Series 6150
Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder Mining records
Dates: 1885-1955.
17 microfilm reels
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
Tooele County mining record books predominantly contain notices of location (mining claims) filed in the County recorder's office. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, gold, copper, silver, lead, mercury, and zinc were mined extensively in Tooele County. One of Tooele County's largest mining camps, Mercur (in the Camp Floyd Mining District), constructed a cyanide mill for processing gold. The Mercur mill enhanced local ability to extract gold from ore, and led to increased activity among miners searching for and mining gold. Each mine began with the discovery of a potentially productive site and the recording of a notice of location. Federal mining law enacted in 1872 provided that valuable mineral deposits were free and open to exploration and that the locators of the same were to have exclusive right of possession (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. 17, chap. 152, also Revised Statutes of the United States, chap. 6,title 32). Each notice of location affirms that the locator had complied with federal and local mining laws. Each notice provides a description of the claim, identifies it by a unique name, gives the mining district in which it was located, and provides the names of locators. Notices provide dates of location and recording and are signed by the Tooele County recorder.
In addition to notices of location, Tooele County mining record books include agreements relating to mining, amendments to notices of location, and affidavits showing proof of annual assessment labor. In order to maintain or patent a claim, the law required that miners do development work. Utah law required that they to file an affidavit in the county recorder's office upon completion of this work (Utah Code Annotated, 1953, 40-1-6). Each affidavit verifies the completion of at least $100 worth of labor on a specific claim and itemizes what that labor entailed. In 1893 and 1894 Congress temporarily suspended the annualwork requirement, but required miners to file their intention to maintain the claim. Many records of intent to hold a claim were recorded in 1893-1894. After 1903 Tooele County mining record books include many notices of location for petroleum claims in addition to location notices for hard rock minerals.
During Utah's territorial period location notices and other mining records were primarily kept in each separate mining district. Tooele County mining record books contain additional or duplicate copies of location notices and other records for Tooele County mining districts, including Camp Floyd, Rush Valley, Ophir, Clifton, Dugway, Tooele City, and the North Tintic District of Juab County. Book B is a full and complete transcript of Book B for the Camp Floyd Mining District. Tooele County mining records include mining records for numerous small districts such Shambip, Willow Springs, Third Term, Blue Bell, Erickson, Free Coinage, Lakeside, and Columbia. Utah territorial lawrequired that mining district by-laws be recorded by the county recorder in which the mining district operated. These mining record books contain by-laws for the Rush Valley District (Book C, page 511), the Hercules District (Book D, page 374), the Russell District (Book D, page 377), the Shambip District (Book D, page 379), the Free Coinage District (Book D, page 386), the Mercur District (Book D, page 431), the Blue Bell District (Book D page 493), and the Camp Floyd District (Book D page 567).
Gaps in Series
Utah State Archives holds mining record books for the Tooele County for 1885-1917. However, based on index references, Tooele County recorders continued to keep the mining record books until 1955 when they began recording notices of location in official record books. For mining records, 1917-ongoing, contact the Tooele County recorder.
Research Note
These books were microfilmed with the camera head upside down, and therefore the images are in reverse order on the reel. In order to read the entries in chronological order, a researcher will need to read the microfilm backwards.
Research Note
These books were microfilmed with the camera head upside down, and therefore the images are in reverse order on the reel. In order to read the entries in chronological order, a researcher will need to read the microfilm backwards.
Access Restrictions
This series is designated as Public.
Reproduction and Use
These records are available for reproduction and use.
Finding Aids
Indexes: Several references provide access to the documents recorded in mining record books. These include a General Mining Index, series 24174; a Location Notices Index, series 24176; a Mining Districts Index, series 24182; and Mining Claims Abstracts, series 24562.
Related Records
Deeds from Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 6080, contain mining deeds, patents, mineral certificates and many other mining related documents.
Mining records from Camp Floyd Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 10334, contain additional mining records for the Camp Floyd District, including earlier records.
Mining records from Rush Valley Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 24160, contain additional and earlier mining records for claims located in the Rush Valley Mining District.
Mining records from Ophir Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 24165, contain additional location notices and other mining records for claims located in the Ophir Mining District.
General mining index from Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 24174, provides reference by name of claim to the documents recorded in this and other Tooele County record book series.
Mining location notices indexes from Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 24176, provide reference to the notices of location recorded in these mining record books.
Mining districts index from Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 24182, provides reference to a few of the documents recorded in these record books. Reference is based on mining district.
Location notices from Clifton Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 24331, contain additional location notices for claims located in the Clifton Mining District.
Willow Springs Mining District records from Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 24408, are cross-referenced. From 1897-1900 Tooele County recorder, Emily Dods, kept the Willow Springs record book. During this period she filed copies of location notices in both the Willow Springs book and in this series.
