RESEARCH
Declaration of Intention Indexes
The Research Library houses naturalization records for Milwaukee County from 1836 to May 1941. Naturalization was a two-step process. Some people completed the first step, the Declaration of Intention (DoI or “first papers”), but not the second step, the Petition for Naturalization (“second papers”).
DoIs for Milwaukee County from 1836 to May 1941 can be searched via these indexes. To use these indexes, first determine which date range is necessary. The earliest possible date for naturalization in Milwaukee County is the person’s year of arrival in in the county, and the last possible date is either their year of death or known year of departure from Milwaukee County. After using the person in question’s possible range of dates for naturalization to determine which of the six index books to consult, then click on the link (to a PDF file) that corresponds with the first letter of their last name. Note that due to size limitations, some of the last names are divided into multiple PDFs (links), either by first name, last name, or year.
When requesting a DoI from the Research Library after consulting these indexes, please note both the name of the index (ie, “Book 1, Circuit Court 1836-1906”) and either the declaration number (ie, “2681”) or the volume and page number (ie, “Vol. 52, p. 177”) for the record in question, whichever is given by the specific index being consulted. Then include this index name and declaration number/volume and page number information when contacting the Research Library:
Contact / Remote Research Requests
Library@milwaukeehistory.net
(414) 273-7487
Book 1, Circuit Court 1836-1906
Book 2, Municipal Court 1859-1894
Book 3, Municipal Court 1894-1906
Book 4, Circuit Court 1906-1921
Book 5, Circuit Court 1922-1931
