AGENCY: District Court (Third District : Salt Lake County)
SERIES: 3573
TITLE: Naturalization record books
DATES: 1896-1929.
ARRANGEMENT: Numerical by entry number.
DESCRIPTION: 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. The forms provide date, applicant's name, former country and kingdom, and current county of residence. Someone has later added the names of the applicant's witnesses. By late 1903, the forms consisted of an applicant's affidavit and witness affidavits as well as a certificate. The applicant's affidavit gave his name, birthplace, date and place of filing his declaration of intention, birth date, sovereign, and date of
entrance into the United States.
Both his own affidavit and that of the witnesses declared his worthiness to become 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 arrival, age at arrival, length of residence in the jurisdiction, any U.S. military service, and place and date of filing a declaration of intention.
After 1906, courts were required to use preprinted forms furnished by the federal Bureau of Naturalization. The petition for citizenship an applicant filed included the individual's name, residence, occupation, birth date and place; place from which emigrated, date, port of arrival, and vessel name; date when declared his intention of becoming a citizen and court involved; his wife's name, birthplace, and residence; children's names, birth dates, birthplaces, and residences. Also included on the petition form were the affidavit of two citizen witnesses validating the individual's petition information and declaring he was of good moral character. The oath of allegiance and the court order admitting the petitioner to citizenship are included. Later space was added for memoranda of continuances, names of substitute witnesses, and space to record denial, not just the acceptance, of the petition.
Various corroborating documents are bound into the volumes along with the petitions. These include declarations of intention filed earlier in a variety of courts; certificates of U.S. military service; certificates of arrival; witness depositions; occasional correspondence; and even occasional court orders revoking citizenship.
RETENTION
DISPOSITION
RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION
These records are in Archives' permanent custody.
FORMAT MANAGEMENT
Paper: For records beginning in 1896 through 1929. Retain in State Archives permanently and then microfilm.
Microfilm master: For records beginning in 1907 through 1929. Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
Microfilm duplicate: For records beginning in 1907 through 1929. Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
APPRAISAL
Historical
This disposition is based on the record's secondary informational value to researchers. These naturalization records are important sources for both the family historian and historical scholar studying immigration and ethnic settlement in Utah.
PRIMARY DESIGNATION
Public