Series 3573

DISTRICT COURT (THIRD DISTRICT : SALT LAKE COUNTY) [1688]

NATURALIZATION RECORD BOOKS, 1896-1929
20.4 cu.ft. (34 vols.) and 24 reels of microfilm

DESCRIPTION: To become a citizen of the United States, an individual normally filed a "declaration of intention to become a citizen" at least two years prior to applying for citizenship. The next step was the naturalization hearing at which the candidate and witnesses either made oral statements or filed written petitions and affidavits attesting to the applicant's character, worthiness to become a citizen, and the validity of statements made to the court. If the judge found the applicant eligible to become a citizen, an oath was administered and the individual renounced his former citizenship. At this point a certificate of citizenship was issued documenting the fact.

These volumes contain documentation of the final steps of becoming a United States citizen. They include petitions for naturalization, certificates of citizenship, and accompanying documentation. The first volume contains only certificates of citizenship. Each form gives the date, applicant's name, former country and kingdom, current county of residence, and a standardized statement that the applicant had produced the necessary evidence and taken the required oaths. The judge then signed the certificate. Someone has later scribbled in the names of the applicant's witnesses on each certificate.

By late 1903, the preprinted application forms consisted of an applicant's affidavit and witness affidavits, as well as a certificate of citizenship. The applicant's affidavit gave his name, birthplace, date and place of filing his declaration of intention, birthdate, sovereign, and date of entrance to the United States. The affidavit included an oath of renunciation of allegiance to his former sovereign and a declaration that the applicant is not insane, epileptic, a pauper, begger, contagious, a felon, guilty of moral turpitude, a polygamist, anarchist, or pimp. The affidavits of two witnesses confirmed the applicant's statements and declared his worthiness to become a citizen. A copy of a certificate of citizenship form was then completed reiterating this information and ordering his admittance as a citizen.

By 1905, the applicant's form was abbreviated but included blanks for birthplace, age, allegiance, place from which emigrated, date of arrival in the U.S., port of arrrival, age at arrival, length of residence in the jurisdiction, any U.S. military service, and place and date of filing a declaration of intention. Aside from a renunciation of his former sovereign, the oath was simplified to a disavowal of anarchy and polygamy plus a statement of support of the U.S. constitution. The affidavit of witnesses was similarly shortened, as was the certificate of citizenship form.

After 1906, courts were required to use pre-printed forms in volumes furnished by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization of the Department of Commerce and Labor (later the Naturalization Service of the U.S. Dept. of Labor). Each volume was to be indexed and the petitions numbered consecutively beginning with number 1 in volume 1. A duplicate copy was to be sent to the Bureau of Naturalization.

The petitions include the individual's name, residence, occupation, birthdate, and birthplace; the place from which he emigrated, the date, port of arrival, and vessel name; the date on which he declared his intention of becoming a citizen and the name of the court involved; his wife's name, birthplace, and residence; his children's names, birthdates, birthplaces, and residences; and any previous petitions filed. The applicant was also required to take an oath that he was not an anarchist or a polygamist and to renounce his former sovereign. An applicant had to be able to speak English and have resided continuously in the United States for five years and in the state for one year.

Also included on the petition form were the affidavit of two citizen witnesses who validated the individual's petition information and declared that he was of good moral character. The printed oath of allegiance and court order admitting the petitioner to citizenship are also included. Later space was added for memoranda of continuances in the proceedings, names of substitute witnesses, and space to record the denial, not just the acceptance, of the petiton.

Various corroborating documents had to be produced at the time of application and hearing. These are usually bound into the volumes along with the petitions. They include declarations of intention, filed earlier in a variety of courts in several states, of the individual's desire to become a citizen. Certificates of U.S. military service may also be included, as they could be used in lieu of a declaration of intention or to shorten residency requirements. The volumes also include certificates of arrival, required of those who entered the country after 1906, from the Bureau of Naturalization showing the individual's name, date, place and manner of arrival in the United States. If the witnesses who could vouch for his length of residency lived out of state, depositions could be mailed in. The depositions, which describe how long the witness had known the applicant and confirm his moral character, were then bound in with the petition and other forms. Correspondence is sometimes included, usually from the Bureau of Naturalization, detailing changes in naturalization law and procedures. Occassionally court orders revoking citizenship are included.

ARRANGEMENT: Volumes and entries are chronological by petition date, except for the first part of the first volume 2 which contains some overflow from the beginning of the first volume 3. After 1906, they appear by case number, chronologically arranged by petition date, in sequentially numbered volumes.

RELATED RECORDS: Declarations of Intention of Salt Lake County residents, whose naturalization papers are found here, comprise series 85108, DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION RECORD BOOKS. A log of court actions taken in relation to these naturalization proceedings is in Series 85112, CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATE STUBS. The stubs also act as an index to the naturalization books. The CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASE MINUTE BOOKS for the the 3rd District Court, series 1650, discuss these naturalization hearings in more detail.

Some declarations of intention for those whose naturalization papers are filed here may have been recorded before 1906 in other series. Between 1895 and 1906 Salt Lake County residents could have filed papers in any county. Consult the series catalog for specific series. Prior to 1896 declarations of intention could be filed in the records of any of the district courts, the Supreme Court, or in the Salt Lake County Probate Court. Series 85109, DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION AND CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP RECORD BOOK, covering the years 1858-1872, are records from the probate court. Since Salt Lake County has been part of the 3rd district since 1856 and part of the lst district from 1851 through 1855, records of these two courts would be most likely to contain citizenship papers of county residents.

