General
The Jefferson County Naturalization Records are divided into four categories--Declarations of Intention, Petitions, Certificate of Naturalization Stub Books, and Miscellaneous. In most cases the original system of numbering volumes and boxes is retained because this is the system to which the indexes are keyed. This results in several boxes and volumes having the same number. However, numbers are not repeated within a category. For instance, there are three volumes identified as “Volume 2;” thus, the researcher, when making a request, must specify which Volume 2--Declarations, Petitions, or Certificate Stub Books.
Declarations of Intention
The Declarations are contained in Boxes 1-8 (1842-1907) and Volumes 1-13 (1870-1949). The Declarations in Boxes 6-8 are actually Declarations presented for Petitions filed in the years 1876-1907 and are not necessarily Declarations
actually filed in those years. The Declarations in Boxes 1-8 are filed chronologically and more or less alphabetically therein; those in the Volumes are filed more or less chronologically.
The index for the Declarations is Volume A, Index to Declarations of Intention, 1842-1940. It lists Declarations in groups by first letter of surname and more or less chronologically therein. In general, for each alphabetical group there are four sections: 1) those filed in circuit court and contained in Boxes 1-5 for which the date is the key index element; 2) those filed in the Watertown municipal court and contained in Boxes 1-5, for which the date is the key index element; 3) those contained in Volumes 1-7, for which the volume and page number are the key index element; 4) those contained in Volumes 8-13 for which the Declaration number is the key index element (Declaration numbers are listed in the Contents List below).
Petitions
The Petitions are contained in Boxes 5-8 (1849-1875), Volumes A-C (1876-1906), and Volumes 1-14. (There appears to be one volume missing, since there are far fewer Petitions for 1906 than one usually finds.) The Petitions in boxes are filed chronologically and more or less alphabetically therein; those in volumes are filed more or less chronologically.
There are two indexes for the Petitions. The alphabetical Card Index gives the date for Petitions in Boxes 5-8, the Petition number (listed on the card in the space provided for the “certificate number”) for those in Volumes A-C, and the volume and page number for those contained in Volumes 1-14.
Volume AA, Index to Petitions, 1849-1945, lists Petitioners in alphabetical segments by first letter of surname and more or less chronologically therein. It gives the date of filing the Petition for those contained in Boxes 5-8 (a few of which were filed in Watertown municipal court) and the Petition number for those contained in Volumes A-C and 1-14. Petition numbers are shown in
the Contents List below. The Card Index is easier to use, but Volume AA is included in case a name was inadvertently omitted from the card Index.
Certificate of Naturalization Stub Books
There are twenty-eight volumes of Certificate of Naturalization Stubs, 1907-1927. These are indexed in the Card Index in the space provided for “certificate number.” These certificate numbers also are listed in the Contents List below.
Miscellaneous
This category consists of a volume of Orders Granting and Denying Petitions (1930-1950), forty-nine Certificates of Identification (1942), and several affidavits of persons who entered the country as minors and of former soldiers (1887-1891, 1899). The Certificates of Identification were for the purpose of registering aliens who were subjects of nations with which the United States was a war; these booklets include a photo of the registrant. The Affidavits served in lieu of Declarations of Intention. There are no indexes for these records.
