Series 23961
Pinto Iron Mining District (Utah). Recorder Location notices
Dates: 1874-1894.
3 microfilm reels
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
The Pinto Iron Mining District was organized in 1868 to facilitate iron mining in the mountains southwest of Cedar City. In accordance with established practice, which Congress enacted into law in 1872 (see Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. XVII, chap. 152), 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. The Pinto Iron Mining District record books primarily contain notices of location for mining claims. For each notice the mining district recorder reported the names of locators, the name of the mining claim, and a description of the claim, including both a legal description and a description of the way the claim had been marked. The recorder reported dates for location and recording. In addition to location notices, these record books contain some of the following documents:minutes for miners' meetings, notices of location for mill sites, notices of relocation or amended location, intentions to hold and work a claim, deeds selling mines or mining interests, and notices about water rights.
Gaps in Series
The minutes of a June 1888 meeting of miners in the Pinto Iron Mining District report that the records of the mining district for 1868-1887 have been entrusted to the Iron County clerk for safe keeping. Records for 1868-1874 (presumably Book A) have been lost.
Research Note
Many of the documents in these books are difficult to read because the ink has faded. At a later date, Book A of the Silver Belt Mining District and Book B of the Pinto Iron Mining District were bound together and entitled, "Location Notices B 3 Iron County."
Research Note
Many of the documents in these books are difficult to read because the ink has faded. At a later date, Book A of the Silver Belt Mining District and Book B of the Pinto Iron Mining District were bound together and entitled, "Location Notices B 3 Iron County."
Access Restrictions
This series is designated as Public.
Reproduction and Use
These records are available for reproduction and use.
Finding Aids
Indexes: Indexes at the beginning of each record book chronologically list the names of claims and the page numbers on which they were recorded. The index for book B 1 is not complete. .
Related Records
Mining location notices from Iron County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 6144, for Iron County contain the by-laws for the Pinto Iron Mining District (Book B 1, page 74). They also include additional location notices for the Pinto District.
Mining location notices from Silver Belt Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 23968, (Book A) are also included in this series because they were later bound together with Book B of the Pinto Iron Mining District.
Indexing Terms
Mining districts--Iron County (Utah).
Mines and mineral resources--Ownership--Iron County (Utah).
Mining claims--Iron County (Utah).
| REEL | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | 1874 - 1882: Location Notices A 1 |
| 2 | 1872 - 1875: Silver Belt Iron Mining District Book A |
| 2 | 1876 - 1881: Location Notices B |
| 3 | 1881 - 1888: Location Notices B 1 |
| 3 | 1888 - 1890: Location Notices C 1 |
| 3 | 1891 - 1894: Location Notices A 2 |