Series 17489
Cedar County (Utah). County Court Deeds and minutes, i 1857-1862.
0.20 cubic foot and 1 microfilm reel
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
See history of the records' creator.
Summary of Records
Scope and Content
This series contains a single book used to record property deeds and county court minutes. The deeds in the book are primarily consecration deeds whereby individuals transferred all their property to Brigham Young, Trustee for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such deeds were common in early Utah as part of Latter-day Saint efforts to follow church teachings known as the "Law of Consecration." Each deed entry typically includes an inventory of the property, names of the grantor and grantee, signature of the grantor, and names of witnesses. The entries also include a recorder's statement, signature, and date recorded.
A portion of the book was used to record the official minutes of the county court, the governing body of the county equivalent to a modern county commission. The court managed all county business and county property. This included taxation, auditing claims against the county, creating election precincts, road districts, and school districts, and appointing superintendents of such districts. The court also appointed other county officials such as the assessor/collector and water masters. Liquor licenses, herd grounds, timber rights, and water rights were all obtained through the county court. All these activities are noted in the minutes.
Liquor licensing is a common activity noted in the minutes from the beginning of the volume in 1858 although the legislature did not officially authorize the counties to grant liquor licenses until 1860. The legislature recognized this fact in the 1860 law by specifically mentioning those breweries at Fairfield near Camp Floyd. The county court also granted water rights, timber rights, herd grounds, and mill sites and the individuals gaining those rights and the area encompassed are detailed in the minutes.
Other common activities in the minutes include the purchase of supplies and the payment of claims. The court levied taxes. The county court created precincts, specifically Fairfield and Fort Cedar, and oversaw elections.
The court appointed numerous officials, sometimes directly, and sometimes to fill a vacancy in an elected position. Appointments noted in the minutes include justices of the peace, constables, grand and petit jurors, assessor/collector, water masters, road supervisors, fence viewers, and a board of teacher examiners.
Cedar County was dissolved by the legislature in January 1862 with its territory divided between Tooele and Utah counties. The final meeting of the county court took place 14 January 1862. The Probate Judge signed a statement swearing that the foregoing minutes were an accurate record of the county on 6 March 1862.
Research Note
Cedar County was created in 1856, but it is unknown if minutes existed prior to 1858.
Arrangement
Chronological by date of meeting.
Additional Forms
This series is available on microfilm.
Access Restrictions
This series is classified as Public.
Use Restrictions
These records are available for reproduction and use.
Preferred Citation
Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.
Custody History
With the dissolution of the county in 1862, the records passed to Utah County where they were microfilmed in 1958. The volume was transferred from the county to the State Archives in March 2003.
Acquisition Information
These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.
Processing Information
This volume was microfilmed in 1958 by the Utah County Clerk's office. The series was processed by A.C. Cone in February 1996. Hard copy was transferred to the State Archives by Utah County in March 2003 and this inventory updated.
Related Material
Minutes from Cedar County (Utah). Probate Court, Series 17493, also includes some applications for herd grounds.
Deeds from Cedar County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 17494, is the series to which the consecration deeds and other property transfers which appear at the beginning of this volume belong.
Indexing Terms
Container List
| Disc | Box | Folder | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| pending | 1 | Deeds, pp. 1-51 | |
| 1 | Minutes, beginning on p. 52 |