St. Louis Genealogy and Local History

• Declarations of Intention, 2 April 1890 – 26 September 1906, U.S. District Court - Eastern Division, Eastern Judicial District of Missouri, St. Louis Naturalization Records Microfilm, Roll 77, Item 5

• Declarations of Intention, 26 Sept 1853 – 26 July 1904, U.S. Circuit Court – Eastern Division, Eastern Judicial District of Missouri, St. Louis Naturalization Records Microfilm, Roll 87, Item 1.

  • Note: this volume included only 162 declarations, even though it covers a period of almost fifty years. The volume number was not microfilmed with the records, and further checking does not clearly indicate which volume it is. Because the volume number is absent, both the film and item numbers are listed to direct the researcher to the correct microfilmed records.

• Declarations of Intention and Petitions, 1878 – 1906, Circuit Court, St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis Naturalization Records Microfilm, Roll 18

Entries are listed alphabetically by surname, then given name. On Declarations of Intention, the applicant signed the form or used his mark. An asterisk (*) denotes name taken from signature. Any notes pertaining to date and port of arrival are included.

Indexes to St. Louis naturalization records prior to 27 Sept. 1906 are also available on the St. Louis Genealogical Society and Missouri State Archives websites.

Abbreviations

SLCL = History and Genealogy Department microfilm number (St. Louis County Library)

FHL = Family History Library microfilm number

Photocopies of indexed records may be requested by email from the History and Genealogy Department. Limit of three searches per request. Please review the library's lookup policy.
 

Index to declarations of intention and petitions created before September 27, 1906, alphabetical by surname 

Clicking the links below will open up the index as a PDF documents.

Clicking the links below will open up the index as a PDF documents. Entries are listed alphabetically by surname, then by given name, and then numerically by volume number.

This index covers naturalization records created between October 1, 1906 and December 1928 and is based on the following sources:

• Naturalizations, U.S. District Court—Eastern Division, Eastern Judicial District of Missouri, Vols. 1 – 82
• Naturalizations, U.S. Circuit Court— Eastern Division, Eastern Judicial District of Missouri, Vols. 5 – 21

Abbreviations and Notations

SLCL = History and Genealogy Department microfilm number (St. Louis County Library)

FHL = Family History Library microfilm number

* = spelling taken from the signature which differed from name in index.

When applicants filed their final papers for citizenship after 27 Sept 1906, they presented to the court proof of when and where they had filed their Declaration of Intention – a required step in the naturalization process. The following index is based on microfilm copies of original documents filed in the Circuit Court in St. Louis, Missouri providing such proof. Sometimes applicants filed a copy of the document; other times they filed some other form of legal proof.

Declarations could have been filed in a court anywhere in the United States as early as 1868 and include varying information. When the original declaration of intention was filed in a location distant from St. Louis, that applicant's documents will occasionally include depositions from people who knew him in his previous location. The actual naturalization certificate was given to the new citizen and the remaining "stub" portion of the certificate was kept by the court (see “Index to Declaration of Intention stubs”).

About the index

• In the “Declaration” column, the location is St. Louis, Missouri unless otherwise noted. 
• When “Missouri” is listed in the declaration column, it means the declaration was filed in a Missouri city other than St. Louis. 
• Unless the applicant's petition for naturalization was dismissed or withdrawn, the certificate number is given (with 1 exception). Having the certificate number makes it possible to locate its "stub" on another reel of microfilm and a stub could list the names of wives and children. 
• Since the files can include documents beyond the Declaration of Intention, researchers should check all documents for an applicant before rewinding if viewing the film.
• If photocopies are requested, the History and Genealogy Department will include all proof documents included plus the stub of the final certificate, if it has been microfilmed.

Abbreviations

SLCL = History & Genealogy Department microfilm number (St. Louis County Library)
FHL = Family History Library microfilm number

At the time of naturalization, the actual citizenship certificate was given to the new citizen and the remaining "stub" portion of the certificate was kept by the court. The stub can provide helpful information. If a man was married, he was to list his wife and minor children. In many cases, the new citizen also listed the ages of his minor children.

Abbreviations

SLCL = St. Louis County Library microfilm number
FHL = Family History Library microfilm number

Photocopies of indexed records may be requested by email from the History and Genealogy Department (genealogy@slcl.org). Limit of three searches per request. Please review the library’s lookup policy.