Mount Baldy Mining District (Utah). Recorder Mining records, 1878-1897.

According to federal law, mineral deposits in the public domain were free and open to exploration, and locators of the same had exclusive right of possession. Local mining districts managed mining operations and recorded claims. (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. XVII, chap. 152). The Mount Baldy Mining District recorder kept notices of location, reports of annual assessment work, and other mining documents. He also kept a copy of district by-laws and minutes of miners' meetings. Location notices for the Mount Baldy District affirm compliance with federal and local laws and declare the citizenship of locators. Each location notice identifies the claim with a unique name and describes both its dimensions and location. Notices provide dates of discovery and filing and are signed by both locators and the district recorder.

Mount Baldy mining records also contain the district recorder's statements confirming annual labor. In order tomaintain a claim, federal law required at least $100 worth of labor or improvements annually. Mount Baldy District by-laws required the recorder to annually visit each claim to assess the value of work done. He made a record of these visits in the record books. In addition to notices of location and statements validating labor performed Mount Baldy mining records contain a variety of other documents such as mortgages, deeds, and location notices for mill sites. In 1893-1894 the federal government temporarily suspended the labor requirement, but required miners to file their intention to maintain the claim. The Mount Baldy district recorder kept a copy of the mining district by-laws and also minutes for all miners' meetings. His minutes for 1888 include a list of all the voters (claim holders) in the district.