Series 85111

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 declarations of intention of individuals to become United States citizens only.

In the declaration an applicant vows that he plans to later become a U.S. citizen and to renounce his current citizenship. The volumes have standardized forms allowing for insertions of the individual's name, sovereign, date, and signatures of the individual and the court clerk witnessing the statement.

ARRANGEMENT: Volumes and their entries are chronological.

RELATED RECORDS: The Supreme Court kept both declarations of intention and certificates of citizenship for the Third District Court from 1859-1860 in the first volume of its DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION AND CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP RECORD BOOKS, series 3942. DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION RECORD BOOKS, series 85169, in the Fourth District Court has those recorded in Ogden when Weber County was part of the 3rd District from 1878 through 1879. Copies of these declarations may also be found in the case files of the Third District Court. Series 85110, contains records of CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP issued to newly naturalized citizens by the same court from 1880-1895. CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP RECORD BOOKS from the other district courts might also contain records of individuals whose declarations are in this series: the 1st District, series 83895, the 2nd District, series 85175, and the 4th District (from 1894-1895), series 85170, should also be consulted.

County probate courts held concurrent jurisdiction in citizenship cases during this time, and records of these could be checked. At statehood in 1896, the district court began keeping separate series of naturalization records and declarations of intention in each county. For other possible sources consult the Research Guide to Naturalization records.

FINDING AIDS: All volumes except the first have indices at the beginning. Entries are alphabetic by the first letter of the alien's surname.

PROCESSING NOTE: The series was transferred to the Archives in 1989 and scheduled by Pat Scott. Archival processing by A.C. Cone was finished the same year.

CONTAINER LIST