Ophir Mining District (Utah). Recorder

The Ophir Mining District was already well established when Congress passed a federal mining law in 1872, (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America , vol. 15, 1872, chap. 152) legitimizing the already established precedent that individuals had the right to claim mineral wealth in the public domain. Federal mining law also validated the authority of local mining districts to manage mining activity and keep records of claims. In 1897 the Utah Legislature enacted a mining law which transferred responsibility for keeping mining records to county recorders (Laws of Utah, 1897, chapter 36). The Ophir Mining District only temporarily complied with this requirement. Ophir District recorders soon regained custody of their records and continued to keep records for the district until 1929.

Early Utah mining districts adopted by-laws to regulate local mining activity. By-laws adopted for the Ophir District required prospective claim holders to place a legible notice stating the number of feet claimed, the names of locating parties, and the name by which the claim should be known. Original Ophir by-laws limited the extent of any claim to 200 feet along the lode, with a width of 100 feet on each side, except the original discoverer was allowed double. To hold a claim for six months, by-laws required that owners do at least one faithful day's work within thirty days of discovery and an additional day's work within sixty days. Holding a claim for one year required the removal of ten cubic yards of picked ground or two cubic yards of blasted ground. All claims had to be recorded within 10 days of discovery. When federal mining law was enacted in 1872, miners in the Ophir District revised by-laws to conform to federal regulations. Claims could be up to 1500 feet instead of the 200 foot limit previously imposed. Claims could be maintained with 100 dollars worth of work annually, if 50 dollars worth of work was completed within 90 days of discovery.

Miners in the Ophir District revised by-laws and elected district recorders at annual miners' meetings. Recorders served for one year terms. By-laws required recorders to personally visit the ground to inspect each claim before recording it, and to record claims in books they provided at their own expense. Recorders were entitled to collect 50 cents for each name appearing on a claim. Beginning in 1872 by-laws also required recorders to keep a record of labor performed on district claims. District record books were open for public inspection.

Ophir Mining District recorders appointed deputies to assist them in carrying out their responsibilities. In 1897 the Utah Legislature enacted a mining law which transferred responsibility for keeping mining records to county recorders (Laws of Utah, 1897, chapter 36), and the mining records of the Ophir District were transferred to the office of the Tooele County recorder. However, by June 1899 an Ophir District recorder had resumed record keeping for the district. Ophir District recorders continued to keep records for the district until June 1929. Apparently, the Ophir District ceased to function as an independent agency before 1933 when the Utah Legislature reined in straggling district recorders who had not complied with the law. (See Revised Statutes of Utah, Annotated, 1933, 55-1-7).