Series 23670
Washington County (Utah). County Recorder Abstracts (mines), 1875-
5 microfilm reels
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
The Washington County recorder kept an abstract of mining claims. For each claim (or mill site) he made a chronological list of official activity. These actions include, but are not limited to, notices of location, proof of labor, deeds conveying interest or part interest to another party, and leases. The recorder generally began keeping an abstract when some official action involved the claim subsequent to original recording of location notice. In this record he included the name of the claim, the names of locators, and identified a mining district. He indicated the date of original location and where and when the notice was recorded. In the list of actions involving the claim, he included the names of grantee and grantor, the kind of instrument (or action), dates for recording and possibly additional details.
The recorder kept some early records in Abstract Letter Book A. These abstracts include the name of a mining claim, names of claimants, deeds and recording dates, and detailabout the location of the claim followed by a chronology of all conveyances relating to that claim. This book contains abstracts for mines owned by the Christy Mining Company of Silver Reef. From 1884 to 1907 the recorder filed out preprinted forms designed for abstracts, and then included transcripts of original documents, apparently documenting the abstracts. Where designated, the documents in this book relate to claims in the Harrisburg Mining District.
At the same time, he began Abstract Record of Mines A, then Abstract Record of Mines B, in which he recorded location information followed by a chronological list of subsequent actions for the several mining districts in Washington County. Mining Abstracts C through C 5 are continuations of Abstract Record of Mines A and B.
Research Note
The county recorder originally began using the book which is now Abstract Record of Mines Book B as an abstract for town site land in Saint George, Washington City and Leeds. He made sections for each town site, and for each action indicated the kind of deed, the date and method of payment, whether cash, meat, or scrip. When he later began a new system for land abstracts, he lined out these pages and used the blank paper following each section to begin recording mining abstracts. Abstract Records of Mines Books A and B sustained significant termite or rodent damage before filming, and many pages of Book B are faded and difficult to read. The original abstract letter book also contains many blurred and faded pages.,While Abstract Record Books C 1 through C 5 were filled out on preprinted pages designed for that purpose, Abstract Record Book C is superimposed on a grantee index book. The preprinted pages do not match the use to which they were put. Usually the top of the page has been crossed out and the name of the mine claim or mill site has been written in. Frequently, the columns for grantee and grantor are reversed and crossed out, and remarks are in the description column. Also the index at the beginning of each letter is simply superimposed upon a preprinted page which has no relevance to it. When reading these pages, it is helpful to remember that the recorder used the name of the mining claim as the original grantor.
Arrangement
By order of entry.
In general the mining claims abstracts are ordered as they were originally created. However, abstracts in Mining Abstracts C are organized in alphabetical sections based on the name of the claim, with page numbering beginning anew for each letter. Also, in Mining Abstracts C 4, the recorder skipped pages between each entry, and then, when the book was full, went back and filled in the blank pages. Every other page begins with a 1954 or 1955 entry followed by a much later entry. In most cases, the abstracts did not fill up a page, but when they did they were generally carried forward on the next available blank page. Notes on the pages identify where such pages were carried from and to.
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.
Acquisition Information
These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.
Processing Information
Early Washington County mining abstracts books were microfilmed by Utah State Archives in August 1982. Mining Abstracts C was microfilmed in April 1984; Mining Abstracts C 1, in April 1988; and Mining Abstracts C 2 through C 5 were microfilmed in February 1994. As part of processing earlier copies of Mining Abstracts of Books C 1 through C 4 were deaccessioned. This series was processed by Rosemary Cundiff through 1994 in May 2001.
Other Finding Aids
Indexes: Abstract Record of Mines B, as well as Mining Abstracts C 1 through C 5 include alphabetical indexes by name of mining claim. Entries in Mining Abstracts C are grouped alphabetically. While there is an index at the beginning of Abstract Record A, it is too damaged to be useful.
Related Material
Official records from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 7067, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Abstracts (sectional land) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 16432, chronologically document all activity for each section of land in Washington County, including mining activity.
Deeds (Silver Reef) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23263, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Deeds (Pine Valley) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23264, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Deeds (Toquerville) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23265, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Mining deeds from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23669, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Mining proof of labor from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23671, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Mining records from Harrisburg Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 23675, contain official documents kept by the Harrisburg Mining District recorder.
Mining plats from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23680, delineate the boundaries of a few mining claims.
Mining records from Tutsagubet Mining District (Utah). Recorder, Series 23690, contain mining notices of location for the Tutsagubet Mining District.
Mining claims indexes from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23730, index the abstracts by claim name, by locator name, and also identify patented claims.
Mining notices of location from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 81372, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Agreements and leases from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 84209, contain official documents referred to in the abstracts.
Container List
| Reel | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Abstract Record of Mines A (1875-ongoing) |
| 2 | Abstract letter book (1876-1908) |
| 2 | Abstract Record of Mines B (1876-ongoing) |
| 3 | Mining Abstracts C (c 1890-ongoing) |
| 4 | Mining Abstracts C 1 (1908-ongoing) |
| 5 | Mining Abstracts C 2 (1943-ongoing) |
| 5 | Mining Abstracts C 3 (1954-ongoing) |
| 5 | Mining Abstracts C 4 (1956-ongoing) |
| 5 | Mining Abstracts C 5 (1984-ongoing) |