General
The Marathon County Naturalization Records, 1851-1991, consist of indexes to Declarations, Petitions, and Certificates; Declarations of Intention; Certificates of Naturalization; Petitions; Repatriations; Orders Granting and Denying Petitions; applications for transfer of petitions; and original petitions. Almost all these naturalization cases were heard in the Circuit Court of Marathon County but a few (primarily from 1905) were heard in the Marathon County Municipal Court.
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 number and reel number for location purposes.
All records are both on positive microfilm and in original paper format.
Indexes
Researchers should begin by using either the INDEX TO CITIZENSHIP or the CARD INDEX TO NATURALIZATIONS.
If you know the approximate year in which the person became a citizen, and if it was 1945 or earlier, consult the Index to Citizenship. The index, which covers the years circa 1852-1945, is arranged in alphabetical segments: individuals whose last name begin with the same letter are filed in the same segment, but not in alphabetical order. Each segment is arranged chronologically by the filing date on the certificate of citizenship. Entries give the following information:
- Intentions: If filed approximately before October 1906, gives the date filed. If filed approximately after October 1906 gives the volume and page number of the intention.
- Petitions: If filed before 1894 gives the date only. If filed in 1894 or after, gives volume (volumes C through 40) and page of the petition.
- Certificates: If filed approximately before October 1906, gives volume (1X or 2X) and the page number. If filed approximately after October 1906, gives the certificate number. Note that the State Historical Society does not have any post-October 1906 certificates.
If you do not know the approximate date of citizenship or if it was 1946 or later, consult the Card Index to Naturalizations. It is an alphabetical index for the years 1852-1991 which, in most cases, gives the individual's family and given names, address, age or date of birth, date and port of arrival, country of birth or allegiance, date of naturalization, names of witnesses, the volume and page number of the petition, and the date or number of the certificate. The card does not specifically list information about the declaration because after 1906 they were usually attached to the petition.
The Index to Declaration of Intention (1851-1906) duplicates information found in the Index to Citizenship and Card Index to Naturalizations.
Information also can be located through the indexes in the front of individual volumes. With the exception of Volume #3 of Petitions and the volumes of Orders Granting and Denying Petitions, Applications for Transfer of Petitions, and Original Petitions, each volume has an alphabetical index at the front of the volume. In the same manner as the Index to Citizenship, individuals are filed under the first letter of their last name in alphabetical segments.
Records
The DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION date 1851-1973 and are arranged chronologically by date filed. Each volume contains a name index. These are the original declarations.
The CERTIFICATES OF NATURALIZATION date 1852-1906. These are pre-printed forms in bound volumes, arranged chronologically by date filed. Each volume contains a name index.
PETITIONS date 1852-1991 and are arranged chronologically by date filed. Each volume except Volume 3, contains a name index. Beginning approximately October 1906, a copy of the Declaration was often attached to the Petition. If a photograph of the individual existed, it is attached to this copy of the Declaration.
ANCILLARY RECORDS include Orders Granting and Denying Petitions, 1929-1991; Application for Transfer of Petitions [from other courts], 1950-1966; and Application to Take Oath of Allegiance (also called Repatriations), 1940-1966. Documents within each type of record are arranged chronologically by the date filed. The series of ancillary records also includes Original Petitions, 1900-1905. These seem to be worksheets used to record information for eventual entry into the Petition volumes. The Original Petition sheet indicates the volume and page of the “official” petition as well as the volume and page number of the certificate. There is a folder for each year and within the folder, petitions are filed alphabetically. Of these ancillary records, only the Repatriations include a name index.
