Series 85224

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 individuals' intentions to become United States citizens. The first forms contain blanks only for the individual's name, sovereign, date, and signatures of the individual and the clerks witnessing his statement.

Beginning in 1906, the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization of the Department of Commerce and Labor (later the Naturalization Service of the U.S. Dept. of Labor) furnished the court clerks with the necessary blank forms. The forms were furnished in bound volumes as a court record. Each volume was to be indexed and the declarations numbered consecutively beginning with number 1 in volume 1. Loose sheets were also furnished so the duplicate copy could be given to the declarant and the triplicate copy mailed to the Bureau of Naturalization.

The forms contain blanks for the name and location of the court; the individual's name, age, occupation, color, complexion, height, weight, hair color, eye color, visible distinctive marks, birthplace, birthdate, and current residence; the location from which he emigrated to the United States and the vessel name; his last foreign residence; the name and title of the ruler to whom he would be renouncing allegiance; and the port and date of arrival in the United States.

By 1917, additional blanks were inserted to record his marital status, and if married, his wife's name (altered to "spouse's name" after 1922 when married women could seek citizenship on their own instead of automatically assuming the nationality of their husbands), birthplace and residence. He was to take an oath that he was not an anarchist or polygamist, and that it was his intention to become a United States citizen and make the country his permanent residence. Blanks were provided for his signature and for the date and signature of the court clerk who witnessed his oath.

By the 1930s, more blanks were added for sex, race, present nationality; marriage date and place along with the spouse's birthdate and date and place of entrance to the United States; the number of children with their names, birthdate, birthplace, and residence; any previous declaration of intention, with number, location, and court; and his or her name at entry.

In 1941, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was moved to the U.S. Department of Justice. A sentence was added regarding any departures from the United States with a table in which to record dates of departure and return, the ports used, and the vessel name. The anti-polygamy clause was dropped from the oath, but the statement regarding anarchy was expanded. In 1952, the filing of a declaration of intention became an optional rather than a mandatory step in naturalizations.

The series was begun at statehood in 1896 when Juab County moved to the fifth judicial district, and the district courts began keeping records separately in each county. In 1977, the county was moved to the fourth judicial district.

ARRANGEMENT: Volumes and their entries are chronological. After 1906, the entries are also by case number in sequentially numbered volumes. Volume 3 is in reverse chronological and numerical order.

RELATED RECORDS: The final process for naturalizations in the District Court in and for Juab County is recorded in NATURALIZATION RECORD BOOKS, series 85178. PRELIMINARY CITIZENSHIP EXAMINATION LISTS of applicants for citizenship after 1930 are logged in series 85179. CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATE STUBS are located in series 85180 from 1908 to 1930 and thereafter with the NATURALIZATION RECORD BOOKS.

Citizenship records of county residents created prior to 1906 might be located in other series. Between 1895 and 1906 residents could have filed in any county, so all certificates of citizenship for Juab County residents may not be found in series 85178. Consult the series catalog for specific series in other counties.

Prior to 1896 citizenship records of county residents could be in the records of any of the district courts, the Supreme court, or the Juab County Probate Court. Since Juab County was in the Second District until 1859, then the First District until 1896, series created by these two courts would be most likely to contain citizenship records of Juab County residents.

Specifically, the researcher may also 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. For other possible sources consult the Research Guide to Naturalization records.

FINDING AIDS: The volumes have their own indexes. Entries are alphabetical by the first letter of the individual's surname.

PROCESSING NOTE: The volumes on the second reel were microfilmed with other series intermingled on the roll. Materials on the reel which are not part of this series appear in brackets on the container list. The records were microfilmed by the county clerk in 1985. Archival processing was completed by A.C. Cone in 1989.

CONTAINER LIST