Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy

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Guide to Salt Lake 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 1852, when the county was formed.

Great Salt Lake Marina, Salt Lake County, UT






Quick start:


Salt Lake County, Utah
Map
Map of Utah highlighting Salt Lake County
Location in the state of Utah, United States Genealogy
Facts
Founded 1852
County Seat Salt Lake City
Courthouse
Utahsaltlakecourthouse.jpg
Address Salt Lake City and County Building
45 1 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT
Website: www.slcgov.com
Named for: Great Salt Lake
Greatsaltlake.jpg
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County Facts[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The County was formerly called the Great Salt Lake County. The name was changed to Salt Lake 29 Jan 1868 The County is located in the north center area of the state. [1]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Salt Lake County Courthouse
2001 State Street Room S2200
Salt Lake City, Ut 84190
Phone: 801-468-3519

County Clerk has marriage records from 1887, divorce and court records from 1896, and probate records from 1852. County Recorder has land records.[2]

Salt Lake County, Utah Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1898 1887 1897 1896 1852 1852 1851
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1905. General compliance by 1917.

Records Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Parent Counties[edit | edit source]

Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy was created March 3, 1852 as an original county from Utah Territory.

See also Green River County (old)

Tip
 Before the county was created—and perhaps until the newly-formed county was fully operational—search records of the parent counties.
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

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 Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy from "UT: Index of Counties and Equivalents," Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries for Utah.

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy is surrounded by: Davis | Morgan | Summit | Tooele | Utah |

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[4]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships
Ghost towns
± This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Resources[edit | edit source]

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 Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy entries with names, images, or information.

  • Christy Fillerup. Focus on Salt Lake County Crossroads (June, 2009): 62-74. Utah Genealogical Association


Tip
 Don't overlook Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Archives and Libraries.


1852: Salt Lake County was created as an original county.[5]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

  • Biographies (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog for Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see public libraries.

Business Records and Commerce[edit | edit source]

See business records
See also Utah Occupation and Business Records

  • [(microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog for Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see public libraries.

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

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
USGenWeb Genealogy Trails
UTGenWeb Archives Hometown Locator
Interment 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.

  • 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).

See also:

Census[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1850 6,157 —
1860 11,295 83.4%
1870 18,337 62.3%
1880 31,977 74.4%
1890 58,457 82.8%
1900 77,725 33.0%
1910 131,426 69.1%
1920 159,282 21.2%
1930 194,102 21.9%
1940 211,623 9.0%
1950 274,895 29.9%
1960 383,035 39.3%
1970 458,607 19.7%
1980 619,066 35.0%
1990 725,956 17.3%
2000 898,387 23.8%
2010 1,029,655 14.6%
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.

Churches and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

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 Salt Lake 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)[edit | edit source]
Green check.png
The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.


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

Guide to history and records of wards and branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

1st Ward2nd Ward3rd Ward4th Ward5th Ward6th Ward7th Ward8th Ward9th Ward10th Ward11th Ward12th-13th Ward12th-13th Ward14th Ward15th Ward16th Ward17th Ward18th Ward19th WardSalt Lake City UT Wards 1849.png


Salt Lake City Stakes (1930): Ensign Stake, Utah • Granite Stake, Utah • Grant Stake, Utah • Liberty Stake, Utah • Pioneer Stake, Utah • Salt Lake Stake, Utah

Stakes in the county (1930): Cottonwood Stake, Utah · East Jordan Stake, Utah · Oquirrh Stake, Utah · West Jordan Stake, Utah

Places in the County (1930): Click on the stake (in parentheses) for boundaries, history timeline, and records.
Bennion (Cottonwood) · Bingham Canyon (West Jordan) · Bluffdale (West Jordan) · Butler (East Jordan) · Cottonwood (Cottonwood) · Crescent (East Jordan) · Draper (East Jordan) · Granger (Oquirrh) · Grant (Cottonwood) · Granite (East Jordan) · Herriman (West Jordan) · Holladay (Cottonwood) · Hunter (Oquirrh) · Lark (West Jordan) · Magna (Oquirrh) · Midvale (East Jordan) · Millcreek (Cottonwood) · Murray (Cottonwood) · Riverton (West Jordan) · Salt Lake City · Sandy (East Jordan) · South Jordan (West Jordan) · Taylorsville (Cottonwood) · Union (East Jordan) · West Jordan (West Jordan) ·

List of Salt Lake County stakes and wards


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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  · [[Salt Lake County, Utah#Probate_Records|Probate]

Directories[edit | edit source]

Gotoarrow.png See Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy and Utah Directories

Dwellings - History[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic and Other Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Funeral homes can have information that is not found on death records. There are several funeral homes located in Salt Lake County.

