NORTH STAR MINING DISTRICT (UTAH). RECORDER

Agency History #3201

CREATION

Beaver County prospectors organized the North Star Mining District in the Star Mountain Range southwest of Milford in November 1871. Shenandoah City was the primary settlement in the district, and Elephant Canyon separated the North Star District from the Star District to the south. Mining in this area was most successful during the early 1870s. The North Star District was organized before Congress passed a general mining law validating the already established precedent that individuals had the right to claim mineral wealth in the public domain (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. 17, 1872, chap. 152). In local areas groups of miners organized districts to manage mining activity and to elect recorders to keep records of claims. In 1897 the Utah legislature enacted a mining law which transferred responsibility for keeping mining records to the county recorder (Laws of Utah, 1897, chapter 36).

FUNCTIONS

Originally, North Star prospectors were allowed to claim only 200 feet along a lode, with the exception that the original discoverer was allowed an extra 200 feet. After 1872 miners in the North Star District revised by-laws to conform to federal regulation which allowed prospectors to claim up to 1500 feet along a lode with 300 feet on each side. Federal mining law required an annual labor assessment of $100 worth of work to hold a claim. North Star miners were allowed 30 days to have claims recorded.

ADMINISTRATION

Miners in the North Star District elected recorders for one year terms. They kept records in suitable bound books which were open for public inspection.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

North Star District recorders appointed deputies to assist them in carrying out their responsibilities. In 1897 the Utah Legislature enacted a mining law which transferred responsibility for keeping mining records to county recorders. (Laws of Utah, 1897, chapter 36). At that time the records of the Star District were transferred to the Beaver County recorder's office.

DISTRICT RECORDERS
William H. Lighthall	1871, Nov - 1885, Nov
William J. Haynes	1885, Nov - 1889, Nov
R.S. Lipscomb	1889, Nov - 1890, Sep
James Forgie	1890, Sep - 1891, Sep
George W. Rose	1891, Sep - 1894, Oct
Peter S. Martin	1894, Oct - 1897, May

COMPILED BY: Rosemary Cundiff , February 2003

SOURCES

Bradley, Martha Sonntag, A History of Beaver County. Utah State Historical Society; Beaver County Commission (Salt Lake City: 1999).

Laws of Utah, 1897, Chapter 36. Utah State Archives (Series 83155).

North Star Mining District (Utah). Recorder. Mining records. Utah State Archives (Series 23991).

Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, 1872, vol. 17, chap. 152. Published by authority of Congress, Boston: Brown, Little and Company.