Series 81372

Washington County (Utah). County Recorder Mining notices of location

Dates: 1891-1959.

20 microfilm reels

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Historical Note

An agency history is available.

Scope and Content

Federal mining law enacted in 1872 provided that all valuable mineral deposits in the public domain were free and open to exploration and purchase and that the locators of the same were to have exclusive right of possession as long as they complied with the laws of the United States and of the local mining district. (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. XVII, chap. 152). This act outlined the method by which mining claims could be patented, the first step being the discovery of a potentially productive site and recording of a claim or notice of location. Each notice of location recorded in these books indicates the name or names of locators, provides a legal description of the location, names the claim, and usually the mining district, and is signed by the county recorder. Recorded claims document three distinct periods of mining activity in Washington County. During the late nineteenth century, numerous claimants recorded notices of location for lode claims to mineral deposits such as silver or copper. In the first decade of the twentieth century, claimants were focusing on placer claims for potential petroleum production, and in the mid-1950s they were primarily interested in uranium.

The notices of location in these books fall into two basic categories: lode and placer claims. Lode claims are identified sections of veins or lodes of quartz or other rock bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, and other valuable deposits. They may equal but not exceed 1500 feet in length along the lode. Placer claims include all forms of deposit except the above mentioned, and are defined by identifying a tract of land encompassing the deposit. In sections of this series lode and placer were kept separately. In addition to notices of location, Book X also includes some mining leases and deeds as well as powers of attorney. Beginning in Book X 2 this series includes only mining notices of location, and other mining records were recorded separately.

Arrangement

For records created from 1901 to 1938, arrangement is by type of claim thereunder chronological..

In Mining Book X, the county recorder entered all mining records chronologically. Beginning in Mining Book X 2, he began to use a preprinted form for notices of location for lode claims. The first half of the book contains these preprinted forms arranged chronologically. The second half of the book contains all notices of location or related records which did not fit the structure of the form, also chronologically entered. These documents include such things as amendments to notices of location, but in particular they are notices of location for placer claims. In like manner, the recorder divided Mining Books X 4 and X 5. In Book X 4 he created sections for preprinted notices of lode location, preprinted notices for petroleum placer claims and then everything else. He divided Book X 5 into sections for preprinted notices for lode claims and everything else.

Beginning with Mining Book X 6, the recorder began keeping the documents in separate books. Books X 6, X 7 and X 10 contain preprinted forms for notices of location for petroleum placer claims. Books X 8, X 12, X 14 and X 18 contain mixed documents and Books X 11, X 15 and X 19 contain preprinted forms for lode location notices. Beginning with X 21 and in all books thereafter, all notices of location are together and have been entered chronologically.

Research Note

Mining Record Book X was originally a record book for Washington County Probate Court, and as such contains divorce records for the first 31 pages and a court docket at the back of the book. When the Probate Court was abolished at statehood, the remaining pages in the book were used as the first mining record book.

Related Records

Civil and criminal record books from Washington County (Utah). Probate Court, Series 3168, were continued in Mining Record Book X before the county probate court was abolished. The first part of this book contains divorce cases.

Mining notices index from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 6151, provides reference for some notices of location.

Official records from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 7067, contain notices of location recorded after 1959.

Abstracts (sectional land) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 16432, chronologically document all activity for each section of land in Washington County.

Deeds (Silver Reef) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23263, contain notices of location recorded before 1891.

Deeds (Pine Valley) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23264, contain notices of location recorded before 1891.

Deeds (Toquerville) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23265, contain notices of location recorded before 1891.

Mining deeds from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23669, contain mining deeds, mineral certificates and other official documents relating to mining, exclusive of location notices and proof of labor.

Abstracts (mines) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23670, provide chronological histories of mining claims, including reference to the official documents involved.

Mining proof of labor from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23671, contains documentation of the required labor performed on mining claims.

Mining records from Harrisburg Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 23675, contain notices of location recorded by the Harrisburg Mining District recorder.

Mining plats from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23680, delineate the boundaries of a few mining claims.

Mining records from Tutsagubet Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 23690, contain mining notices of location recorded by the Tutsagubet Mining District recorder.

