Montana Naturalization Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes naturalization Records from the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Montana, part of RG 21 Records of the United States of the United States from the Denver Regional NARA facility for the following collections.  Helena Term
 * NAID 6857750	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Naturalization Records, 1889-1999
 * NAID 1136993	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Index to Naturalization Records, 1894-1906
 * NAID 4529409	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Naturalization Certificate Stub Books, 1907-1927
 * NAID 1136970	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Naturalization Petitions, 1907-1927
 * NAID 1137591	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Naturalization, 1892-1929
 * NAID 1138207	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Declarations of Intention for Naturalization, 1891-1893
 * NAID 1136984	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Naturalization Records, 1889-1999
 * NAID 1136990	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Naturalization records,1894-1906
 * NAID 2674600	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Helena Term. Index to Naturalization records,1891-1898

 Butte Term
 * NAID 1137799	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term, Citizenship Record Books, 1894-1903
 * NAID 1137818	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term. Declarations of Intention for Naturalization, 1894-1902
 * NAID 1137887	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term. Index to Declarations of Intention for Naturalization, 1894-1902
 * NAID 1137235	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term. Naturalization Petition and Record Books, 1910-1929
 * NAID 1138216	U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term. Index to Citizenship Record Books, 1894-1903
 * NAID 1136813	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term. Naturalization Petition Record Book, 1926-1926
 * NAID 1137809	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Butte Term. Index to Citizenship Record Book, 1894-1903

 Great Falls Term
 * NAID 1137242	U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Great Falls Term. Declarations of Intention for Naturalization, 1924-1924

 First District(Bozeman) of Montana
 * NAID 1138230	U.S. Territorial Court for the First (Bozeman) District of Montana. Declarations of Intention, 1868-1885

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records may contain any of the following:

Naturalization
 * 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 full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate immigration and naturalization dates
 * 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 records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, ship’s manifests, birth, christening, marriage, and census records
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Use the information in the subsequent records 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 in an area search
 * 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.
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * 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
 * U.S. District Court. Southern District. Declaration of intent, 1891-1929; petition for naturalization, 1891- 1929; citizenship records, 1894-1906; certificates, 1907-1927
 * U.S. District Court. Great Falls Division. Naturalization records, 1888-1999
 * Immigration and Naturalization Service. Indexes to naturalization records of the Montana territorial and federal courts, 1868-1929

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Montana Manifests of Immigrant Arrivals and Departures, 1923-1956

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Inventory of federal archives in the states, series 02, Federal Courts, no. 25, Montana Butte, Montana: Historical Records Survey, 1938-1942

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.