General
The Sauk County Naturalization Records, 1844-1955, consist of Declarations of Intention, Petitions, Certificates, indexes to these records, and orders granting and denying petitions.
The original system of numbering volumes was retained because the indexes are keyed to this system. The original numbering system, however; contains several volumes with the same number. In order to clarify between the five volumes numbered “1” and the four volumes numbered “2,” the archives has created its own volume numbering system. Be sure to use the archives volume number when filling out a call slip.
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.
Indexes
There are five different indexes to the various portions of the naturalization records. For identification purposes an archives number has been assigned to each index. Indices are arranged from the most to the least comprehensive.
Archives Volume 1
The starting point for using the Sauk County naturalizations is the Index to Citizenship, 1844-1955. It is arranged in alphabetical segments by first letter of surname and thereunder more or less by date of filing of the Declaration of Intention. It gives the date, volume, page, and number of the Declaration, Petition, and Certificate of Naturalization for each individual. Under Certificates of Naturalization for dates before 1873, the index refers to a volume A. “Volume A” is Archives Volume 3. The volume also refers to volume 2M (Petitions for Minors, 1884-1900) as Volume 2. The researcher will need to pay attention to the dates in order not to confuse it with other volumes labeled as “2.”
Archives Volume 2
The Index to Declarations, Petitions, and Certificates of Naturalization, 1871-1914, indexes Declarations, 1871-1906, and Petitions and Certificates, 1873-1914. It is also arranged in alphabetical segments by first letter of surname and more or less by date of Declaration thereunder. It gives the date, number, volume, and page of each document.
Boxes 1 and 2
The alphabetical Card Index to Citizenship gives the number, volume, and page of Declarations in Volume 0 (Archives Volume 4) and the number for Petitions numbered 823-1066 in Volume 8 through Volume 12 (Archives Volume 20, and Box 3, 1929-1955).
Archives Volume 3
The Index to Citizenship, 1855-1873, is an index to Certificates recorded in the Sauk County Minute books (Sauk Series 74).
Reel 2, Item 2
The Index to Declarations, 1844-1871, is the least useful and should only be consulted as a last resort. The original paper copy no longer exists; it is only available on microfilm.
Records
The DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION date from 1844-1954. Volumes are arranged chronologically by date of filing. Original volume numbers start from one.
PETITIONS cover 1873-1955; CERTIFICATES, 1854-1903; and CERTIFICATE STUB BOOKS, 1908-1929. Petition and Certificate records are arranged in chronological sequence. Original volume numbers start over from 1.
CERTIFICATES from 1855-1873 are in a separate series, Sauk County Circuit Court Minutes (Sauk Series 74). When Archives Volume 1 references a Citizenship record from 1855-1873, Archives Volume 3, The Index to Citizenship, must be consulted next. Look up the individual by last name. In the margin left of the Number column, the letters “LR” or “MB” will appear along with a page number. The page numbers are written very close to the certificate numbers and are easily confused. Generally, the page number for LR is the highest number and for MB is the lowest number. The page numbers in the margins refer to volumes of Sauk County Circuit Court Minutes (Sauk Series 74). LR stands for “Law Record” and is Volume 1 of Sauk Series 74. MB stands for “Minute Book” and is Volume A of Sauk Series 74.
Certificates from 1854 are located in yet another separate collection, Sauk County Circuit Court Record of Indictment (Sauk Series 82). The following individuals have a record there:
Name and Page #
- Anschutz, Fridolin, page 3
- Becker, Alois, page 4
- Clas, Adam, page 5
- Cunradi, Robert, page 7
- Darms, Balthasar, page 9
- Darms, Paul, page 6
- Darnuser, Nicholas, page 3
- Hahn, Otto, page 8
- Roser, Fredrick, page 9
- Scharf, August, page 7
- Shenton, Henry William, page 13
- Sprecher, George, page 4
- Sprecher, John Adolphus, page 2
- Totto, George, page 5
- Winggen, Peter, page 6
- Wolff, William, page 8
ANCILLARY DOCUMENTS consist of orders granting or denying Petitions. The volume contains a name index and entries are arranged chronologically.
