Montana, County Naturalizations - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes District Court county naturalization records for the following counties:


 * Beaverhead
 * Broadwater
 * Daniels
 * Dawson
 * Deer Lodge
 * Garfield


 * Granite
 * Jefferson
 * Lewis &amp; Clark
 * Madison
 * McCone
 * Phillips


 * Powell
 * Ravalli
 * Richland
 * Roosevelt
 * Sheridan
 * Silver Bow


 * Treasure
 * Valley
 * Wibaux

The collection covers the years 1856 to 1979; coverage varies by county.

Before 1906, immigrants could naturalize in any court that performed naturalizations including city, county, state and federal courts. As a result they often selected the most convenient court. If they lived in the Eastern District but worked elsewhere, they may have gone to a court closer to work. To begin, look for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived. If the county has an index search it first. Next look for the petition (second papers), because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigrant eventually settled.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship. Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen.

No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters. The information that was current at the time of naturalization was usually reliable. However, there was always a chance for misinformation. Errors may have occurred because of the informant’s lack of knowledge or because of transcription errors or other circumstances.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Petition
 * Name of the petitioner
 * Residence
 * Country of birth
 * Place and date of arrival
 * Names of two witnesses
 * Petition number
 * Date of petition
 * Volume and page number of the petition

Declarations of intent and naturalization petitions
 * Name of the immigrant
 * Country of birth
 * Arrival date
 * Date of Declaration of Intent or Naturalization
 * Names of witnesses
 * Signature of judge or court official
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Age
 * Race
 * Last foreign residence
 * Current residence
 * Arrival place
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse
 * Maiden name of wife
 * Birth date of spouse
 * Residence of spouse

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The birth date or place of your ancestor
 * The approximate immigration and naturalization dates
 * The ancestor's Spouse's name
 * The age of your ancestor at the time of arrival
 * The ancestor’s residence

If you do not know this information, check the 1900 or 1910 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find other records such as emigrations, port records, ship’s manifests, birth, christening, census, and land records
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * Use the information to find additional family members
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Montana.
 * Montana Guided Research
 * Montana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Montana Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Newman, John J. American Naturalization Records;1790-1990: what they are and how to use them. Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998. FS Library 973 P47na
 * Szucs, Loretto Dennis They became Americans: finding naturalization records and ethnic origins Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, c1998 FS Library 973 P47t

Declarations of Intention  Naturalizations 
 * Beaverhead Co. Declarations of intention, 1856-1929 ; Index, 1856-1944
 * Broadwater Co. Declarations of intention, 1907-1929
 * Deer Lodge Co. Declarations of intention 1867-1952, and repatriations 1936-1957
 * Garfield Co. Declarations of intention, 1919-1929
 * Granite Co. Declarations of intention, 1893-1917
 * Jefferson Co. Declarations of intention, 1886-1951
 * Lewis and Clark Co. Declarations of intention, 1866-1929
 * Madison Co. Declarations of intention, 1870-1929
 * Phillips Co. Declarations of intention, 1915-1929
 * Sheridan Co. Declarations of intention, 1913-1929
 * Ravalli Co. Declarations of intention, 1893-1929
 * Richland Co. Declarations of intention, 1914-1929
 * Roosevelt Co. Declarations of intention, 1919-1929
 * Powell Co. Declarations of intention, 1901-1929
 * Valley Co. Declarations of intention, 1893-1929
 * Wibaux Co. Declarations of intention, 1914-1927
 * Beaverhead Co. Naturalization records, 1906-1929
 * Broadwater Co. Naturalization records, 1907-1929
 * Daniels Co. Naturalization records, 1920-1935
 * Deer Lodge Co. Naturalization records and indexes, 1906-1929
 * Granite Co. Naturalization records, 1907-1929
 * Garfield Co. Naturalization records, 1919-1929
 * Jefferson Co. Naturalization records, 1907-1951
 * Lewis and Clarke Co. Naturalization records, 1906-1929
 * Madison Co. Naturalization records, 1906-1929
 * McCone Co. Naturalization records, 1919-1929
 * Phillips Co. Naturalization records, 1915-1929
 * Powell Co. Index (v.1-12) to naturalization records
 * Powell Co. Naturalization records, 1906-1929
 * Ravalli Co. Naturalization records, 1893-1929
 * Richland Co. Naturalization records, 1914-1929
 * Roosevelt Co. Naturalization records, 1919-1929
 * Sheridan Co. Naturalization records, 1913-1929
 * Treasure Co. Naturalization records, 1919-1928
 * Valley Co. Petitions for naturalization, 1906-1929 ; Index 1893-1979
 * Wibaux Co. Naturalization records, 1914-1927

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Montana Naturalization Records, 1868-1999
 * Montana Manifests of Immigrant Arrivals and Departures, 1923-1956

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.