Rich County, Utah Genealogy

United States

Utah

Rich County

Guide to Rich 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 1864, when the county was formed.

Bear Lake, Rich County, UT

Utah Online Genealogy Records

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Rich County, Utah
Map
Location in the state of Utah, United States Genealogy
Location of Utah in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 13, 1854
County Seat	Randolph
Courthouse
Address	Coalville, UT
Website: www.richcountyut.org
Named for: ...
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 an early apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Charles C. Rich. The County is located in the north center area of the state.

County Courthouse

Rich County Courthouse
20 North Main Street
P O Box 218
Randolph, Ut 84064-0218

Formerly Richland County, the name was changed to Rich on 29 Jan 1868
County Clerk has marriage records from 1888, divorce, probate and court records from 1872.
County recorder has land records.

Rich County, Utah Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1898	1888	1898	1872	1872	1872	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

Rich County, Utah Genealogy was created January 16, 1864 from: Cache

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.

• Boundary changes timeline for Rich County, Utah Genealogy from "UT: Index of Counties," Newberry Library's Utah Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Neighboring Counties

Rich County, Utah Genealogy is surrounded by: Cache | Morgan | Summit | Weber | Idaho county: Bear Lake|Franklin| Wyoming county: Lincoln |Uinta

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:

Towns
Garden City Laketown	Randolph (county seat)	Woodruff
Census-designated places
Garden
Ghost towns
Argyle

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 Rich 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.

Biography

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	USGW Tombstone Project
Billion Graves (name)	Utah Periodicals	Utah Cemeteries and Burials
BillionGraves		Linkpendium
USGW Cemeteries		Genealogy Trails
UTGenWeb Archives		Hometown Locator
		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).

• Cemeteriesat the Utah State Historical site

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	1,955	—
1880	1,263	−35.4%
1890	1,527	20.9%
1900	1,946	27.4%
1910	1,883	−3.2%
1920	1,890	0.4%
1930	1,873	−0.9%
1940	2,028	8.3%
1950	1,673	−17.5%
1960	1,685	0.7%
1970	1,615	−4.2%
1980	2,100	30.0%
1990	1,725	−17.9%
2000	1,961	13.7%
2010	2,264	15.5%
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 Rich 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  · [[Rich County, Utah#Probate_Records|Probate]

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

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.

History

• Parson, Robert E. A history of Rich County, Utah Centennial County History Series

History Timeline

NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Rich County.

• 1811 - The belief was that the county was first visited by European descendent explorers
• 1811 - Joseph Miller, a trapperl discovered the Bear River.
• 1827 - First annual rendevous of trappers on the south shore of Bear Lake.  Tradition continues today.
• 1863 - First permanent settlement in Round Valley.
• 1864 - January 16: County created.
• 1864 - Laketown settled (now a ghost town).
• 1868 - Rich County created.
• 1870 - Randolph settled.
• 1877 - Garden City settled. Latter-day Saint branch organized.
• 1879 - Branch in Garden City reorganized as a ward.
• 1969-1971 - David M. Kennedy served as Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. Born 1905 in Randolf.

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.

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Google highway map of Rich County 2012
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

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

• USGenWeb Archives, Rich County, Utah. you will find transcribed information of the following:

• Draft Cards - Birth Information 1917-18 - Rich County, Utah

World War II

• 1929-1954 - Utah, World War II Index to Army Veterans of Utah, 1939-1945 at FamilySearch — index
• 1940-1945 - Utah, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1947 at FamilySearch — index and images

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.)

• 1848-2001 - Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001, a FamilySearch digital collection, contains certificates of naturalization, 1878-1896 and 1896-1933; declaration of intentions 1874-1896 and a1904-1906; petition and record 1907-1942.
  
• 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 Rich County, Utah Genealogy.
  • The Round-Up, Rich Co. News and Rich Co. Reaper, covering 1896-1898, 1907-1923, 1928-1945 respectively 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 Rich 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
  

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 Utah Probate Records 1851-1961 at FamilySearch — images

Public Records

Taxation

Vital 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 Rich 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 1864

Rich County, Utah Genealogy was formed on 16 January 1864.

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

Birth 1864 - 1897

No birth records were created for Rich 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 20947 for Rich 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.
  • Inventory of originals, Series 20947 at Utah State Archives
  • FamilySearch Library copy: FHL film 480878 . There are no names of children in the records. The film actually covers 1898-1905 and 1912. The 1912 register has child's names.
  • 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 Rich 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.
• 1892 - 1941 - 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.

• Bear River Health Department, Garden City, 115 South Bear Lake Blvd., 84028, Phone (435) 881-3383. Randolph, 275 North Main Street, 84064, Phone (435)793-2445.

____________________

Marriage

• 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
• 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
• 1887-1940 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1940 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1887-1934 Western States Marriage Index. Includes Rich County 1887-1934.
• 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)

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.

• Divorce records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog for Rich County, Utah Genealogy. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Archives, Libraries, etc.

Death

• 1904-1964 -Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1964 at FamilySearch — index and images . 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, birth date, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence.

• Pre-1904 - Utah State Burial Data Base This site includes information on many Utah residents, who died before 1904.

Death Record Substitutes

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

Voting Registers

Websites

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

Links to indexes or images of records:

• FamilySearch.org. Collections are growing at record rates. If the county is not listed, check later.
  • Utah State Archives records, 1848–2001
  • Also see Utah to search items that include Rich County, Utah Genealogy.

Links to Rich County, Utah Genealogy collections:

• FamilySearch Library Catalog
  • Rich County, Utah Genealogy (Select topics)
  • Towns in Rich County, Utah Genealogy (Space, then select town)

Sites that gather links to the Internet

• Linkpendium
• CyndisList

Archives, Libraries, etc.

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

Check websites and catalogs of archives and libraries for items for this county. Examples: Rich County, Utah Genealogy items in FamilySearch Library (Utah)). When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

See Courthouse · FamilySearch Centers · Libraries · Museums · Other Repositories · Societies sections.

Courthouse

Rich County Courthouse
20 S Main St , P.O. Box 218
Randolph, UT 84064
Phone: (435) 793-2415
Fax:(435) 793-2410

County seat: Randolph

FamilySearch 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

• Randolph/Woodruff 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.

• Carden City Library; 69 N Paradise Parkway, Bldg. A, Garden City, Utah 84028. Phone: 435-946-2950 .
  • Collections:
• Rich County Community Library; Rich County Senior Citizens Center; 21 North Main Street, Randolph, UT 84064. Phone: 435-793-2122.
  • Collections:

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

Societies

Utah Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Towns and Communities

Map Geeks- Historical Maps of Utah
Website

References

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