LUCIN MINING DISTRICT RECORDER

Agency History #2731

CREATION

The first Lucin Mining District Recorder was elected on June 10, 1869 by mine owners within the mining district (Mining Records, series 18126, reel 1). According to the laws of the United States, "miners of each mining district may make regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States, or with the laws of the State or Territory in which the district is situated" (United States Statutes at Large, 1866, Volume 14, Chapter 262, Section 1). Mine owners elected a mining district recorder to uphold this law and regulate the mining district. The Territory of Utah considered the mining district recorder a public official similar to the county recorder (Compiled Laws of Utah, 1876, Chapter 10). The Lucin Mining District Recorder recorded mining operations in Box Elder County, Utah and Elko County, Nevada. The district recorder's office ended in 1897 when the law changed and the county recorder assumed sole responsibility for mining records (Laws of Utah, 1897, Chapter 36).

FUNCTIONS

The Lucin Mining District Recorder was responsible for recording notices of location, proof of labor, deeds and mortgages, mining abstracts, district by-laws and amendments, annual meeting minutes, district officer election results, and merchandise bills. The recorder was also responsible for certifying the records with the seal of the office which provided evidence of the election and official status of the recorder. Mining district recorders were deemed public officials and records in their custody were deemed as public records (Compiled Laws of Utah, 1876, Chapter 10). Mining records, which constitute a legal record, are kept for the purpose of monitoring and registering mining claims and operations

ADMINISTRATION

The Lucin Mining District Recorder was elected annually in June by mine owners within the mining district. Other elected officials in the mining district included deputy recorder, chairman, inspector and secretary.

DISTRICT RECORDERS

John P. Murphy, 1869-1871

W.S. Knapp, 1871-1872

John Knox, 1872-1875

Daniel Murray, 1875-1876

Wells Rowell, 1876-1877

Adolphe Finck, 1877-1878

L.A. Dithmer, 1878-1879

H.H. Dithmer, 1879-1880

Adolphe Finck, 1880-1882

H.H. Dithmer, 1882-1885

Florenz Mayer, 1885-1897

COMPILED BY: David Clark, September 1999

SOURCES

Lucin Mining District Recorder. Mining Records. [Series 18126]

United States. Statutes at Large, 1866.

Utah. Legislature. Laws of Utah. [Series #83155]

Utah. Legislature. Utah Code Annotated. [Series #83238]

Utah. Legislature. Utah Code Unannotated. [Series #1052]