Series 85173

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 that 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 foreign residence and current residence. A standardized summary of the procedures assured that the necessary evidence was provided and the required oaths taken. The judge then signed, attesting to the applicant's admission as a citizen.

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, sovereign, date and court of declaration of intention, and date of admission 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 was then completed reiterating this information and ordering his admittance as a citizen.

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; and any previous petitions filed. There were also blanks to record his children's names, birthdates, birthplaces, and residences. The applicant was 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. Occasionally court orders revoking citizenship are included.

ARRANGEMENT: Volumes and entries are chronological by petition date. After 1906, they appear by case number, chronologically arranged by petition date, in sequentially numbered volumes.

RELATED RECORDS: For DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION to become a citizen filed in the First District Court in and for Cache County consult series 6176. Prior to statehood in 1896, Cache County was in different districts at different times. Declarations of intention and certificates of citizenship filed by Cache County residents before 1896 could be in the records of any of the district courts, the Supreme Court, or the Cache County Probate Court. County residents could also file in other districts until 1906. Since Cache County was in the first district from 1856-1858, and again from 1880-1891; the third district from 1859-1879; and the fourth district from 1892-1895; series from those courts would be most likely to contain citizenship records of Cache County residents. The researcher may want to consult the DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION for the First District Court, series 85113, the Second District Court, series 85174, the Third District Court, series 85111, and the Fourth District Court 85169. The CERTIFICATES OF CITIZENSHIP for the same courts in the territorial period, series 83895, 85175, 85110, and 85170 should also be consulted. 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. More details from the naturalization hearings cited here would be in the minutes of the district court. For other possible sources consult the Research Guide to Naturalization records.

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

PROCESSING NOTE: Microfilmed in 1966 by the LDS Genealogical Society. Archivally processed by A.C. Cone in 1989.

CONTAINER LIST