Series 23934
Ohio Mining District (Utah). Recorder Mining records
Dates: 1872-1897.
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, 1872, vol. XVII, chap. 152). The Ohio Mining District recorder kept notices of location, affidavits showing proof of annual labor, and other mining documents. He also kept district by-laws and minutes of miners' meetings. Location notices for the Ohio District confirm compliance with federal and local laws and declare the citizenship of locators. Each location notice provides a unique name for the claim and describes its dimensions and location. Notices provide dates of discovery and filing and are signed by both locators and the district recorder. Many early location notices in the Ohio District books are accompanied by claim maps. The Ohio District 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. Ohio District by-laws required the recorder to annually visit each claim to assess the value of work done. He recorded information about these visits in the record books. In addition to notices of location and statements validating labor performed Ohio Mining District records include the minutes of miners' meetings and copies of district by-laws and revised by-laws.
Arrangement
Chronological by date filed.
Related Records
Mining district by-laws from United States. General Land Office, Series 3651, contain a copy of the by-laws for the Ohio Mining District as filed with the General Land Office.
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.
Gaps in Series
There are apparently no surviving records for the Ohio Mining District from 1868, when the district was organized, to 1872 when federal mining law was enacted and the district reorganized.
Processing Note
Ohio 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: The district recorder created indexes for the record books. Entries are alphabetically grouped by the name of the claim, and provide the date each document was filed and the page number where it was 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.