Iron County, Utah Genealogy

United States

Utah

Iron County

Guide to Iron County, Utah ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage and death records, cemeteries, census, church records, probate records, and obituaries—resources to find parents and family history since 1850, when the county was formed.

Iron Mountain, Iron County, Utah

Utah Online Genealogy Records

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Iron County, Utah
Map
Location in the state of Utah, United States Genealogy
Location of Utah in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 31, 1850
County Seat	Parowan
Courthouse
Address	Iron County Courthouse 68 S 100 E Parowan, UT 84761
Website: www.ironcounty.net
Named for: local iron mine
Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: Utah Genealogical Association who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Facts

Description

The County was named for the iron mines west of Cedar City. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Iron County Courthouse
68 S 100 East P O Box 429
Parowan, Ut 84761
Phone: 435-477-8341

Formerly Little Salt Lake County, name changed to Iron 3 Dec 1850.
Clerk District Court has divorce,
probate and court records.

Iron County, Utah Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1898	1887	1898	1851	1852	1870	1851
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1905. General compliance by 1917.

Records Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Parent Counties

Iron County, Utah Genealogy was created in 1850 as an original county from Utah Territory

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Utah County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Utah County Boundary Maps" (1849-1960) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

See Iron County, Utah from Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, for a timeline of boundary changes for Iron County, Utah Genealogy.

Neighboring Counties

Iron County, Utah Genealogy is surrounded by: Beaver | Garfield | Kane | Washington | Nevada county: Lincoln

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Cedar City [Cedar Highlands] (incorporated 2018)	Enoch	Parowan (county seat)
Towns
Brian Head	Kanarraville	Paragonah
Unincorporated communities
Beryl Hamilton Fort	Lund	Modena
Native American communities
Paiute Indian Tribe (portions in adjacent counties)
Census-designated places
Beryl Junction	Newcastle	Summit
Ghost towns
Old Iron Town

Resources

The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to Iron County, Utah Genealogy entries with names, images, or information.

Bible Records

The term "Bible records" refers to the practice of keeping family dates and events in a family Bible. This was a common practice in many European countries and carried over to America. Many of these family Bible records are still in existence and preserved by the descendants of the immigrants. In some cases these family Bibles have found their way into libraries and other repositories.

For an explanation of how to find Bible records and for helpful links see Utah Bible Records. See also United States Bible Records.

Biographies

Business Records and Commerce

See United States Business Records
See also Utah Occupation and Business Records

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
FindAGrave	Family History Library	FindAGrave
UTGravestones	WorldCat	Tombstone Project
BillionGraves (name)	Utah Periodicals	Utah Cemeteries and Burials
BillionGraves		Linkpendium
Interment		Genealogy Trails
UTGenWeb Archives		Hometown Locator
USGenWeb		FamilySearch Places
See Utah Cemeteries for more information.

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information. The spouse and children who died young are frequently buried nearby.

More than tombstone inscriptions, cemetery records include sextons (caretakers) records and interment (burial) records, each with slightly different information. See Utah Cemeteries.

• To 1966 - Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah, Territorial to 1966 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Published transcripts of cemetery records are listed in the FamilySearch Library catalog at the town (space, then select the town) or the county level (select Cemeteries).

• Iron County Cemeteries at the Utah State Historical site
• "Burial Permits 1909-1962" and "Cemetery Record 1899-2001"

Cedar City Cemetery
Address: 745 North Main, Cedar City, Utah 84720 Phone: 435-586-2950

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	360	—
1860	1,010	180.6%
1870	2,277	125.4%
1880	4,013	76.2%
1890	2,683	−33.1%
1900	3,546	32.2%
1910	3,933	10.9%
1920	5,787	47.1%
1930	7,227	24.9%
1940	8,331	15.3%
1950	9,642	15.7%
1960	10,795	12.0%
1970	12,177	12.8%
1980	17,349	42.5%
1990	20,789	19.8%
2000	33,779	62.5%
2010	46,163	36.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Census records 1850 and later list names, ages, and places of birth (state or nation) for everyone in the household. Censuses locate the family and have other clues to find more records about them.

