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People often use the word “shorthand” to refer to any manner in which they shorten their writing in order to write faster. For example, SMS systems on mobile phones in the late 1990s and early 2000s had strict character limits, charged fees for each message sent, and character input required multiple presses of keys on a very small keypad, which

Our archivists write inventories as finding aids to describe records. Here is the newest one created during March 2023: Inventory of Resolutions from Provo (Utah). City Council, 1949- Inventory of Student tracking cards from Salt Lake City School District (Utah), 1954-1990 Inventory of Draft case transcripts from District Court (Fourth District : Uintah County), 1902-1947 Inventory of Information Practices Act

The Utah State Archives and Records Service holds vital records for the state of Utah, including birth and death certificates, divorce records, and court records. Sometimes when perusing these records, an interesting story emerges. In a District Court Territorial Minutes book, Records and Information Management Specialist Maren Peterson unravels the story of Ann Eliza Webb suing her estranged husband, Brigham

A pint of whiskey for a sick cow, a tablespoonful for a teething baby, and a quart of brandy for an ailing mother were some of the many reasons Spanish Fork citizens sought exceptions from the city-wide prohibition of alcohol that went into effect in the year 1900.  On January 25, 1900, the city council of Spanish Fork passed Ordinance

The most popular baby names that were given in 1911 according to Utah birth certificates.

Although tax records have a reputation of being boring, they are a super useful tool for finding people in a specific location and time! To prove residency, a patron needed to find a property record in the Piute County tax records. I searched these records on their behalf and found a familiar name instead: Lula Betenson! You might ask, who is

Our archivists write inventories as finding aids to describe records. Here is the newest one created during February 2023: Inventory of Board minutes from South Summit School District (Utah), 1915- Inventory of Class registers from South Summit School District (Utah), 1910-1915; 1921-1924; 1931-1932; 1942-1943. Inventory of Business license applications and bonds from Spanish Fork (Utah), 1882-1895; 1904-1909. Inventory of Mayor’s

Black Americans were among the first pioneer settlers to arrive in Utah, coming to the Great Basin as enslaved people. Although many lived in Utah long enough to become free, their enslaved status and later position on the fringe of Utah society have left us with incomplete versions of their stories. Secondary sources are often the only available records that

Early Life On January 6, 1828, Green Flake was born into slavery on the William Jordan Flake Plantation in North Carolina. Green was “gifted” to James, William’s son, as a wedding present in the 1840’s when Green was in his early teens. Shortly after marrying, James Flake moved to Mississippi in hopes of claiming land. Green was separated from his

Our archivists write inventories as finding aids to describe records. Here is the newest one created during January 2023: The following series inventories were also updated: