General
The Sheboygan County Naturalization Records, 1851-1982, consist of the Indexes to Citizenship; Declarations of Intent; Petitions; Certificates of Naturalization and Naturalization Certificate Stubs; and Ancillary Materials.
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 (for example, Declarations of Intention) and dates.
For preservation purposes, some volumes were dismantled and placed in boxes, however the original system of numbering volumes was retained since the indexes are often keyed to this system. For these volumes, the container list gives the volume number in parentheses ( ) for identification purposes, and the box and reel number for location purposes.
Box numbers 19-29 were not assigned in this series.
Records
Researchers should begin by consulting the card indexes to naturalization records. The card indexes consist of an Index to Declarations of Intention (1857-1906), an Index to Petitions (1857-1906), and an Index to Naturalization Certificates (1851-1982). Each set of cards is arranged roughly alphabetically by surname. The Index to Petitions also includes citations to declarations that are attached to petitions. The Index to Naturalization Certificates also includes the item number for 1897-1980 petitions. The Index to Naturalization Certificates was created by the Sheboygan County Clerk of Courts while the Indexes to Declarations of Intention and Petitions were created by independent volunteers. The card indexes may not be comprehensive nor accurate, so if a name is not found and researchers know the approximate date of declaration or citizenship, the chronologically arranged index volumes may be helpful.
There are two sets of index volumes: to Declarations of Intention (1860-1906) and to Certificates of Naturalization (1851-1960). Volumes in each set are arranged chronologically, with some overlap, and entries within each volume are in alphabetical segments and thereunder by date of declaration or certificate. Index to Citizenship volumes 3 and 4 also include citations to petitions and declarations.
Individual volumes of Declarations, Petitions, and Certificates may also contain an index in the front of each volume. These indexes are arranged in alphabetical segments by surname and roughly chronological thereunder.
The Declarations of Intention date 1860-1978 and are arranged chronologically. Declarations from 1857 to 1906 can be located through the card Index to Declarations of Intention while post-1906 Declarations can be found through the Index to Naturalization Certificates.
The Petitions for Citizenship date 1857-1980. Pre-1906 Petitions are arranged alphabetically by surname and can be found through the card Index to Petitions while post-1906 Petitions are arranged by filing date and assigned a unique number. Numbers for post-1906 Petitions are found in the card Index to Naturalization Certificates. For preservation purposes, many Petitions have been disbound and placed in archival folders and boxes. The original order has been retained.
Naturalization Certificates date 1851-1926. Certificates issued before October 1906 exist as pre-printed forms in bound volumes. Post-October 1906 Certificates consist of the certificate stub retained by the circuit court. All Certificates are arranged chronologically and can be located through the Index to Naturalization Certificates.
Ancillary Documents include a few Depositions of Witnesses, 1911-1913; several Petitions Denied, 1911-1930; and a small quantity of Petitions Transferred From Another Court, 1962-1977. Also included are one folder of Repatriation Records, 1940-1957, with an alphabetical name index; and three folders of Court Orders Granting and Denying Citizenship, 1930-1982, arranged chronologically with no name index.
