Series 1125
Utah Commission Account ledgers
Dates: i 1882-1894.
4.50 cubic feet and 9 microfilm reels
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
These volumes record the financial transactions of the Utah Commission, a federally appointed commission which monitored Utah's elections from 1882 to 1896.
The expenditures relate primarily to paying voter registration and election officers. The several volumes are titled somewhat differently after the initial ledger for registrars and judges: One volume is entitled "payment record," one pertains to vouchers, two are bill records, and five are entitled "officers records." Each volume has columns in which are recorded the year, person's name, office title, and amount. Most also refer to the election date or registration period during which services were rendered. Officers records also record the post office of the individual (registrar, election judge, etc.) and the check number. The payment record also includes check number, payment date, and mailing date.
Contingent expenses are recorded toward the back of five of the volumes. These include such things as travel, printing, telephone/telegraph, coal, rent, furniture, janitorial and clerical services, matches and soap, chloride of lime, and other incidentals. Columns record check or bill number, date, person or company, item or account category, and remarks for details.
Registration officers for each county are listed at the back of the payment record; in other volumes they usually are entered under each individual county. A list of municipal elections held appears at the beginning of the 1892 officers record. Legislative apportionment appears at the start of the 1893-1894 officers record.
Arrangement
Volumes are arranged by type. Some individual volumes are further divided into sections, usually for lists of officers or indexes and lists of expenses. Entries for expenses are entered chronologically; those for officers are alphabetical by county, then precinct within the county, and finally chronologically. Entries for which insufficient space was allotted appear later in the volume; this is particularly true of municipalities.
Related Records
Commission register from the Utah Commission, Series 304, records commissions issued to election officers.
Minute books from the Utah Commission, Series 1126, also include discussion of finances and payment of personnel.
Letterbooks from the Utah Commission, Series 1139, Letterbooks occasionally contain correspondence related to voucher forms.
Custody History
In 1896 the Commission disbanded and turned over 10 account books to the Secretary of State. The USHS Archives acquired 5 cu._ft._of Commission materials in 1957.
Access Restrictions
This series is classified as Public.
Preferred Citation
Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.
Processing Note
The account ledgers were microfilmed in 1980 and 1991. Archival processing was completed in 1989 by A.C. Cone.
Finding Aids
Indexes: There are indices by first letter of precinct name for half the volumes. The ledger also has an alphabetic personal name index, covering from 1882 thru 1893.
Indexing Terms
- Voter registration—Utah.
- Elections—Utah—Costs.
Container List
| REEL | BOX | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | Ledger: Registrars and Judges, 1882-1884 |
| 1 | 1 | Index Check Record (to Payment Record A) |
| 2 | 1 | Payment Record A: Officers, 1884-1887; Contingent Expenses, 1884-1885; Registration Officers Listing |
| 3 | 2 | Voucher Record: Officers, 1884-1887; Contingent Expenses, 1885 |
| 4 | 3 | Bill Record A: Officers, 1884-1887; Contingent Bills, 1884-1890 |
| 5 | 4 | Bill Record C; Officers, 1888-1890 |
| 5 | 4 | Index (to Bill Record C) |
| 6 | 5 | Officers Record A: Officers, 1885-1887 |
| 6 | 5 | Index, Officers of Election, Appointments and Payments (to Vol. A) |
| 6 | 6 | Officers Record: Officers, 1888-1889 |
| 6 | 7 | Officers Record: Index and Officers, 1890-1892, p. 1-110 |
| 7 | 7 | Officers Record: Index and Officers, 1890-1892, p. 110-500; Contingent Expenses, 1890-1893 |
| 7 | 8 | Officers Record: Municipal Elections Held; Index and Officers, 1892-1893 |
| 7 | 9 | Officers Record: Legislative Representatives Apportionment; Officers, 1893-1894, p. 1-200 |
| 8 | 9 | Officers Record: Legislative Representatives Apportionment; Officers, 1893-1894, p. 200-500; Contingent Expenses, 1893-1894; Printing for Officers, 1893-1894 |
Page Last Updated October 18, 2012.