interesting the name is spelled "Comozzi" in the 1911 Census.
Their nationality is listed as 'Canadian' but Column 13 ('Year of nationalization if previously an alien") clearly says "no" or "na". What does that mean?

Actually now that I look a bit closer, Giuseppe came to Canada in 1886 and was nationalized in 1890; his wife came to Canada in 1893; but the children including John didn't come until 1905. And now I'm really confused because how could the parents have immigrated to Canada in 1886 and 1893, yet have children born in the US in 1896? Maybe they went back to the US often? (Revelstoke, BC and Priest River, Idaho are geographically quite close and I'm told some of the family stayed in Priest River.)

And what about their son Sylvester, according to the census born in the USA in 1906 yet immigrated to Canada in 1905? heheh, what a mess.

In any case -- if he was nationalized in Canada in 1890 and John was born in 1896, then I think I'm sunk. Do you think this is what happened? The record is kind of confusing to me.

I can't make out much more than squiggles on the 1900 census, I'm amazed you even found them there. Actually I'm not 100% certain it is them; I can't make out the wife or children's names.

And the border crossings, wow. Leonard (age 5 in 1932) is my grandfather and Carmelita (age 1) is my great-aunt, who was very close to me and died just last year. I never knew much about their early lives. It's rather breathtaking to see such documents on the screen in front of me. Thank you for finding them.
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by vj »

I'm glad we found some records for you.
I wouldn't take anything on them as 'fact'.
Besides relying on their memory, the enumerator
may not have understood them.
I think my next step would be to find out if Giuseppe
naturalized in the US, maybe Idaho?
There are two family sites for your family on ancestry.com,
I thought they were yours.
I hope you don't have any trouble viewing them, the first has
some wonderful pictures!
Valarie

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.asp ... 1354759264

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.asp ... 1556820627
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pteehan
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by pteehan »

Thanks Valarie
I don't have an account at ancestry, I can't read those links.
I have thought about getting one or getting the trial but all this geneology is already sapping too much of my time, if I had full access to the historical records I would never get anything done!
vj
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by vj »

WWI Canadian Military Record
Paul, in case you haven't seen this
Valarie
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by vj »

Paul,
I can send your email to the owners of both
sites. If they 'invite' you to view their site,
I'm pretty sure you won't need a membership
to view them. If you're interested, you can send
me your email address as a PM.
Valarie
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garebela
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by garebela »

Hi Valarie,

I have given Paul authority to veiw and edit the family tree on ancestry.com

Interesting fact that Giuseppe came to Canada in 1886. If this is the case than I have been looking at the wrong source as I was looking at New York as where he arrived.

Gordon
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by pteehan »

Thanks Valerie. Hi Gordon, I assume that's you. I saw photos of my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather for the first time just now. Not much of a resemblance, which is a shame since they look so strapping. I think I do see a bit of familiarity in one of my great-great-uncles, though.

The more I think of it, the more I think the Canadian census is incorrect. How could he have gone to Canada in 1886 yet have 7 children born in the US after that time? There is little doubt that John was born in Priest River, I've seen that corroborated in many documents. Perhaps there was confusion during the census - Giuseppe was asked when he immigrated and gave the date of his US immigration, not his Canadian. I searched the previous Canadian census and got no matches.
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by pteehan »

A-ha!
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gene ... 005-e.html

Border Entry

Many immigrants to Canada came from the United States or sailed from Europe to American ports on their way to Canada. Prior to April 1908, people were able to move freely across the border from the United States into Canada; no record of immigration exists for those individuals.
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pteehan
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by pteehan »

Can you help me with the next step, Valarie (or anyone else)?

I searched the Canadian naturalization databases and found nothing. I see they have extensive paper and microfilm records and a process for requesting a search, for a small fee. I will probably do that.

I've poked around the net but haven't found any US naturalization records either. Is there a place I can go to get a definitive answer?

Can you tell me, what kind of documentation do I require to prove (for the purposes of jure sanguinis citizenship) that there was no naturalization in either Canada or the US, and what is the best way to go about obtaining it (cheaply if possible)?

Thanks again for all your help
-- Paul
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by pteehan »

Well well! I emailed the Idaho state historical society and guess what, they have a record:

"I looked up your great-great grandfather in one of our reference books title, Kootenai County Idaho Declaration of Intention and Naturalization 1882 thru 1939. On page 20, there’s the following listing:

Camozzi, Giumseppe [sic] of ID – b Italy – Dec of Int 6 Apr 1891 – Kootenai Co Id Dist Court – Date of Nat 18 Oct 1898 Vol 2 pg 242 Citizenship Bk."

Declaration of Intent 1891, date of naturalization 1898.
My great-grandfather was born 1894.

This means I am in business, right?
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Re: Camozzi family

Post by garebela »

I was in the Museum in Revelstoke and came across Giuseppe Camozzi's Canadian Naturalization Papers dated 20 December 1906. If you would like a copy of it send me a message.

Gordon
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