1911 Passport Application
Form for Naturalized Citizen

Application Number: 48227
Issued: April 18, 1911

United States of America, State of Illinois, County of Cook

I, James Filipek a naturalized and loyal citizen of the United States, do hereby apply to the Department of State at Washington for a passport for myself

(the phrase "and wife and my minor children as follows" was crossed out, implying that they did not accompany him)

In support of the above application, I do solemnly swear

that I was born at Koleucich, in Bohemia on or about the 10th day of September 1863;

that I emigrated to the United States, sailing on board the VESSEL (Name Unknown), from Hamburg, on or about the 1st day of May, 1889;

that I resided 22 years, uninterruptedly, in the United States, from 1889 to Date, at Chicago, Ill & Pueblo, Colo;

that I was naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the Criminal Court of Cook County at Chicago, on the 2nd day of April, 1900, as shown by the accompany Certificate of Naturalization;

that I am the identical person described in said Certificate; that I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence being at Chicago, in the state of Illinois where I follow the occupation of Merchant;

that I am about to go abroad temporarily; that I intend to return to the United States within six months with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein.

Furthermore, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: and that I take this obligation freely, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

Sworn to before me this 10th day of April, 1911

James Filipek

Julia A Brejcha (Notary Public)

Description of Applicant:
Age: 47
Stature: 5 feet (no number of inches were filled in)
Forehead: High & Broad
Eyes: Light Blue
Nose: Medium Straight
Mouth: Medium
Chin: Receding
Hair: Light
Complexion: Light
Face: Round

Identification:

Chicago April 10, 1911
I hereby certify that I know the above named James Filipek personally, and know him to be the identical person referred to in the within-described Certificate of Naturalization, and that the facts stated in his affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Charles A. Churau
311-127 No. Dearborn St. (address of witness)

Applicant desires passport sent to following address:

James Filipek
3001 Emerald Ave
Chicago, Illinois

• From the Passport Application, it appears that James traveled without his family back to Kolence in 1911 without his family. This can be confirmed from a postcard he sent to his wife Katherine while he was there.
• This record establishes his date and place of birth as James knew it. Koleucich and Kolence are the same place and may be Czech and Americanized spellings of the same place.
• This record provides the best information on his date of arrival which he stated as May 1889 via Hamburg. It also indicates that he has then spent 22 uninterrupted years in either Chicago or Pueblo. This is important because there is a lot of confusion about the years from December 1882 when his son John was born in Chicago and 1889. It is unclear whether James came for a short while and went back or stayed for several years. This record seems to indicate that he considered his permanent arrival date as May 1889. However, it is still possible he came earlier for a short time.

• Also of interest is that he arrived via the port of Hamburg. The Hamburg Departure Lists are supposed to be in excellent condition and it is hoped to find his records there. In addition, a Hamburg departure for James would suggest all the Filipeks, Nemec and Sokolik departures would be from Hamburg thus narrowing the search to ships from Hamburg and also obtaining information about them from the Hamburg lists.
• James Filipek's height is shown as 5 feet; however, no number of inches is scripted in. This is probably an error. In pictures he appears to be a good 6 inches taller than his wife who states she is 5 foot 3 inches in 1929. Most likely he was 5 foot 9-10 inches. Jeanne recalls hearing he as a pretty tall man.
• According to the Passport Application, James was to return to the USA within 6 months of April 11, 1911. It was found that he returned to Ellis Island on July 2, 1911. It is not known when he left.