Summit County (Utah). County Commission Minutes, 1861-

These minutes record the actions of the county commission (known during the territorial period as the county court), the governing body of the county. The court was authorized to manage all county business and county property. This included auditing all claims against the county, appropriating money for salaries and authorizing the purchase of supplies and services. The court allocated water rights, timber rights, herd grounds , and mill sites. The court supervised the lay out of roads and bridges and oversaw the erection of public buildings such as a court house in 1871. The members levied property taxes for county purposes and after 1878 served as a board of equalization. They created election precincts, road districts, school districts, and by 1871, irrigation districts and appointed superintendents of such districts. The court provided for elections, appointed other officials, and accepted official bonds; bond lists appear at the end of the first two volumes. The court provided for the maintenance of the indigent, insane, and incapacitated. They provided for the health and safety of their constituents through quarantine regulations and the building of a jail. They regulated fences, created estray pounds, and were in charge of fisheries. They authorized liquor licenses, and by 1884, general business licenses. All these activities are noted in the minutes.

Following the formation of territorial government, the legislature in 1852 passed acts relating to the formation and government of counties. There were no county commissions, but the probate judge in conjunction with the county selectmen were invested "with the usual powers and jurisdiction of County Commissioners" and as such were known as the county court. The probate court clerk (also known as the county clerk) was to keep the records of the court. This same structure was followed by Summit County upon its creation in 1861. With statehood in 1896, an actual board of county commissioners was created. The probate judge was removed, but the selectmen continued serving as commissioners until elections were held. The county clerk remained the clerk of the board, recording the minutes.

In addition to the minutes of the county court, Volume A includes various other records of such things as delinquent taxes, office records and supplies, cattle slaughtered, as well as oaths and bonds for county officials.