Series 83326

DISTRICT COURT (FIFTH DISTRICT : MILLARD COUNTY) [1680]

NATURALIZATION RECORD BOOKS, 1896-1906
.6 cu.ft. (1 vol.), 1 microfilm reel, and 1 fiche

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.

The first volume contains only preprinted certificates of citizenship with blanks for insertion of the date, name, country of origin, current county of residence, and judge's signature admitting the individual to citizenship.

The next volume has a more expanded form. The preprinted application forms consist 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 declaration of intention, date of arrival to the United States, and sovereign. 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, beggar, 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.

In 1906, a uniform federal naturalization law was enacted requiring that each court use pre-printed forms in volumes furnished by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization of the Department of Commerce and Labor.

ARRANGEMENT: Entries are chronological. The fiche was filmed with the camera head upside down so pairs of pages appear in reverse order.

RELATED RECORDS: Declarations of intention to become a citizen filed in the District Court in and for Millard County by some whose certificates are in this series have not been located. The minutes for the court will also discuss the naturalization hearings in more detail.

Some declarations of intention for those whose naturalization papers are filed here may have been recorded in other series. Until 1906 Millard County residents could have filed citizenship papers anywhere in the country. Consult the series catalog for specific series in other Utah counties. Prior to 1896 declarations of intention could have been filed in the records of any of the district courts, the Supreme Court, or the Millard County Probate Court. In particular, Millard County was in the Second District Court from 1851-1858, then the First District until 1896. Series from these courts are most likely to contain records of Millard 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 CERTIFICATE 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. For other possible sources consult the Research Guide to Naturalization records.

PROCESSING NOTE: Transfer of the series to the State Archives and scheduling by Pat Scott occurred in 1989. Archival processing by A.C. Cone finished the same year. The volume was microfilmed in 1999. A piece of fiched jacketed film covering 1896 to 1903 also was located in 1999 and this inventory updated.

CONTAINER LIST

Fiche	Reel	Box	Description
1	none	none	1896, Jun 8-1903, Feb 16
none	1	1	1903, Oct 14-1906, Apr 9