Wisconsin. Circuit Court (Walworth County): Naturalization Records, 1838-1955


Summary Information
Title: Wisconsin. Circuit Court (Walworth County): Naturalization Records
Inclusive Dates: 1838-1955

Creator:
  • Wisconsin. Circuit Court (Walworth County)
Call Number: Walworth Series 40

Quantity: 8.0 c.f. (11 archives boxes and 21 separate volumes) and 13 reels of microfilm (35mm)

Repository:
Archival Locations:
UW-Whitewater Library / Whitewater Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:
Records of naturalization proceedings in the Circuit Court of Walworth County, Wisconsin. Includes indexes to Declarations of Intention, Petitions, and Orders Admitting to Citizenship (1838-1955); Declarations of Intention (1840-1954); Petitions (1841-1955); Orders Granting and Denying Citizenship (1930-1955); and miscellaneous correspondence and forms (1919-1943).

Note:

This series is also available on microfilm.

Reels 1-12 were produced in 1985 and 2005 by the Genealogical Society of Utah which holds the master negatives.



Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-walw0040
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Biography/History

See a general description of the naturalization process and naturalization records.

Scope and Content Note

General

The Walworth County Naturalization Records consist of Declarations of Intention, Petitions, indexes to Declarations and Petitions, and some miscellaneous materials.

Originally the records contained several volumes identified by the same volume number. For instance, there were three volumes identified as volume “3.” In an attempt to eliminate some of the confusion, all volumes have been renumbered consecutively. However, since the indexes sometimes reference the original volume numbers, the original numbers are also indicated on the labels and in the Contents List below.

Declarations of Intention

The Declarations of Intention are contained in Boxes 1-6 (1840-1906) and Volumes 4-15 (1906-1954). They are indexed in Volumes 1-3.

Volumes 1 (1838-1888) and 2 (1889-1906) actually contain copies of Petitions, but the indexes in the front of each volume list persons who filed Declarations, the birthplace and birthdate for each, and the date of filing the Declaration. These are grouped by the first letter of the surname and listed chronologically by date of filing the Declaration therein. The Declarations indexed in these two volumes can be found in Boxes 1-6. These Declarations are grouped in folders by first letter of surname, but have no apparent order therein. Thus, if a name is found in the index in Volume 1 or Volume 2, that name must be searched in the proper folder(s) in Boxes 1-6 and all the information available from the index--birthplace, birth date, and date of filing Declaration--must be compared to the information given on the actual Declarations. Declarations filed prior to 1840 outside Walworth County can also be found in Boxes 1-6, if the person filed a Petition after 1840 in Walworth County.

Volume 3 is a combined index to Declarations, Petitions, and Orders Admitting to Citizenship. Its arrangement is also by first letter of surname, but the listing therein is more or less chronological by date of filing the Petition. If the Declaration was filed in Walworth County after September 26, 1906, the volume and page number are given and also the number of the Declaration. The key index element is the Declaration number which is listed in the Contents List below. These Declarations are contained in Volumes 4-15. If the Declaration was filed prior to September 26, 1906, only the date of filing is given and the actual Declaration document will be found in Boxes 1-6. Most of these, however, are also indexed in Volumes 1 and 2.

Petitions

Petitions are also indexed in Volumes 1-3. Volumes 1 and 2 also contain copies of the actual Petitions. The Petitions In Volume 1 (1866-1889) are indexed by a typewritten alphabetical list in the front of the volume. These Petitions, plus Petitions filed prior to 1866, are also listed by alphabetical segments and chronologically therein, at the end of each letter of the alphabet in the Declaration of Intention index found in Volume 1. Petitions filed prior to 1866 can be found in Boxes 1-6.

Petitions in Volume 2, 1889-1902, are indexed by a chronological list compiled for each letter of the alphabet after the Declaration of Intention index for each letter. These lists are identified by the title “Full Naturalization.”

Petitions filed during 1903-1906 are indexed only by an alphabetical segment index in the front of Volume 16, which also contains copies of the actual Petitions. Additional copies of these Petitions can often be found in Boxes 1-6 as well.

Volume 3 indexes Petitions filed after September 26, 1906. These Petitions are contained in Volumes 17-34. The index is in alphabetical segments, by first letter of surname, and therein chronological by date of filing the Petition. It gives the volume, page, and number of the Petition and the date of the hearing. The key index element is the Petition number, which is included in the Contents List below.

