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The Utah State Library through its Pioneer databases has made the entire set of the Laws of Utah available online. The restricted access requires a Utah library card. Once through, one may search and browse the session laws published each year after the Utah State Legislature meets. The session laws are key to legislative research which is explained fully in

The Indian War Service Affidavits from the Commissioner of Indian War Records is now online. In 1909 the legislature passed a law creating a Board of Commissioners of Indian War Records. Their duties were to ascertain the names of the persons who were members of any organization performing military duties during Indian wars or expeditions against the Indians during territorial

The birth register maintained by the Sanpete County Clerk from 1898-1905 is now available as a book online. These records contain birth registers recorded from 1898 through 1905. Each entry includes an assigned number, sex, color, race, date and place of birth, parent’s names and residence, attending physician , and remarks. Beginning in 1898, physicians and midwives were required to

The birth certificates of three different children from one set of parents in one year is liable to catch one’s attention. It turned out that in July 1905, when Frank and Iku Arima filed for birth certificates for twins Estella and Orville born July 18, 1905, they also filed for their first son, Clarence, born February 8, 1904. Further research

All public records at the Utah State Archives are accessible through the Research Center. However, once processed the records are easier to use with proper storage and fuller descriptions, including online series inventories. The following list includes record series that were processed during the month of October 2010: District Court (First District : Cache County) Criminal case files, 1896- District

Duplicious: [etymology: duplicate + delicious.] This is a word. It can mean so good it should be shared by all. (“I sent that duplicious tune to all my friends on facebook.”) Duplicitous can mean two-faced or deceptive. (“Watch out! He is one duplicitous hombre!”) Duplicative can mean repetative or the same again, again. [etymology from Late Latin duplicitās a being

The Utah Death Certificate Index was named one of the best state websites for 2010 by Family Tree Magazine. In genealogy, as in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. Finding where your ancestors lived is the first step in identifying records about them. Fortunately, the internet-ization of America also has swept over the nation’s state archives, historical and

A researcher recently requested to look at an obscure record series described simply as “Census records, 1880” (Series 5269).  After retrieving the records, Archives staff became curious and set about trying to figure out what the records really were.  The records include five booklets that were clearly standard forms (form 7-392) printed for the 1880 Federal Census and have notes

According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular baby names in Utah now are Ethan and Olivia. Thanks to a forthcoming index of birth certificates issued in 1905, we may now know the most popular names from over a century ago. Girls Mary Ruth Alice Thelma Helen Florence Elizabeth Margaret Edna Hazel Boys John William George James Joseph Charles

The certificate below popped up in the index as “Myrtle and/or Murray” and further investigation revealed twins on a single birth certificate. It is further complicated by different dates caused by being born around midnight between July 9th and 10th. In this the first year of both birth and death certificates, perhaps everyone was still figuring things out!