List of Salt Lake County Funeral Homes

Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

See Utah Gazetteers

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.


  • Rees, Nesta, When the Parry Saints Went Marching Out. The author traces the John Parry family from Newmarket to Salt Lake City. Family Trees illustrated the article and a picture of a headstone, in SLC, showing John and wife Harriet, with year dates, and born North Wales. John worked as a mason on the Salt Lake Temple. Article in Hel Achau, #29, Christmas, 1989, pages 22-25. Family History Library book 942.93 D25h

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Salt Lake County

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

1825 The first US explorer in the Salt Lake area is believed to be Jim Bridger.

  • 1843. U.S. Army officer John C. Frémont surveyed the Great Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Valley.
  • 1846.The Donner party, a group of ill-fated pioneers, traveled through the Great Salt Lake Valley in August.
  • 1847.Salt Lake County was settled when Mormon Pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.
  • 1847. On July 29, 1847 a group of Mormon Pioneers, known as the Mississippi Company, among them John Holladay of Alabama, entered the Salt Lake Valley. Within weeks, they discovered a free-flowing, spring-fed stream, which they called Spring Creek, now known as Holladay.
  • 1849.Herriman was established by Robert Dansie, Henry Harriman, and Thomas Jefferson Butterfield. A monument in the Herriman City Cemetery lists the original four families of Herriman as the Thomas Jefferson Butterfield, John Jay Stocking, Robert Cowan Petty, and Henry Harriman families.
  • 1849. The Mormon Pioneers organized a new state called Deseret and petitioned for its recognition.
  • 1850. The U.S. Congress rebuffed the settlers petition and established the Utah Territory,and designated Fillmore as its capital city.
  • 1850.March 3. Salt Lake County was created as an original county.
  • 1853. Construction started on The Salt Lake Temple.
  • 1857.The territorial capital was moved to Great Salt Lake City, when the name was shortened to Salt Lake City.
  • 1862. Fort Douglas was established on the east bench, near the University of Utah, to make sure that the territory maintained its allegiance during the American Civil War.
  • 1865. Alta was founded.
  • 1868.January 29: The original county name Great Salt Lake County was shortened to Salt Lake County.
  • 1878.An 1878 fire and an 1885 avalanche destroyed most of the original mining town of Alta.
  • 1885.The army established Camp Murray to house several companies of the Ninth Infantry Regiment.
  • 1935.In 1935, Norwegian skiing legend Alf Engen was hired to help develop the area, and Alta opened its first ski lift in 1938.
  • 1942.Camp Kearns, a massive military installation created for World War II, was created in what is now Kearns and Taylorsville on the western side of the valley.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia
 Wikipedia has more about this subject: Salt Lake County, Utah
The area that was to become Salt Lake County was settled in 1847 when Mormon Pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fleeing persecution in the East, arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after traveling through Emigration Canyon. Brigham Young, their leader, declared "This is the right place" after seeing the valley, which was at the time arid, dry, and unpromising. However, they soon developed a flourishing, self-sufficient city, Great Salt Lake City, through extensive irrigation techniques. Thousands of Latter-day Saints from around the world followed in the next several decades. The county was officially formed on January 31, 1850, with just over 11,000 residents recorded.

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

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.
  • Some Land Claim books covering 1871-1894 and a Land Title Docket covering 1871-1891 are included in the FamilySearch Historical Records collection entitled Utah, State Archives

One example listing ownership is:

  • Morgan, Nicholas G. Pioneer Map: Great Salt Lake City, Great Basin, North America. N.p.: 1851?. (Family History Library FHL fiche 6051237; map 979.225 E7man.) This map includes historical data and index to names of original owners and their locations by lot or lots and blocks. The index to this map consists of names of major land owners in various Salt Lake City wards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  • Grundvig, David L.and Sharon Lauritzen. Index to Pioneer Map, Great Salt Lake City, for 1850s. N.p. 1981. (Family History Library FHL book 979.225 E7man index.)