Miscellaneous

In this category is a volume of Orders Granting and Denying Petitions and two boxes of correspondence, forms, depositions, affidavits, and other materials dealing with the naturalization process. The two boxes, Box 7 and Box 8, cover the years 1919-1943, and are filed in alphabetical segments by first letter of surname of the person about whom naturalization information is being sought. There is no index to this material and its use is limited, but the serious researcher might find in these files additional information about an ancestor.

Contents List
Walworth Series 40
Series: Indexes
Index to Declarations
Volume   1
Reel   1
1838-1988
Volume   2
Reel   1
1889-1902
Note: On the microfilm, these follow the Index to Petitions, 1841-1889.
Index to Petitions
Volume   1
Reel   1
1866-1889
Volume   1
Reel   1
1841-1889
Volume   2
Reel   1
1889-1902
Volume   16 (original Volume 3)
Reel   1
1903-1906
Volume   3
Reel   1
Index to Declarations, Petitions, and Orders Admitting to Citizenship, 1906-1955
Series: Declarations and Petitions, 1840-1906
Box   1
Reel   2
A-C
Box   2
Reel   2
D-G
Box   3
Reel   3
H-K
Box   4
Reel   3
L-O
Box   5
Reel   4
P-S
Box   6
Reel   4
T-Z
Series: Declarations of Intention
Volume   (4) (original Volume 1), in Box 9
Reel   5
1906-1911, No. 1-100
Volume   (5) (original Volume 2), in Box 9
Reel   5
1911-1914, No. 101-200
Volume   (6) (original Volume 3), in Box 9
Reel   5
1914-1916, No. 201-300
Volume   (7) (original Volume 4), in Box 9
Reel   5
1916-1917, No. 301-400
Volume   (8) (original Volume 5), in Box 9
Reel   5
1917-1918, No. 401-500
Volume   (9) (original Volume 6), in Box 9
Reel   5
1918-1919, No. 501-600
Volume   (10) (original Volume 7), in Box 9
Reel   5
1919-1922, No. 601-704
Volume   (11) (original Volume 8), in Box 9
Reel   5
1922-1925, No. 705-804
Volume   (12) (original Volume 9), in Box 9
Reel   5
1925-1929, No. 805-893
Volume   13 (original Volume 10)
Reel   5
1930-1937, No. 894-1000
Volume   14 (original Volume 11), in Box 10
Reel   11
1937-1947, No. 1001-1125
Volume   (15) (original Volume 12), in Box 10
Reel   11
1947-1954, No. 1126-1165
Series: Petitions
Volume   1
Reel   1
1866-1889
Volume   2
Reel   1
1889-1902
Volume   16 (original Volume 3)
Reel   1
1903-1905
Volume   17 (original Volume 1)
Reel   12
1906-1910, No. 1-50
Volume   18 (original Volume 2)
Reel   6
1910-1912, No. 51-150
Volume   19 (original Volume 3)
Reel   6
1912, No. 151-250
Volume   20 (original Volume 4)
Reel   7
1912-1917, No. 251-498
Volume   21 (original Volume 5)
Reel   7
1917-1918, No. 499-598
Volume   22 (original Volume 6)
Reel   7
1918-1920, No. 599-698
Volume   23 (original Volume 7)
Reel   8
1920-1921, No. 699-798
Volume   24 (original Volume 8)
Reel   8
1921-1922, No. 799-898
Volume   25 (original Volume 9)
Reel   8
1923-1927, No. 899-997
Volume   26 (original Volume 10)
Reel   9
1927-1929, No. 998-1043
Volume   27 (original Volume 11)
Reel   9
1929-1933, No. 1044-1092
Volume   28 (original Volume 12), in Box 10
Reel   11
1934-1936, No. 1093-1131
Volume   29 (original Volume 13), in Box 10
Reel   11
1936-1938, No. 1132-1200
Volume   30 (original Volume 14), in Box 10
Reel   11
1938-1940, No. 1201-1250
Volume   31 (original Volume 15), in Box 11
Reel   11
1940-1942, No. 1251-1343
Volume   32 (original Volume 16), in Box 11
Reel   11
1942-1944, No. 1344-1385
Volume   (33) (original Volume 17), in Box 11
Reel   12
1944-1948, No. 1386-1475
Volume   (34) (original Volume 18), in Box 11
Reel   13
1948-1954, No. 1476-1552
Series: Miscellaneous
Volume   (35), in Box 8
Reel   12-13
Orders Granting and Denying Citizenship, 1930-1955
Note: Orders were filmed twice: on reel 12 and on reel 13.
Miscellaneous Correspondence and Forms, circa 1919-1943
Box   7
Reel   10
A-L
Box   7
Reel   10
M-Z