General
The Buffalo County Naturalization Records, 1853-1950, consist of indexes to Petitions and Citizenship, Declarations of Intention, Petitions and Naturalization Record, Certificate Stub Books, Oaths of Allegiance, and Petitions Granted and Denied.
Records
Researchers should begin by using the indexes. The CARD INDEX TO PETITIONS, 1858-1950, is arranged alphabetically by last name and gives the volume and page number of the petition. The INDEX TO CITIZENSHIP, 1858-1943, is arranged by the first letter of the applicant's last name, and thereunder chronologically. It lists the date of naturalization, which can be used to locate the petition and certificate. Entries sometimes list the volume and page or certificate number. Note that documents from 1853-1857 are not referenced in these indexes, and instead can be found by using the index in each volume.
Information also can be located through the indexes in the front of individual volumes. Volume indexes are arranged by the first letter of the individual's last name, and thereunder chronologically.
The DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION date 1853-1950, and are arranged chronologically by the date filed. Each volume contains an index.
Volumes in the series titled PETITIONS AND NATURALIZATION RECORD date 1858-1950 and are arranged chronologically by date filed. Petitions filed before October 1906 include the court order admitting the applicant to citizenship, thus functioning as second and third papers in one. Each volume except “[1]”, 1858-1860, and “A”, 1897-1902, contains a name index. The majority of the petitions from 1906-1950 have the Declaration of Intention attached.
All that remains of the naturalization certificates from 1907-1929 is the portion (the “stub”) kept by the Clerk of Courts. The CERTIFICATE STUB BOOKS are filed numerically by certificate number, which corresponds to date order. Use the Index to Citizenship” to determine the certificate number and/or date. Note that the stub books are not filmed in chronological order. Check the register to see the order in which the books were filmed.
ANCILLARY RECORDS include several Oaths of Allegiance from 1941 and Petitions Granted and Denied, 1930-1950. Petitions Granted and Denied are filed chronologically by date of court order. Neither volume contains a name index.