• See Utah Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
• See statewide printed indexes, including 1856.

Churches and Religious Groups

The information given in church records depends upon the practices of each religious group. Most include the names of members, often with ages and birth places. Several give birth, christening, or blessing dates for infants. See Utah Church Records for details about various denominations.

• Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed for Iron County, Utah Genealogy at the town level (space, then select a town) or county level (select Church topics) in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• 1877-1918 - Utah LDS Mission Calls and Recommendations 1877-1918 at FamilySearch — index

Historically, most people in Utah were Latter-day Saints. Their records are, therefore, very important for early Utah research. For additional information, see Tracing Latter-day Saint Ancestors and Utah Church Records.

Click a church unit name in the chart below for its history, boundaries, and availability of records, which are often in microfilm format

(Section In process. Want to help?) ____________________

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Utah Court Records for the various courts through the years.

For specialized court records, see Divorce  · Guardianship  · Land  · Naturalization  · Probate

• "County Court Minutes Vol A 1851-1854" and "Probate Court Minutes 1854-1868" are part of FS digital collection: Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001.

Directories

See Utah Directories

Emigration and Immigration

• 1847-1868 - Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868 at FamilySearch — index

Ethnic and Other Groups

Funeral Homes

Southern Utah Mortuary
190 North 300 West
Cedar City, Utah 84720
Toll-Free: (888)586-4040
Phone: (435)586-4040
Fax: (435)586-4343

15 East 100 North
Parowan, UT 84761
Phone: 435-586-4040
Toll Free Phone: 888-586-4040
Fax: 435-586-4343

Gazetteers

See Utah Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Genealogy

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.

Guardianship

Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the Federal District courts. See Utah Court Records.

Guardianship

Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the Federal District courts. See Utah Court Records.

History

Interesting Facts

Iron County was originally named Little Salt Lake Valley, and renamed for the iron mines west of Cedar City.

History Books and Articles

• Seegmiller, Janet Burton. A history of Iron County : community above self Utah Centennial County History Series
• History of Iron County Mission, Parowan, Utah Ancestry.com ($)
  

History Timeline

See UT: Index of Counties... from Newberry Library's Utah Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, for a timeline of boundary changes for Iron County, Utah Genealogy.

NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Iron County, Parowan, Utah and Ceder City, Utah

• 1776. Ancestors of present day Paiute Indians met the Dominguez-Escalante Expediton in this area. 
• 1850. January 31. Iron County was created as an original county.
• 1851 January. First settlement at Parowan as “Iron Mission”.
• 1851. Cedar City settled by Mormon pioneers.
• 1858. Iron works closed, but mining continued.
• 1900’s. Sheep and dairy industries well established.
• 1923. Became tourist gateway with railroad connection to county.
• 1933. Cedar Breaks National Monument established.
• 1961. Utah Shakespeare Festival founded by Fred C. Adams.
• 1964-1965. Brian Head Ski Resort opened for skiing.
  

Notable People

Michael O. Leavitt was born and educated in Cedar City. Governor of Utah, administrator of the United States Environment Protection Agency and secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Land and Property

Land records (especially deeds) often give the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or other clues for further research. They often have other clues for further research, such as witnesses or the other parties who may be relatives or in-laws. See Utah Land and Property for more.

• County Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.

• "Land Certificates 1872" and "Land Certificates 1872-1879" are part of the FS digital collection: Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001.

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Google highway map of Iron County 2012

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Iron County, Utah Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:

• Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah
• Mormon Trail to Southern California 1847 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles, California
• Union Pacific Railroad 1869 Ogden, Utah (among others) to Omaha, Nebraska

Military

• To 1966 - Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah, Territorial to 1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - Utah, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

World War I

• 1914-1918 - Utah, World War I Army Servicemen Records Abstracts, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index
• 1914-1918 - Utah, World War I Service Questionnaires, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index
• 1917-1918 - Utah, World War I County Draft Board Registers, Name Index, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index
• 1917-1918 - Utah, World War I Militia Lists, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index

World War II

• 1929-1954 - Utah, World War II Index to Army Veterans of Utah, 1939-1945 at FamilySearch — index
• The USGenWeb Archives, Iron County, Utah contains World War II
• 1938-1946 - Army Enlistments, 1938 - 1946.
• 1940-1945 - Utah, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1947 at FamilySearch — index and images

Native Races

Naturalization and Citizenship

Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, his* foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Utah Naturalization and Citizenship for more information. (*Women were not naturalized until 1922 in the United States.)