Mining claims abstracts from Tooele County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 24562, provide reference based on mining claim, to documents recorded in these books, as well as other Tooele County record book series.
Indexing Terms
Mining claims--Utah--Tooele County.
Mines and mineral resources--Property--Utah--Tooele County.
Utah--Tooele County--Mines and mineral resources.
| REEL | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | Book A (1885, Dec-1890, Oct; assorted mining records) |
| 1 | Book B p. 1-310 (transcript of Book B of Camp Floyd District) |
| 2 | Book B p. 311-792 (transcript Camp Floyd; 1871-1893) |
| 2 | Book C (1891, Sep-1894, Dec; assorted mining records) |
| 2 | Book D p. 1-105 (1894, Nov-1895, May; preprinted location notices) |
| 3 | Book D p. 106-640 (1894, Dec-1897, Aug; preprinted notices & assorted records) |
| 3 | Book E (1896, Jan-Jul; preprinted location notices) |
| 4 | Book F (1896, Jul-1900, Jun; preprinted location notices) |
| 4 | Book G, p. 1-484 (1897, Aug-1898, Dec; location notices and assorted records) |
| 5 | Book G p. 485-640 (1897, Dec-1898, Jan; assorted mining records) |
| 5 | Book H (1898, Dec-1900, Feb; preprinted location notices) |
| 5 | Book I, p. 1-424 (1897, Dec-1898, Dec; assorted mining records) |
| 6 | Book I, p. 425-640 (1898, Dec-1899, May; assorted mining records) |
| 6 | Book J (1899, Jan-1900, Jan; assorted mining records) |
| 6 | Book K p. 1-368 (1899, May-1900, Jan; preprinted location notices) |
| 7 | Book K p. 369-640 (1900, Jan-1900, Sep; preprinted location notices) |
| 7 | Book L (1899, Sep-1901, Feb; assorted mining records) |
| 7 | Book M p. 1-294 (1900, Jan, assorted mining records) |
| 8 | Book M p. 295-640 (1900, Jan-1901, Mar; assorted mining records) |
| 8 | Book N (1900, Oct-1902, Feb; preprinted location notices) |
| 8 | Book O p. 1-208 (1901, Mar-1902, Jan; assorted mining records) |
| 9 | Book O p. 209-640 (1902, Jan-1904, Feb; assorted mining records) |
| 9 | Book P (1902, Feb-1903, Jul; preprinted location notices) |
| 9 | Book Q p. 1-132 (1902, Jan-1902, Jul; preprinted location notices) |
| 10 | Book Q p. 133-640 (1902, Jan-1904, Mar; preprinted location notices) |
| 10 | Book R (1901, Nov-1904, Apr; assorted mining documents) |
| 10 | Book S p. 1-120 (1904, Mar-1905, Jan; preprinted location notices) |
| 11 | Book S p. 121-624 (1905, Jan-1906, Jul; preprinted location notices) |
| 11 | Book T (1903, Jul-1905, Mar; preprinted location notices) |
| 12 | Book U (1904, Mar-1906, Aug; assorted mining documents; petroleum claims) |
| 12 | Book V p. 1-586 (1905, Mar-1907, Mar; preprinted location notices) |
| 13 | Book V p. 587-640 (1907, Mar-Jul; preprinted location notices) |
| 13 | Book W (1906, Aug-1908, Mar; assorted mining records) |
| 13 | Book X (1907, Jan-1908, Sep; preprinted location notices) |
| 13 | Book Y p. 1-188, (1907, Jul-1909, Jan; preprinted location notices) |
| 14 | Book Y p. 189-638 (1909, Jan-1913, Jan; preprinted location notices) |
| 14 | Book Z (1908, Mar-1911, Jan; assorted documents; petroleum claims) |
| 14 | Book 2A p. 1-146 (1909, Jun-1910, Jan; location notices only) |
| 15 | Book 2A p. 147-638 (1910, Jan-1912, Nov; preprinted location notices) |
| 15 | Book 2B (1911, Jan-1914, Apr; assorted mining documents; petroleum claims) |
| 15 | Book 2C p. 1-276 (1912, Nov-1913, Aug; preprinted location notices) |
| 16 | Book 2C p. 277-480 (1913, Aug-1914, Feb; location notices only) |
| 16 | Book 2D (1913, Jan-1916, Jul; preprinted location notices) |
| 16 | Book 2E (1914, Apr-1916, Apr; assorted documents; petroleum claims) |
| 16 | Book 2F p. 1-276 (1914, Apr-1915, Dec; preprinted location notices) |
| 17 | Book 2F p. 277-500 (1915, Dec-1916, Mar; preprinted location notices) |
| 17 | Book 2G (1916, Apr-1917, Feb; preprinted location notices) |