General
The Rock County Naturalizations include Declarations, Petitions, Certificates, Ancillary Documents, and indexes to these records. Ancillary records include Court Orders, Repatriations, and Transferred Petitions. All records are available in both original format and on microfilm.
The original system of identifying volumes by number or letter was retained because the indexes are often keyed to this system. To eliminate confusion when requesting a particular volume, the researcher should specify not only the volume number but also the type of volume (e.g. Declarations or Petitions) and dates.
For preservation purposes some volumes have been dismantled and placed in boxes. For these volumes the contents list gives the volume number in parentheses ( ) for identification purposes, and the box number for circulation purposes. Volume numbers that appear in brackets [ ] are numbers that were assigned by the archivist.
Indexes
The most comprehensive index is the NATURALIZATION INDEX CARDS, 1922-1981. It provides direct access to petitions for those years. Entries are arranged alphabetically by last name. Cards list name of the applicant, and may give address, age or date of birth, date of order of admission, date certificate was issued, petition number, date petition was filed, and alien registration number. Use the petition number to find the appropriate volume.
This series contains three indexes to declarations. To find declarations from 1906 and before, begin with the INDEX TO DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION, 1839-1906. Entries are arranged by first letter of last name and then chronologically by year. It lists the name of the declarant, and month, day, year, volume and page number of the declaration. The INDEX TO DECLARATIONS, 1839-1897, duplicates entries found in the Index to Declarations of Intention, 1839-1906, but may be useful to reconcile variant name spelling. Entries are arranged by first letter of the last name and then chronologically by year. It lists name of the declarant, and month, day, and year of the declaration. Using the date, researchers can find the declaration in original Volumes 1-10.
To find declarations from 1906 and after, use the INDEX OF FIRST PAPERS, 1906-1967. Entries are arranged by the first letter of the last name and then chronologically. It lists the name of the individual, and month, day, year, and volume and page number of the declaration.
To find petitions before 1922, use the INDEX TO PETITIONS (OLD SECOND PAPERS), 1844-1940. This volume was refilmed on Reel 27 to provide better legibility than can be found on Reel 1. Entries are arranged by the first letter of the last name and then chronologically by year and give the date of petition, and volume and page number of the document. The index refers to Volumes B, C, D, E, and F which are not in archival custody. These could be Court Record books or Minute Books. In the “volume” column, “NEW” refers to Volume 1 of PETITIONS AND CERTIFICATES and Volumes 2-4 also refer to the Petitions and Certificates.
The INDEX OF SECOND PAPERS (PETITIONS), 1844-1982, duplicates entries found in the Index To Petitions (Old Second Papers) through 1940. Entries are arranged alphabetically by first letter of last name and then chronologically. Entries list the name of petitioner, date, and volume and page number of the petition. This index contains a few pages at the front that appear to be the start of a declaration index. The latter half is for petitions and also contains notes about other documents. Due to the complex nature of this volume it should be used as a last resort. Most names from 1922-1981 are also in the Naturalization Index Cards.
Records
DECLARATIONS, 1839-1979, are arranged chronologically by date filed. They are indexed by the indexes to declarations (SHSW volumes 1 and 2) and Index of First Papers (SHSW volume 3), and the Naturalization Index Cards (boxes 1-2). Some of the volumes may have an index at the front, particularly those dated after 1906. Some declarations may be found with petitions. Volume (5), 1858-1861, was inadvertently filmed twice, on reel #2 and reels #19 and 20.
PETITIONS and CERTIFICATES are more or less in one sequence arranged roughly by date filed (there is overlap of volumes for the years 1903 through 1906). They are indexed by the Index to Petitions, Index of Second Papers, and the Naturalization Index Cards. Some of the volumes may have an index at the front, particularly those dated after 1906. Volumes through approximately 1906 include certificates as either part of the petition form or filed with it. Note that Volume 2-5 is one volume. Part one, pages 1-42 contains Petitions and Part 2, pages 1-54, contains Certificates. Post 1906 petitions usually have declarations attached.
ANCILLARY DOCUMENTS, 1858-1983, consist of Transfer Petitions, 1956-1982 (#1-11); Court Orders, Citizenship Papers Denied and Granted, 1929-1983; and Repatriations, 1940-1956. Transfer petitions are petitions transferred to Rock County Circuit Court from non-Wisconsin U.S. District Courts. The Court Orders contain lists of the people who were granted or denied citizenship. Repatriations are applications by persons wishing to have their United States citizenship restored. Most applications are by women who lost their citizenship through marriage to a non-citizen. A name index is in the front of the volume.
