Wisconsin County Naturalization Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains naturalization records from county courthouses in Wisconsin. The record content and time period varies by county. Be aware that 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. After 1906, the declaration can be filed with the petition as the immigrant was required to submit a copy when he submitted the petition.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search, it is helpful to know: 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.
 * The name of your ancestor
 * Birth date and place of birth
 * Location of 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 emigration, port records, and ship manifests
 * 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
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Learn the place of origin and find church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records. Also search for military, land, and probate records
 * Use the information to find additional family members in censuses
 * 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. Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives 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
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * 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 Wisconsin.
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Wisconsin Guided Research
 * Wisconsin Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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
 * Wisconsin, county naturalization records : COLLECTION RECORD, 1807-1992
 * Wisconsin Supreme Court. Naturalization records, 1840-1900
 * State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Index to citizenship

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Wisconsin, Dane County Naturalization Records, 1887-1945
 * Wisconsin, Milwaukee Naturalization Index, 1848-1990
 * Wisconsin, Milwaukee Petitions for Naturalization, 1848-1991

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.