Series 5027
Utah County (Utah). County Recorder Abstract books
Dates: 1870-
11.50 cubic feet and 1 microfilm reel
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
This series contains bound volumes used to record abstracts of land transactions in Utah County. They are created to document the history of property ownership by providing "a true chain of title to each tract or parcel and the encumbrances thereon as shown by the records of the office" by geographical location (Utah Code 17-21-6(3)(2004)). The books contain a record of each instrument recorded, including patents, deeds, mortgages, and releases of mortgage. The information included in each entry includes such information as the names of grantor and grantee, the dates of the instrument and its recording, the type of instrument, time of recording, and the book and page and entry number and a basic description of the property.
The books in the custody of the State Archives were apparently first used in the 1880s, but include information dating back 1870 when land claims in the county were first formalized under the provisions of the "Act for the Relief of the Inhabitants of Cities and Towns upon the Public Lands" (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. 14, chap. 177). The act provided that officials of incorporated towns should enter town site lands at the federal land office and purchase them in trust for the inhabitants. They mayor of those towns would in turn grant "Mayor's" deeds to the individual property owners. Unincorporated land was often obtained by patent directly from the United States. The Recorder ceased using these books in the 1910s and transferred the information in them to a new set of books, still in the custody of the Recorder.
Gaps in Series
In the set of books held by the State Archives, City Lot Books 6 and 8 are missing. Book 6 is available on microfilm and was likely destroyed after it was microfilmed. It is unclear if Book 8 is still with the County Recorder, if it has been lost or destroyed, or if there never was a book with that number.
Images Available
This series is available on microfilm.
Access Restrictions
This series is designated as Public.
Reproduction and Use
These records are available for reproduction and use.
| REEL | BOX | VOLUME | DESCRIPTION |
| n/a | 1 | City Lots 1 | Provo - Plats A & B |
| n/a | 2 | City Lots 2 | Lehi, American Fork, Alpine, Cedar Fort, Fairfield |
| n/a | 3 | City Lots 3 | Payson, Salem, Goshen |
| n/a | 4 | City Lots 4 | Pleasant Grove, Santaquin |
| n/a | 5 | City Lots 5 | Springville, Spanish Fork |
| 6 | n/a | City Lots 6 | Provo - Plats A & B (cont.) |
| n/a | 6 | City Lots 7 | Provo - Plats D & E, Sharon, Lehi |
| n/a | 7 | City Lots 9 | American Fork, Lehi, Smithton, Vivian Park, Alpine |
| n/a | 8 | City Lots 10 | Provo |
| n/a | 9 | Lands 1 | T 4 S R 1-3 E; T 5 S R 1-2 E |
| n/a | 10 | Lands 2 | T 4 S R 1-3 W; T 5 S R 1-3 W; T 6 S R 1-3 W |
| n/a | 11 | Lands 3 | T 5 S R 3-4 E; T 6 S R 1-4 E |
| n/a | 12 | Lands 4 | T 6 S R 3 W; T 7 S R 1-3 W; T 8 S R 1-3 W; T 9 S R 1 W |
| n/a | 13 | Lands 5 | T 7 S R 1-3 E |
| n/a | 14 | Lands 6 | T 9 S R 2-3 W; T 10 S R 1-2 W; T 11 S R 1-2 W; T 12 S R 2 W |
| n/a | 15 | Lands 7 | T 8 S R 1-3 E |
| n/a | 16 | Lands 8 | T 8 S R 4 E; T 9 S R 1-5 E |
| n/a | 17 | Lands 9 | T 9 S R 6 E; T 10 S R 1-8 E |
| n/a | 18 | Lands 10 | T 11 S R 1-9 E |
| n/a | 19 | Lands 11 | T 11 S R 9 E; T 5 S R 1-2 E |
| n/a | 20 | Lands 12 | T 7 S R 2-4 E; T 8 S R 2-3 E |
| n/a | 21 | Lands 13 | T 4 S R 2 E; T 5 S R 1 W; T 6 S R 2-3 E; T 8 S R 3 E; T 9 S R 1-2 E |
| n/a | 22 | Lands 14 | T 7 S R 2-3 E; T 8 S R 2-3 E; T 9 S R 2 E |