AGENCY: District Court (Fourth District : Wasatch County)
SERIES: 84156
TITLE: Naturalization record books
DATES: i 1896-1935.
ARRANGEMENT: Chronological.
DESCRIPTION: These volumes document 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 town and country, current residence, and a standardized summary that the applicant had conformed to the legal requirements, producing necessary evidence and taking the necessary oaths. The judge then signed admitting the applicant as a citizen.
By late 1903, the preprinted 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 where he had declared his intention to become a citizen, and date of entrance to the United States. Occasionally, the original declaration of intention is filed in the book as documentation. The affidavit included an oath of renunciation of allegiance to his former sovereign and a declaration of the applicant's character and health. 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 completed reiterating this information and ordering his admittance as a citizen.
After 1906, courts were required to use preprinted forms in volumes furnished by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization. These include detailed petitions for naturalization and accompanying documentation. The petitions have blanks for name; residence; occupation; birthdate and place; emigration data including vessel name and ports; wife's name, birthplace, and residence; his children's names, birthdates and places, and residences; and any previous petitions filed. An oath against anarchy and polygamy was taken and former citizenship renounced. There was also space on the petition for affidavits of witnesses and a preprinted oath of allegiance and court order admitting the petitioner to citizenship. Later space was added to record continuances, denial of citizenship, etc.
Corroborating documentation included declarations of intention from a variety of courts, certificates of arrival, and questionnaires submitted prior to the petition which included much the same information with the addition of mother's maiden name, names of persons the individual was coming to in the U.S., names of other passengers, etc.
Rather than filing locally, many people apparently filed with the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. Because so few naturalization petitions had been filed with the court in the 1930s, the Fourth District Court for Wasatch County relinquished jurisdiction in naturalization cases in 1935.
RETENTION
DISPOSITION
RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION
These records are in Archives' permanent custody.
APPROVED: 07/1989
FORMAT MANAGEMENT
Paper: Retain in Office for 9 years and then microfilm and transfer to State Archives with authority to weed.
Microfilm master: Retain in State Archives permanently.
Microfilm duplicate: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
APPRAISAL
Historical
This retention reflects a previous decision by the Judicial Council (1983) and the historical value of these records to document the naturalization process.
PRIMARY DESIGNATION
Public