Series 23933
Mount Baldy Mining District (Utah). Recorder Mining records
Dates: 1878-1897.
2 microfilm reels
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
According to federal law, mineral deposits in the public domain were free and open to exploration, and locators of the same had exclusive right of possession. Local mining districts managed mining operations and recorded claims. (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. XVII, chap. 152). The Mount Baldy Mining District recorder kept notices of location, reports of annual assessment work, and other mining documents. He also kept a copy of district by-laws and minutes of miners' meetings. Location notices for the Mount Baldy District affirm compliance with federal and local laws and declare the citizenship of locators. Each location notice identifies the claim with a unique name and describes both its dimensions and location. Notices provide dates of discovery and filing and are signed by both locators and the district recorder.
Mount Baldy mining records also contain the district recorder's statements confirming annual labor. In order to maintain a claim, federal law required at least $100 worth of labor or improvements annually. Mount Baldy District by-laws required the recorder to annually visit each claim to assess the value of work done. He made a record of these visits in the record books. In addition to notices of location and statements validating labor performed Mount Baldy mining records contain a variety of other documents such as mortgages, deeds, and location notices for mill sites. In 1893-1894 the federal government temporarily suspended the labor requirement, but required miners to file their intention to maintain the claim. The Mount Baldy district recorder kept a copy of the mining district by-laws and also minutes for all miners' meetings. His minutes for 1888 include a list of all the voters (claim holders) in the district.
Arrangement
Chronological by date recorded.
The exception to the general arrangement is that district by-laws and miners' meeting minutes, also chronological, are at the beginning of Book C.
Research Note
On nearly all documents in Mount Baldy record books the recorder wrote the name of the mining claim prominently across the top of the page. In accordance with the original Mount Baldy by-laws, the recorder kept separate books for mining records and for the by-laws and minutes of miners' meetings. However, after filling Books A and B, he filled the remaining pages in the minutes book (Book C) with mining records before beginning another book (Book D).
Related Records
Mining district by-laws from United States. General Land Office, Series 3651, include by-laws for the Mount Baldy Mining District as filed with the General Land Office. After 1897 records for the Mount Baldy District were kept by the Piute County recorder. Contact that office for access to these records.
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
Mount Baldy Mining District records were microfilmed at Southern Utah University under the direction of Utah State Archives in December 2001 and processed by Rosemary Cundiff in March 2002.
Finding Aids
Indexes: Books A and D include alphabetical indexes. Entries provide the name of the claim and the page number where documents were recorded.
Indexing Terms
- Mining districts--Piute County (Utah).
- Mines and mineral resources--Ownership--Piute County (Utah).
- Mining claims--Piute County (Utah).
Page Last Updated October 18, 2012.