Norske i Montana Naturalization Index

These web pages are an index to the marriage records of Daniels, Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Phillips, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Valley, and Wibaux Counties of Montana, ten of the twelve counties (excepting Prairie and Blaine Counties, the records for which have not been filmed) indexed in the book “Norske i Montana” by Richard Fretheim, an earlier work by the compiler.

Eastern Montana Naturalization Records Index:

The primary impetus for this work was the search for the naturalization records of those Norwegian and Norwegian/Americans who came, directly or indirectly, to the Territory/State of Montana during the settlement years. When the microfilm for the Naturalization Records was purchased (thanks to a very generous “cultural and Heritage Grant” from the Sons of Norway Foundation) and reviewed so many Norske that it was decided to “do ’em all”, that is to make an index entry for each person who did any naturalization work in these counties and make this volume a “stand alone” work and then extract the Norske later for inclusion in “Norske i Montana” Volume 1, 2nd edition.

The Entries are in three parts:

Part 1: Identity – Name, Place & Date of Birth

Part 2: Route – Last Foreign Residence (LFR), Place & Date of Departure, Name of Ship(s) Taken, Place & Date of Entrance to the United States

Part 3: Document Number – Place & Date filed of the Declaration of Intention or Petition for Naturalization and number and date of the Certificate of Naturalization. (Every document was indexed, even those partially completed and marked Spoiled or those dismissed or refused, for the information the contained.)

The user is reminded that due to the “county-busting” activity in Montana from 1900 to 1930, naturalization documents for a single individual could be found in as many as three different courthouses, i.e. a Dec Int filed in Valley County, two to five years later a Pet Nat filed in Sheridan county refused or dismissed, followed by a second Pet Nat filed in Daniels or Roosevelt Counties all while residing on the same homestead.

To obtain copies of naturalization documents, write to the Clerk of the District Court for the county named in the entry, being careful to include the name and number of the document, the filing date and the filer’s name. A fee will be charged for search and copying.

A second source is the Montana Historical Society in Helena, although their collection of naturalization records on microfilm is not yet complete, primarily because the “filmers” (a non-state entity) have not completed the project.

The user will note that many entries, especially in Phillips, Valley, Daniels and Sheridan Counties will have the note (nat cit in Can) where the route information appears. Some of these entries are for former US citizens (born or naturalized) who moved north and became Canadian citizens and are now re-emigrating to the US. To obtain route and other information for those who had migrated (mostly from Europe) and been naturalized in Canada before re-migrating from Canada, you must contact “Citizenship & Immigration, Canada”.

Copyright by Richard H. Fretheim and the Montana State Genealogical Society.

Information compiled from microfilm from the Montana Historical Library of the Naturalization Records of the 11/12 counties of North Eastern Montana that are indexed in Volume I of Richard H. Fretheim’s book “Norske i Montana”. These records cover from the beginning to 1930.

Copyright 2008 Richard H. Fretheim and Montana State Genealogical Society