Utah is a federal land grant state. Salt Lake County was the first one to exist in Utah and is the largest. Land was, at first, distributed as allotments. A settler could request a certain amount of property and then the land was distributed by lottery. There were town lots, farms of five acres, and further away from the center of town, farms of ten acres.

“For the first 22 years after settlement, land ownership was based on Utah territorial land policies. The Utah Territorial Assembly governed land ownership in Utah and established methods of surveying and acquiring title. These practices and the documents they created were recognized in Utah Territory, but did not provide Utah settlers with federally recognized legal title to land.

Reconciliation between the territorial and federal land distribution systems required Congressional legislation to establish a land office in Salt Lake City, integrate Utah Territory into the national land system, and provide relief to the inhabitants of cities and towns on the public domain. The federal government opened a land office in Salt Lake City on March 9, 1869.”(Source: Ronda Frazier, Probate Court Land Claim Record Books, 1871-1894, Salt Lake County Records Management & Archives Series #PC-010, pg.3.)

A great way to learn about land records is to search for articles in the Utah Historical Quarterly Online. An example would be the following article: Lawrence L. Linford, “Establishing and Maintaining Land Ownership in Utah Prior to 1869,” Utah Historical Society Quarterly 42 no. 2 (Spring 1974):142.

Location of Land Records

Federal Land

  • See Utah Land and Property for more information on Federal Land. Check out the BLM online site for the Land Entry Case Files and the Utah BLM online site for records and maps. Around 60% of homesteads were not proved up - be sure to check the Cancelled, Rejected, and Relinquished Land Entry Files at National Archives.

Church History Library

  • Original allotment records: possibly non-extant. The Church History Library has more information on the original land lottery held in 1847-1850 and an in house index.

Salt Lake County Archives

  • Land Title Cases: Salt Lake County Archives has Land Claim Record Books on Microfilm and Land Title Certificate Files in boxes, the average file is 7 pages, an alphabetical index to this collection is found online at their site: Link. These records are from The Probate Court, 1851-1895.
  • They also have surveyor records, tax records, even aerial photos of property. These were used to help straighten the surveying of property from historical times. There are also accessor tax records that often contain photos of buildings on a property.

Utah State Archives

  • Original Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
  • Guide to Researching Land Records in Utah

University of Utah

Salt Lake County Recorder's Office

The Recorder's Office has worked diligently to keep all the records at the Recorder’s office. At one time, parts of their collection had been sent to the State Archives and have now been returned. The Recorder’s Office has all records back to 1950 online, all plat maps available digitally, and are continuously working to digitize the rest of their 8,000,000 records. Their goal is to have anyone from anywhere, with an account, be able to trace land titles. The account is quite pricey, but can be accessed in the Recorders office for free. There are training sessions on Tuesdays that last 1 ½ - 2 hours but only available for account holders. Seating is limited. The Family History Library has only a small portion of their collection on microfilm. They have deed books from 1855-1901 and a few plat maps. Unfortunately, there are only grantor/grantee indexes for the first two books and the film is a very poor quality. To access the rest of the indices it is necessary to visit the Recorder’s office. There are two areas to search: the abstract books in the main office and all the other records are located in the vault and can be viewed upon request.

