Red River Valley Genealogical Society

In the early years of homesteading in the Dakotas, an immigrant arriving in the United States filed naturalization papers as an integral part of applying for a homestead land grant.

The United States government required homestead applicants to present evidence that they were United States citizens or had applied for citizenship.

Naturalization papers consist of two sets of documents

Declaration of Intention - also known as first papers
Petition for Naturalization - also known as second or final papers.

The initial declaration of intention usually preceded the formal Petition for Naturalization to become a United States citizen by two or more years.

RRVGS is able to research the naturalization records of North Dakota Counties listed above. Please send us the name of your ancestors (include any last name changes; for example many Norwegian's chose a new last name after they arrived in America) , the approximate date of arrival in United States and whether or not North Dakota was his first destination, Include any information that you know about their place(s) of residence as they may have moved between Declaration and Petition.

RRVGs fee for research is $5 for the Declaration of Intention and another $5 for Petition for Naturalization. Please note that research time is involved in locating both of these documents, as they are not recorded together.

IF NOT USING PAYPAL ABOVE, MAIL REQUEST AND PAYMENT

Please mail your request, your payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Red River Valley Genealogical Society
PO Box 9284
Fargo, ND 58106-9284