The following explanation of Petitions for Naturalization was obtained from the Wisconsin Historical Society where it says:
'
"Petitions (sometimes called Petitions and Oaths or Petitions and
Records and commonly called 'second papers') document the second step
in the naturalization process. After serving the required period of
residency, the applicant petitioned the court for admission to
citizenship. The court then issued a naturalization certificate.
"The
Petition consists of the applicant's petition to the court and oath of
allegiance, and affidavits of two witnesses attesting to the
petitioner's good character and residency for the required time. The
Petition may also include the order of the court admitting the
applicant to citizenship, especially for records filed after 1902. As
with the Declarations of Intention, the exact content of Petitions
filed prior to October, 1906 varies from court to court and from year
to year. Nonetheless, the name and oath of allegiance of the
petitioner, date of the petition, names of the witnesses, and the
sovereignty renounced always appear. In addition, some or all of the
following may also be included: age or birthrate, port and date of
entry into the United States, and date and place of filing the
Declaration of Intention.
"After
1906, the INS adopted new petition forms for general use. The new forms
contained the following information: petitioner's name; residence;
occupation; date and place of birth; date and place of emigration;
date, place, and vessel or other conveyance of entry into the United
States; period of residency; place, date, and name of court where the
Declaration of Intention was made; marital status; spouse's name,
birthrate, and place of residency; and the names, dates of birth,
places of birth, and residency of the petitioner's children.
"Additional
information was added to the petition forms after 1906. In 1910, the
court order was altered to show denials of admission or continuations
granted in the proceedings. The size of the form was greatly reduced in
1929. The information remained the same except that the place and date
of the applicant's marriage was added, and the court order section was
deleted and transferred to a separate document. In 1942, a record of
departures from and returns to the United States was added. The
witness' affidavits were revised to include their names, occupations,
and places of residence. The date that citizenship was granted was
added to the court order. At the time of naturalization, a petitioner
was permitted to change his/her name, which was documented in the court
order. Copies of the Declaration of Intention and the Certificate of
Arrival were often attached to the Petition." '