  • County Deeds from 1855-current, mining records, plat maps, federal tax liens, DD 214 military discharge records, water tax, lien and leases, and mortgages, some bounty land grants for military services, inheritance taxes: are located at the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office Vault. Working plat maps kept until the late 1980’s are restricted. They can be viewed if the staff retrieve them, copies are not allowed. The DD 214’s are restricted because they contain social security numbers. All other records are open for viewing.
  • Granter/Grantee Indexes There are granter/grantee indexes from 1855-1862; 1888-1975. Books C-2G indexes do not exist. The numbers on the books are alphabetical. The first book is A, then B – Z. Then it starts all over again 2A-2Z through 5A-5Z. These books cover 1855-1901. Books A & B have the granter/grantee index in the front. I contacted Salt Lake County Archives, Utah State Archives, and talked with staff in the Recorder’s Office. No one knows what happened to these indices.
  • Abstract Books The red abstract books are a sort of granter/grantee index organized under the subdivision name and coordinates. One can trace the title of a property this way. Their computer system is not designed for alphabetical name searches. On the computer one must look up the address or coordinates of the property to be searched and it will state what abstract book to start in. These are very tiny print copy books of the real abstract books located in the vault. Luckily there are magnifying glasses on the counter one can use to see the tiny handwriting. The books contain the land transactions for specific subdivisions starting at the creation of the subdivision until 1981. These books also contain tax sales and mortgage information.
  • Original Plat Maps These have been digitized and can be purchased.

City Directories: can be found at the Family History Library, Church History Library, Utah State Archives, University of Utah, and Brigham Young University, etc. There are a few early directories available on Internet Archive.

Mandatory Address Changes

It is very important to know that street address changes were made officially in the state in 1972. Street addresses, particularly on the south and north sides of Main Street were greatly affected. This is necessary to be able to recognize or locate any property before 1972. Two references are helpful in understanding the changes: a website article entitled Salt Lake City and County Street Names and Numbers and a pamphlet called Salt Lake City and County Streets and Their Numbers. All streets historically, to the west, were off by one number, for example, 400 West became 500 West. See Don Strack, “Salt Lake City and County Street Names and Numbers,” Utahrails.net and
Richard R. Lyman, Salt Lake City And County Streets And Their Numbers (Salt Lake City, Utah: Wilson’s Book Store, 1951); Utah State History Utah State Archives Research Room, PAM 2317, Salt Lake City.


Maps[edit | edit source]

Morgan CountySummit CountyWasatch CountyUtah CountyTooele CountyDavis CountyUT SALT LAKE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Google highway map of Salt Lake County 2012

Salt Lake City plot map, 1860. If you know the block and lot number, you can find it on the map and find the modern street address by counting from the Temple Block. This map will also indicate which ward the lot was in.

Migration[edit | edit source]

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

Military[edit | edit source]

Civil War[edit | edit source]
World War I[edit | edit source]
World War II[edit | edit source]

Minorities[edit | edit source]

Names, Geographical[edit | edit source]

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

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.)

On the following GenWeb link you will find the summary of the Court Petitions Index, volumes 1 - 9. In each index volume you will find the name of the petitioner, place of birth, location of court, volume and page number. As an example click on volume 1. Click on volumes 2 - 8 on the Court Petition Index.

Utah. District Court. (Salt Lake County). Naturalization Records 1853–1936, index 1858–1980, Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Archives and Records Service 1980–1981, 1989–1990. FHL 1643989 (first film of 61) An index covering territorial and district courts from about 1858–1980 is on the first film in the series. It includes most northern Utah counties. Also in the series is declarations and petitions from 1851–1936. The territorial minutes indexed in this record are found in:

  • Utah. District Court. (Salt Lake County). Court Minutes, 1858–1920. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Archives and Records Service, 1981–1982. FHL film 1654506 (first film of 33) These early minutes include naturalizations which are arranged chronologically in each volume.
  • On this link you will find three different pages://files.usgwarchives.net/ut/saltlake/court/nats/1906/ Index of Intention - 1906] Vol. 2 (1907-1908); Salt Lake County, Utah. You will find applicant name, place of birth, location of court, and volume and page numbers. Index Volume 2; Index Volume 3; Index Volume 4.