• 1906-1930 - Utah Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1906-1930 Utah, Federal Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at Ancestry- index & images ($)

Newspapers

Small town newspapers contain obituaries, birth or death notices, community news (such as the visit of someone's relatives), legal notices and provide historical content. See Utah newspapers for tips, resources, and details.

• 1850-2003 Utah Newspapers, 1850-2003 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
• Utah Digital Newspapers Project presents newspaper images online. Search All Newspapers by name or keywords, or Browse by County to view all newspapers digitized for Iron County, Utah Genealogy.
  • Parowan Times 1915-1945 and Iron County Records 1923-1940 are included.

Obituaries

Obituaries may mention birth, marriage, spouse, parents, and living family members. See Utah Obituaries for state level compendiums and United States Obituaries for tips and insights regarding this record type.

Obituaries for residents may be found in:

• 1850 – 2005 Utah, Obituaries from Utah Newspapers, 1850-2005 at FamilySearch — index

• 2010-2013 Utah, U.S., Obituary Index, 2010-2013 at Ancestry - index ($)

• Newspapers of Iron County, Utah Genealogy
  *Local Funeral Homes, Societies, Libraries, or in family records.
  *Obituaries of neighboring counties
  *Newspapers of major cities: Deseret News and/or The Salt Lake Tribune both in Salt Lake City
  

• Iron County Obituaries (work in progress) at UTGenWeb - free.
  

Other

Prison

• 1892 – 1949 Board of Pardons Prisoners' Pardon Application Case Files, 1892-1949 at Utah Division of Archives and Records Service – index and images

Periodicals

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

In Utah, such records may be difficult to find. Try records of the church they may have attended. Realize, however, that such records may have not been preserved, and would not be in the typical records of membership.

It is possible there were records kept by civilian authorities. Ask town or county officials and local librarians and the State Archives. Also try National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (online).

Probate Records

Probate cases include court actions regarding property and estates of individuals who have died. Records may locate relatives, provide death dates, and identify property. See Utah Probate Records for more information.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1800 – 1985 Utah Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1851 – 1961 {{https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=206039&query=%2Bplace%3A%22United%20States%2C%20Utah%2C%20Iron%22&subjectsOpen=425175-50 Utah Probate Records 1851-1961}} at FamilySearch
• Family Search Historical Records Collections:
  • Utah State Archives records, 1848–2001

Public Records

Religion and Religious Life

Schools

Social Life and Customs

Taxation

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage, death, and divorce are created by civil (state, county, or city) officials. See Utah Vital Records for details and history of the records.

See also How to order Utah Vital Records or download an application for Utah Birth Certificate, Marriage or Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.

Birth

Below are the best sources to find birth information (dates and places of birth and names of parents) for Iron County, Utah Genealogy. Also available: How to Find Birth Information in Utah.

Follow the suggestions under the year span that matches when your ancestor was born:

Birth before 1850

Iron County, Utah Genealogy was formed in 1850 as Little Salt Lake County.

      If your records show the person was born here before the county was formed,
      search parent counties

Birth 1850 - 1897

No birth records were created for Iron County, Utah Genealogy by either by county or state civil authorities in this time period.

Follow these suggestions to find birth information for this time period:

• Utah Death Certificates 1904-1961 give birth date and place (recorded at the time of death), names of parents, and name of spouse. Search by names or by exact death date.
• Church records usually give birth date and place and names of parents.
• See also other records that give birth information, such as Death records, Census, Cemeteries, Obituaries
• See also neighboring counties for birth information, due to family members living in that area, religious preferences, convenience, and other reasons.

Birth 1898 - present

County clerks became responsible for recording births beginning in 1898. In 1905, the State Department of Health assumed responsibility and required the counties to forward copies of the records to them.

