General
The Ashland County Naturalization Records, 1879-1990, consist of Declarations of Intention, Petitions, Certificates, indexes to these records, orders granting and denying petitions, repatriations, and depositions of witnesses.
The original system of numbering volumes was retained because the indexes are often keyed to this system. For preservation purposes some volumes have been dismantled and placed in boxes. For these volumes, the list below gives the volume number in parentheses ( ) for identification purposes, and the box and reel number for location purposes.
Most records are available both on microfilm and in original paper format.
Indexes
There are eight indexes to the various portions of the naturalization records. For identification purposes an arbitrary number has been assigned to each index. Indices are organized by the type of record they index.
Indices to Declarations:
Index #1 indexes Declarations from 1882 to 1906 that are found in volumes 1-9 marked “First Papers.” The few Declarations from 1879-1881 are not included. Index entries are by the first letter of the last name and thereunder by date of the Declaration. Entries provide the date of Declaration, and the volume and page on which it can be found.
Index #2 indexes Declarations from 1906 to 1971 that are found in volumes 1-8 marked “Declarations of Intention.” Index entries are by the first letter of the last name and thereunder by volume number (which are somewhat chronological). Entries provide the volume and page on which the Declaration can be found.
Index #3 duplicates the 1906-1920 portion of Index #2, referring to volumes 1-4 of “Declarations of Intention.” Index entries are by the first letter of the last name and thereunder by volume number. In addition to providing the volume and page on which the Declaration can be found, entries also list the year.
Indices to Petitions:
Index #4 indexes all petitions, 1885-1990. Index entries are by the first letter of the last name and thereunder by volume number. Entries give the naturalization certificate number, date of naturalization, and volume and page on which the Petition can be found. Note that the volume number refers to the “Volume Number for Use with Index #4” listed on the Container List. This number is affixed to the volume spine with a black label.
Index #5 indexes petitions with certificates attached, 1885-1906, found in original volume numbers 2-8, marked “Second Papers” and “Naturalization Record.” Entries are in the form of index cards, filed alphabetically (some of the W's were misfiled after the Z's). Each card lists name, certificate number, date of naturalization, country of birth or allegiance, sometimes the date and port of arrival, year and/or place of birth, names of witnesses, and volume and page number of petition. These cards index a portion of the same petitions as Index #4 but, since they contain more information, are useful for verifying that you have the right person.
Index #6 indexes the same petitions with certificates attached (1885-1906, original volume numbers 2-8) as Index #5, but the entries provide less information than the cards of Index #5. Index #6 entries are arranged by the first letter of the last name and thereunder by volume number. Entries list the date the petition was issued and the volume and page on which it can be found.
Index #7 indexes the Petitions from 1907 to 1964 that are found in original volumes 1-16, marked “Petitions and Record.” Index entries are by the first letter of the last name and thereunder by volume number and list petition number and volume and page on which it can be found. This volume indexes a portion of the same petitions as does Index #8 (for the years 1930-1964) but has the advantage of referring the researcher directly to the volume number.
Index #8 indexes the Petitions from 1930 to 1990 that are found in original volumes 8-17, marked “Petitions and Record.” Entries are in the form of index cards, filed alphabetically. Each card lists name, address, age, date of order of admission, date certificate issued, and petition number. These cards index a portion of the same petitions as does Index #7 but since they contain more information are useful for verifying that you have the right person.
How to Use the Indices:
To find individuals who declared their intention to become a citizen in 1905 or before, use Index #1. To find individuals who declared their intention in 1906 or later, use Index #2. If you do not find the person in Index #2, try Index #3.
To find Petitions and Certificates, start with Index #4. Index #4 is especially effective if you do not know the approximate year of naturalization. Remember when using Index #4 that volume number refer to the “Volume Number for Use with Index #4” listed on the Container List. The number is affixed to the volume spine with a black label. If you do not find the person's name or if you need to verify that you have the right person, use Index #5 and #6 for Petitions filed 1885-1906, Index #7 for Petitions filed 1905-1929 (or through 1964 if desired), and Index #8 for Petitions filed 1930-1990.
In addition, the individual volumes of Declarations and Petitions usually contain an index in the front of each volume. These indexes are arranged in alphabetical segments by the first letter of the surname and more or less chronologically thereunder.
Records
The DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION of Intention date 1879-1974. Volumes are arranged chronologically by date of filing. Volume 3 of “First Papers” overlaps dates in Volumes 2, 4, and 5. Pages in Volume 3 have two sets of page numbers so researchers should check both sets. Original volumes from 1879-1905 are marked “First Papers” on the spine and are numbered Volumes 1-9. A new numbering sequence was begun in 1906 so volumes dating 1906 are numbered 1-8 and have “Declarations of Intention” printed on the spine.
PETITIONS date 1885-1990 and CERTIFICATES date 1885-1906. Both are arranged together in one chronological sequence by date filed. There are two numbering schemes for the original volumes and petition/certificate numbers.
The first numbering sequence spans 1885-1906 with volumes numbered 2-8 and petitions/certificates numbered 1-2301. Volumes 2-5 are marked “Second Papers” on the spine and Volumes 6-8 have “Naturalization Record” printed on the spine. Volumes 2-4 contain certificates only and Volumes 5-8 contain certificates and petitions together on facing pages.
The second numbering sequence spans 1906-1990 with volumes numbered 1-17 and petitions numbered 1-2040. Original volumes have “Petition and Record” printed on the spine. Often a copy of the Declaration is attached to the Petition.
All these volumes have an alternate number affixed to the spine by a black plastic label. Index #4 refers to this alternate volume number.
ANCILLARY DOCUMENTS include Depositions of Witnesses, 1926-1980; Repatriations, 1940-1961; and Orders [Granting and Denying Citizenship], 1929-1990. None of these ancillary documents are indexed.
