Tooele County (Utah). Probate Court

Probate case files, ca. 1871-1896.

View history of records' creator.

Schedule Description

This series contains the files of documents from probate matters heard by the court.

Scope and Content

This series contains the files of documents from probate and related matters heard by the court. The most common type of case handled by the court was the settlement of estates of deceased persons. The court also adjudicated the estate and guardianship of minors and others not deemed competent to manage their own affairs. The series includes one adoption case and two cases involving the appointment of trustees for local churches. The largest and most prominent case in the series concerns the settlement of the estate of Orrin Porter Rockwell, following his death in 1878.

Beginning in 1852, probate courts in the territory had jurisdiction in probate, criminal, and civil matters. The federal Poland Act of 1874 restricted the probate courts to matters of probate and divorce. The Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887 limited the probate courts to matters of probate and guardianship. The records in this series generally reflect that restriction.

Notes

When the records in this series initially came to the State Archives from the district court, they were grouped in the same series as district court probate cases. In 2026 archivists made the decision to separate the probate court cases from those of district court, in order to clarify the provenance that the case files were created by the probate court and that the district court had only custodial possession of the records.

The records in this series were archivally processed in August 2026 by Alan B. Barnett.