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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, ($)
  • Utah Digital Newspapers Project presents newspaper images online. Search All Newspapers by name or keywords, or Browse by County to view all newspapers digitized for Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy.
    • Several newspapers covering various dates from 1850-1960 are included. Including the Salt Lake Tribune (1871 - 1914). For Salt Lake Tribune (1923-1977) text coverage see Salt Lake Tribune, The (Salt Lake City, Utah) Ancestry.com ($)
  • BYU Digital Collections has Vol 41 of Woman's Exponet and a description/history of this which ran June 1, 1872-Feb 1914. Click on Newspapers in right hand box.
  • Google News Archive has hundreds of newspapers in digital form from all over the United States. These are easily searched by the title of the newspaper. The dates available are listed under the title. For example, one of the largest newspapers in Utah is called, "The Deseret News" and is available from 1832-2003. If looking for an obituary and it isn't online then check the microfilm form of the newspaper - a few places to look are Salt Lake County Library Whitmore Branch, Brigham Young University, and Church History Library.
  • Call the local public library for the town newspaper archive information. Often, they hold the original papers, microfilm, or information leading to the current location of the newspaper.

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

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:

Websites for death records in the state of Utah and specifically for Salt Lake County include:

  • From the GenWeb site (scroll down from the top of the page) you will find individual obituaries, obituaries from the Desert News (2004 - 2005 selected months), and from the Salt Lake Tribune (2004 - 2005 selected months).
  • Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1849-1949. This title is misleading, because all the deaths were recorded in the City of Salt Lake City. There are no deaths recorded in any other places within the county in this County Death Records group.
  • Utah Death Certificates 1904-1956: A free internet access to the 1904-1956 death certificates can be viewed at certificates. 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.
  • Utah State Burial Index for death before 1904 - Utah Burials Search
  • In this link Salt Lake City Deaths Jan 1 to Nov 1, 1892: you will find a list of deaths in Salt Lake of person eighteen years of age upward from Jan 1 - Nov 1, 1892

Occupations[edit | edit source]

  • Kennecott Miner Records: personnel records of employment from 1900-1919. Over 40,000 records from the Utah Copper Company are handwritten and contain the following employee information: name, date employed, address, dependents, age, weight, height, eyes, hair, gender, nationality, engaged by, last employer, education, occupation, department, pay rate, date leaving employment, and reason for leaving. Also known as Bingham Canyon Mine and Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine.

Other[edit | edit source]

Prison[edit | edit source]

Officials and Employees[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Politics and Government[edit | edit source]

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

Public Records[edit | edit source]

Schools[edit | edit source]

Taxation[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Salt Lake City County Health Department

200 East 610 South Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-99
Telephone: 801-534-4657
Internet: Salt Lake Valley Health Department

Pre-1905 records are often incomplete.

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[edit | edit source]
Below are the best sources to find birth information (dates and places of birth and names of parents) for Salt Lake 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 1852[edit | edit source]
Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy was formed on 3 March 1852.
      If your records show the person was born here before the county was formed,
      search parent counties
Tip
 Before county formation, go to Utah Censuses to locate the family around the time of birth.

Birth 1852 - 1890[edit | edit source]
No birth records were created for Salt Lake 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:
Birth 1890 - present[edit | edit source]
Though not required to do so, Salt Lake City began registering births in 1890.
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.
Tip
 It took a few years after the requirements for people, doctors, midwives, and officials to comply, so some early birth registrations were missed.



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.
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.
  • Salt Lake Valley Health Department Vital Records Offices: Salt Lake City Health Center, 610 South 200 East, Suite 115, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, 385-468-4230. Ellis R. Shipp Health Center, 4535 South 5600 West, West Valley City, UT 84120, 385-468-3712. Southeast Public Health Center, 9340 South 700 East (directly behind McDonald's), Sandy, UT 84070, 385-468-4329.
____________________
Marriage[edit | edit source]

Marriage registers from 1887 through 1950's microfilmed and then destroyed. Microfilm copy available at the Family History Library and centers. Microfilm copy is not available at the county clerk's office.

  • 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
  • 1847-1929 58,919 marriages from 1847 to 18 September 1929 are listed on the Western States Marriage Index. Index is incomplete as there are few civil government recorded marriages in Salt Lake County prior to 1887. Many entries were taken from alternative sources, such as Elias Smith's journal. Some early divorce records were also indexed and included. This is not a complete database. Linkpendium contributors list marriage year span as 1888 to 1970.[13]
  • 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
  • 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
  • 1887-1940 - Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1940 at FamilySearch — index and images
  • 1887–1965 — Salt Lake County (Utah). County Clerk. Marriage Records, 1887–1965. [14]The first 18 films index the licenses and certificates. These records have been indexed in the Early Church Information File up to 1914.