Grantee indexes from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 82703, provide reference to documents in this series by name of locator or claimant.

Grantor indexes from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 82704, provide reference to records in this series by grantor or name of mining claim.

Agreements and leases from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 84209, contain numerous placer claims for petroleum.

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

Washington County mining record books were microfilmed by Utah State Archives in April 1983 and processed by Rosemary Cundiff in May 2001.

Finding Aids

Indexes: Indexes are included with each of the mining books which provide alphabetical access by the name of the mining claim. These indexes indicate the names of locators and page numbers in the mining books. Some indexes also provide alphabetical access by name of locator. For additional references see related records.

Indexing Terms

• Mines and mineral resources--Ownership--Washington County (Utah).
• Mining claims--Washington County (Utah).

Container List

REEL	DESCRIPTION
1	Index to Mining Record Book X
1	Divorce records from Washington County Probate Court (Feb 1885-Dec 1887)
1	Nov 1891-Apr 1902 (Mining Book X)
1	Jan 1901-Jun 1905 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 2)
1	Feb 1901-Jan 1906 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 2)
1	index to Mining Book X 2
1	index to Mining Book X 4
1	Jun-Aug 1905 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 4 to p 21)
2	Aug 1905-Mar 1908 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 4 from p 20)
2	Jan 1904-May 1907 -preprinted petroleum notices (Mining Book X 4)
2	May 1905-Feb 1907 - mixed notices (Mining Book X 4)
3	index to Mining Book X 5
3	Mar 1908-Oct 1913 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 5)
3	May 1907 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 5 to p 401)
4	May-Oct 1907 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 5 from p 400)
4	index to Mining Book X 6
4	May 1907-Sep 1907 - preprinted petroleum notices (Mining Book X 6)
4	index to Mining Book X 7
4	Oct 1907 - preprinted petroleum notices (Mining Book X 7 to p 141)
5	Oct 1907-Jul 1910 -preprinted petroleum notices (Mining Book X 7 fr p 140)
5	index to Mining Book X 8
5	Oct 1907-May 1915 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 8)
6	index to Mining Book X 10
6	Jan 1908-Apr 1926 -preprinted petroleum notices (Mining Book X 10)
6	index to Mining Book X 11
6	Jan 1914-Jul 1923 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 11)
7	index to Mining Book X 12
7	May 1915-Aug 1922 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 12)
8	index to Mining Book X 14
8	Dec 1922-Jul 1929 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 14)
8	index to Mining Book X 15
8	Jul 1923-Jul 1929 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 15)
9	Jul 1929-Sep 1938 -mixed notices (Mining Book X 18)
9	index to Mining Book X 18
9	Jun 1930-Jul 1937 -preprinted lode notices (Mining Book X 19)
9	index to Mining Book X 19
10	index to Mining Book X 21
10	Oct 1938-Feb 1945 (Mining Book X 21)
10	index to Mining Book X 22
10	Feb 1945-Oct 1950 (Mining Book X 22)
11	index to Mining Book X 24
11	Oct 1950-Jun 1954 (Mining Book X 24)
12	index to Mining Books X 25 to X 30
12	Jun-Aug 1954 (Mining Book X 25)
12	Aug 1954 (Mining Book X 26 to p 149)
13	Aug 1954 (Mining Book X 26 from p 147)
13	Aug 1954-Sep 1954 (Mining Book X 27 to p 549)
14	Feb-Sep 1954 (Mining Book X 27 from p 548)
14	Sep-Oct 1954 (Mining Book X 28)
15	Oct-Nov 1954 (Mining Book X 29)
16	Nov 1954-Jan 1955 (Mining Book X 30)
16	Jan-Feb 1955 (Mining Book X 31)
16	Feb-Mar 1955 (Mining Book X 32)
17	Mar-Apr 1955 (Mining Book X 33)
17	Apr-Jun 1955 (Mining Book X 34)
18	Jun-Aug 1955 (Mining Book X 35)
18	Aug-Dec 1955 (Mining Book X 36)
19	Dec 1955-Jul 1956 (Mining Book X 37)
20	Jul 1956-Jul 1957 (Mining Book X 38)
20	Jul 1957-Apr 1959 (Mining Book X 39)