The researcher may want to consult the DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION RECORD BOOKS for the First District Court, series 85113; the Second District Court, series 85174; the Third District Court, series 85111; and the Fourth District Court, series 85169. The CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP RECORD BOOKS for the same courts in the territorial period are in series 83895, 85175, 85110, and 85170. In addition, the Supreme Court kept DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION AND CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP RECORD BOOKS, series 3942, which included first district records from 1852-1856 and third district records from 1859-1860 as well as those of the Supreme Court whose seat was Salt Lake County. For other possible sources consult the Research Guide to Naturalization records.

FINDING AIDS: Most of the volumes have indices at the beginning. Some were also recorded in a composite index along with DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION (from series 85108). By volume 28, they are only recorded in the composite index. Entries are alphabetic by the first letter of the petitioner's surname.

PROCESSING NOTE: The series was microfilmed in 1981 and 1991. Archival processing by A.C. Cone was completed in in 1989.

CONTAINER LIST

Reel	Box	Description
21	1	Vol. 1, Jan. 7, 1896-Aug. 4, 1903
21	2	Vol. 2, Sept. 4, 1903-Apr. 11, 1905
22	3	Vol. 3, Jan. 3, 1905-Sept. 26, 1906
22	4	Vol. 1, #1-50, Dec. 12, 1906-Aug. 14, 1907
1	5	Vol. 2, #51-200, Aug. 16, 1907-June 12, 1909
1	6	Vol. 3, #201-214, June 14, 1909-Sept. 30, 1909
2	6	Vol. 3, #214-300, Sept. 30, 1909-Sept. 30,1910
2	7	Vol. 4, #301-400, Oct. 5, 1910-May 20, 1911
23	8	Vol. 5, #401-500, June 5, 1911-Feb. 26, 1912
3	9	Vol. 6, #501-538, Mar. 2, 1912-May 20, 1912
4	9	Vol. 6, #539-600, May 23, 1912-Oct. 12, 1912
4	10	Vol. 7, #601-700, Oct. 14, 1912-June 4, 1913
4	11	Vol. 8, #701-778, June 5, 1913-Sept. 23, 1913
5	11	Vol. 8, #778-800, Sept. 23, 1913-Oct. 17, 1913
5	12	Vol. 9, #801-900, Oct. 18, 1913-May 28, 1914
5	13	Vol. 10, #901-1000 June 1, 1914-Nov. 11, 1914
5	14	Vol. 11, INDEX, A-D
6	14	Vol. 11, INDEX, D-Z
6	14	Vol. 11, #1001-1100 Nov. 17, 1914-Apr. 2, 1915
6	15	Vol. 12, #1101-1200 Apr. 3, 1915-Oct. 6, 1915
6	16	Vol. 13, INDEX, A-H
7	16	Vol. 13, INDEX, H-Z
7	16	Vol. 13, #1201-1450 Oct. 8, 1915-Jan. 12, 1917
8	17	Vol. 14, #1451-1700 Jan. 8, 1917-Dec. 13, 1917
8	18	Vol. 15, INDEX, A-G
9	18	Vol. 15, INDEX, H-Z
8	18	Vol. 15, #1701-1950 Dec. 13, 1917-Oct. 23, 1918
10	19	Vol. 16, #1951-2169, Oct. 24, 1918-Sept. 29,1919
11	19	Vol. 16, #2169-2200, Sept. 29, 1919-Oct. 3, 1919
11	20	Vol. 17, #2201-2450, Oct. 3, 1919-June 14, 1920,
11	21	Vol. 18, #2451-2463, June 14, 1920-June 26, 1920
12	21	Vol. 18, #2462-2702, June 28, 1920-Mar. 2, 1921,
12	22	Vol. 19, #2703-2728, Mar. 3, 1921-Mar. 15, 1921,
13	22	Vol. 19, #2728-2951, Mar. 15, 1921-Feb. 8, 1922,
13	23	Vol. 20, #2952-2992, Feb. 11, 1922-Apr. 4, 1922,
14	23	Vol. 20, #2992-3202, Apr. 4, 1922-Apr. 3, 1923,
14	24	Vol. 21, #3203-3282, Apr. 3, 1923-Sept. 12, 1923
15	24	Vol. 21, #3283-3452, Sept. 14, 1923-Mar. 12,1924
15	25	Vol. 22, #3453-3557, Mar. 12, 1924-July 12, 1924
16	25	Vol. 22, #3558-3702, July 12, 1924-Jan. 10, 1925
16	26	Vol. 23, #3703-3837, Jan. 10, 1925-Sept. 4, 1925
17	26	Vol. 23, #3837-3952, Sept. 4, 1925-Mar. 5, 1926,
17	27	Vol. 24, #3953-4071, Mar. 5, 1926-Aug. 20, 1926,
18	27	Vol. 24, #4071-4202, Aug. 20, 1926-Feb. 15, 1927
18	28	Vol. 25, #4203-4302, Feb. 16, 1927-Aug. 8, 1927,
18	29	Vol. 26, #4303-4368, Aug. 10, 1927-Dec. 22, 1927
19	29	Vol. 26, #4369-4400, Dec. 23, 1927-Feb. 27, 1928
19	30	Vol. 27, #4401-4500, Feb. 27, 1928-July 25, 1928
19	31	Vol. 28, #4501-4600, July 26, 1928-Nov. 30, 1928
19	32	Vol. 29, #4601-4672, Nov. 30, 1928-Mar. 14, 1929
20	32	Vol. 29, #4673-4700, Mar. 14, 1929-Apr. 10, 1929
20	33	Vol. 30, #4701-4789, Apr. 10, 1929-June 29, 1929
24	34	Composite Index, Declarations/Petitions