Series 84230
Tooele County (Utah). County Council Minutes
Dates: 1851-
0.20 cubic foot and 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
These minute books record the actions of the county commission (known during the territorial period as the county court), the governing body of the county. The court, and later the commission, was authorized to manage all county business and county property. This included auditing all claims against the county, reviewing financial reports of the treasurer and other officials, appropriating money for salaries, and authorizing the purchase of supplies and services. The court allocated water rights, timber rights, herdgrounds, and mill sites. The court supervised the lay out of roads and bridges and oversaw the erection of public buildings such as court houses constructed in 1865 and 1898. The court created election precincts, road districts, school districts, and by 1883, irrigation districts and appointed superintendents of such districts. In 1855, the court created fortification districts. Court members levied property taxes for county purposes and after 1878 served as a board of equalization. They provided for elections and appointed other officials. They provided for the maintenance of the indigent, insane, orphaned, and incapacitated. They provided for public health and safety through quarantine regulations and the building of a jail. They regulated fences, created estray pounds, and paid bounties on varmints. They authorized liquor licenses by 1864, and by 1884, general business licenses. The court granted franchises beginning in 1892. The court also canvassed election results in the county. All these activities are noted in the minutes. When Utah became a state in 1896 a county commission superseded the county court, but the business handled by the new form of governing body remained much the same.
Tooele County (then spelled "Tuilla"), was created in 1850 by the legislature of the State of Deseret. Following the formation of territorial government, the legislature in 1852 passed acts relating to the formation and government of counties. There were no county commissions, but the probate judge in conjunction with the county selectmen were invested "with the usual powers and jurisdiction of County Commissioners" and as such were known as the county court. The probate court clerk (also known as the county clerk) was to keep the records of the court. With statehood in 1896, an actual board of county commissioners was created. The probate judge was removed, but the selectmen continued serving as commissioners until elections were held. The county clerk remained the clerk of the board, recording the minutes.
Draft minutes for 1885 to 1886 are also included in the series.
Gaps in Series
Book B, 1866-1877, was apparently missing as early as 1966 when the Genealogical Society of Utah microfilmed books A - D. As of 2014 when the minutes were microfilmed by the State Archives, the book was still not in the possession of the County Clerk.
Research Note
Researchers should contact the Tooele County Recorder for access to minutes more recent than 2011.
Research Note
Researchers should contact the Tooele County Recorder for access to minutes more recent than 2011.
Access Restrictions
This series is designated as Public.
Reproduction and Use
These records are available for reproduction and use.
Finding Aids
Indexes: Indexes exist for many of the volumes in this series.
Related Records
Ordinances and resolutions from Tooele County (Utah). County Council, Series 1797, contain the text of ordinances and resolutions referred to in this series.
Index to minutes from Tooele County (Utah).$bCounty Commission, Series 28482, can assist in locating information in this series.
Indexing Terms
County budgets--Utah--Tooele County.
Tax collection--Tooele County (Utah).
Water resources development--Utah--Tooele County.
Sewage disposal--Utah--Tooele County.
Police--Utah--Tooele County.
Highway planning--Utah--Tooele County.
Fire departments--Utah--Tooele County.
Refuse and refuse disposal--Utah--Tooele County.
Tooele County (Utah)--Politics and government.
| DISC | REEL | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | 1 | 1851 May 10 - 1866 Jun 25: Book A |
| 2 | 2 | 1877 Apr 16 - 1886 May 31: Book C |
| 3 | n/a | 1886 Jun 07 - 1895 Dec 17: Book D |
| 4 | n/a | 1896 Jan 13 - 1907 Feb 04: Book E |
| 5 | n/a | 1907 Apr 04 - 1912 Dec 02: Book F, Minutes |
| 5 | n/a | 1907 Feb 04 - 1913 Mar 03: Book F, Expenditures |
| 6 | n/a | 1913 Jan 06 - 1928 Sep 25: Book G |
| 7 | n/a | 1928 Oct 01 - 1938 Nov 15: Book H |
| 8 | n/a | 1938 Dec 02 - 1955 Dec 21: Book I |
| 9 | n/a | 1956 Jan 04 - 1971 Jul 28: Book J, Minutes |
| 9 | n/a | 1958 May 29 - 1969 May 29: Book J, Tax Sale Minutes |
| 10 | n/a | 1971 Aug 02 - 1981 Dec 31: Book K |
| 11 | n/a | 1982 Jan 05 - 1986 Jul 08: Book L |
| 12 | n/a | 1986 Jul 22 - 1990 Dec 18: Book 1 |
| 13 | n/a | 1991 Jan 08 - 1993 Sep 28: Book 2 |
| 14 | n/a | 1993 Oct 05 - 1996 Dec 17: Book 3, Minutes |
| 14 | n/a | 1993 Sep Book 3, Board of Equalization Adjustment Listing |
| 15 | n/a | 1997 Jan 07 - 1999 Dec 21: Book 4 |
| 16 | n/a | 2000 Jan 04 - 2002 Jun 18: Book 5 |
| 17 | n/a | 2002 Jul 02 - 2004 Mar 23: Book 6 |
| 18 | n/a | 2004 Apr 06 - 2007 Dec 18: Book 7 |
| 19 | n/a | 2008 Jan 08 - 2011 Dec 06: Book 8 |
| BOX | FOLDER | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | 1 | Draft Minutes.;1883 - 1884 |
| 1 | 2 | Draft Minutes.;1884 - 1885 |
| 1 | 3 | Draft Minutes.;1885 - 1886 |