There is an additional index from 1887 to 1987 available on fiche:

  • 1887–1987 — Salt Lake County (Utah). County Clerk. Alphabetic Marriage Listing 1887–1987. [15]There are 24 fiche for each number. The first set of fiche is an index to the grooms and the second is an index to the brides. These will lead you to the above record.FHL fiche 6052848 male 6052849 females
Divorce[edit | edit source]

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.

  • 1852–1856, 1877–1887 — Utah. Probate Court (Salt Lake County) Divorce Records, 1852–1856, 1877–1887. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. FHL film 431227 This record is unindexed and is in chronological order. It gives names of each spouse and reason for separation or divorce, and date of court action.
Death[edit | edit source]

Copies of death records and indexes for Salt Lake City and County are available at the Family History Library.

Online

  • 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.

Microfilm

  • 1848-1950 - Salt Lake City (Utah). Office of Vital Statistics. Death Records of Salt Lake City, Utah, 1848–Sept 1950. [16]These records provide name, birth and death information, address or city, and sometimes burial information.
  • 1897–1905 — Salt Lake County (Utah). County Clerk. Register of Deaths, Salt Lake County, Book A, 1897–1905. [17]These records are for the county only and do not have Salt Lake City death records. They are indexed. The record gives name, birth and death information, address or city of residence, and sometimes burial information.

Death Record Substitutes

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

Voting Registers[edit | edit source]

Websites[edit | edit source]

Links to indexes or images of records:

  • FamilySearch.org. Collections are growing at record rates. If the county is not listed, check later.

Links to Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy collections:

Sites that gather links to the Internet

  • Linkpendium
  • CyndisList

Archives, Libraries, etc.[edit | edit source]

Resources for Salt Lake 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: Salt Lake 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 · Societies sections.

Salt Lake County Archives[edit | edit source]

Courthouse[edit | edit source]

County seat: Salt Lake City

Salt Lake County Courthouse
2001 State Street Room S2200
Salt Lake City, Ut 84190
Phone: 801-468-3519

County Clerk has marriage records from 1887, divorce and court records from 1896, and probate records from 1852. County Recorder has land records.[2]

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

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

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Salt Lake City Public Library has many resources for history and genealogy, such copies of local newspapers and much more. While many libraries in Utah have an area dedicated to local collections and manuscripts, this is exceptional.

A directory of branches of the Salt Lake City Library System can be found at Public Libraries.

See also Utah's Online Library, which provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps.

Museums[edit | edit source]

  • Church History Museum

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Towns and Communities in this county[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Salt Lake, Utah" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_County,_Utah accessed 4 Dec 2018
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Salt Lake County, Utah Page 687 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Salt Lake County, Utah . Page 686-688 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 676-677.
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Salt Lake County, Utah," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_County,_Utah, accessed 17 February 2019.
  5. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  6. ↑ "Oregon California Trails Association" at http://octatrails.micromaps.com/ (accessed 18 July 2011).
  7. ↑ "The Pioneer Story: The Mormon Pioneer Trail" in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/pioneer-trek (accessed 18 July 2011).
  8. ↑ "Jefferson Hunt" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Hunt (accessed 6 September 2011).
  9. ↑ "Central Overland Route" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Overland_Route (accessed 13 September 2011).
  10. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Union Pacific Railroad" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_Railroad (accessed 14 September 2011).
  11. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Central Pacific Railroad" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Pacific_Railroad (accessed 14 September 2011).
  12. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_and_Rio_Grande_Western_Railroad (accessed 14 September 2011).
  13. ↑ "Salt Lake County, Utah: Family History and Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records and More," Linkpendium, http://www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA/UT/Salt_Lake/, accessed 1 February 2012.
  14. ↑ Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1965–1966. (Family History Library FHL Films 429035–312.)
  15. ↑ Salt Lake City, Utah: Management Information Systems, 1987. (Family History Library FHL Fiche 6052848–49.)
  16. ↑ Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1950. (Family History Library FHL Films 26553–83.)
  17. ↑ Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977. (Family History Library FHL Film 485535.)
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