Records open to the public

Birth records created more than 100 years ago State Department of Health Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates page. are open to the public.

• 1898 - 1905 - Online index to births 1898–1905 Series 83761for Iron County, Utah Genealogy by the Utah State Archives. (Free) Search by names of parents, as many entries do not give the child's name. Each entry includes date of birth, sex, residence, etc. The first 6 entries have the child's name.
  • Inventory of series 83761 at Utah State Archives.
  • FamilySearch Library copy: FHL film 485222 item 2-4.
  • Idea: use censuses and church records to learn those missing children's names.

• 1903 - 1914 - Utah, Birth Certificates, 1903-1914 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1906 - 1910 - 1906-1910 online images for Iron County, Utah Genealogy at the State Archives. Browse the "not yet indexed" area by year and county. Most entries do have names of children.
  
  • Later records open to the public are housed at the Utah State Archives, but not online.
• Online Utah, Births and Christenings, 1892-1941, a FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. .

Restricted records

Access to official birth records within 100 years is restricted to those who meet certain requirements. Order copies:

• Office of Vital Records and Statistics, 288 North 1460 West, Salt Lake City, Utah, Phone: (801) 538-6105. How to order online, by mail, or in person.

• Southwest Utah Public Health Department Iron County, 260 DL Sargent Dr., Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone (435) 586-2437.

Marriage

• 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
• 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
• 1887-1940 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1940 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
• 1888-1938 Western States Marriage Index. Includes Iron County 1888-1938.

Divorce

Divorce records give the names of the parties and may give the date and place of their marriage. See Utah Vital Records for excellent information.

Guardianship

Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the Federal District courts. See Utah Court Records.

Death

Utah requires a death certificate before a burial is completed.  A death certificate may contain information as to the name of the deceased, date of death, and place of death, as well as the age, birthdate, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence.

• 1904-1964 Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1964 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Pre-1904 Utah State Burial Index for death before 1904

Death Record Substitutes

• 1870 - U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 at Ancestry ($). Includes 1870 Iron County, Utah Genealogy mortality schedule.
  

Voting Registers

Websites

• Iron County, UT History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Utah Genealogy Network Group on Facebook

Archives, Libraries, etc.

Resources for Iron County, Utah Genealogy are available in libraries, archives, and other repositories at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.

• Check websites and catalogs, such as items in FamilySearch Library (Utah) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for Iron County, Utah Genealogy. When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

See Courthouse · FamilySearch Centers · Libraries · Societies sections.

Courthouse

Welcome to Iron County, Utah - Official Website

Iron County Courthouse, 68 S 100 E, Parowan, UT 84761

The County Courthouse in its various departments has land records, marriage records, and tax records.

County seat: Parowan

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Cedar City Utah Family History Center
• Enterprise Utah Family History Center
• Panguitch Utah Family History Center
• Parowan Utah Family History Center

Libraries

Local public libraries usually have histories, genealogies, indexes of cemeteries, copies of local newspapers, or other records for the area they serve. Many libraries in Utah have an area dedicated to local collections and manuscripts.

• Cedar City Library in the Park 303 North 100 East, Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone 435-586-6661.
  • Collections:
• Parowan Public Library;16 South Main Street,P.O. Box 427, Parowan, UT 84761-0427. Phone: 435-477-3491.

• • Collections:

Check for Iron County, Utah Genealogy items in catalogs and holdings of: Utah Archives and Libraries · University Libraries and Special Collections in Utah · United States Archives and Libraries

See also Utah Public Library Directory, which provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps. Does not mention holdings.

Societies

See also a List of Utah Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Frontier Homestead - Iron County
Website

Towns and Communities

• Avon
• Beryl
• Beryl Junction
• Buckhorn Springs
• Cedar City
• Enoch
• Gold Springs
• Hamilton Fort
• Heist
• Iron Mountain
• Iron Springs
• Irontown
• Kanarraville
• Latimer
• Lund
• Modena
• Newcastle
• North View
• P-Hill
• Paragonah
• Parowan
• Summit
• Uvada
• Wheatgrass
• Yale Crossing
• Zane

References

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