Series 10334

CAMP FLOYD MINING DISTRICT (UTAH) [2426]

MINING RECORDS, 1870-1897.
7 microfilm reels

A separate agency history is available.

DESCRIPTION: When Albert Sydney Johnston's federal army completed its tour of duty in Utah, some of the soldiers stayed to prospect. They discovered silver in the Oquirrh Mountains of Tooele County, and organized the Camp Floyd Mining District in 1870. According to already established precedent, which was validated in 1872 by federal mining law, mineral deposits on the public domain were free and open to exploration and locators of the same had exclusive right of possession (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. 17, chap. 152). In order to regulate mining activity and keep track of individual claims, local miners organized mining districts and appointed district recorders to keep records. Notices of location are the recorder's record of claims within the district. Each notice provides the dimensions of the claim and a description of its location. It names locators, gives the dates of location and recording, and identifies the claim by a unique name.

In addition to location notices Camp Floyd mining records include the by-laws of the district. The original by-laws begin on page 351, Book A. By-laws as they were revised in 1872 appear at the beginning of Book B, and another revision in 1894 commences on page 441 of Book C. Camp Floyd records include location notices for claims other than minerals, such as claims for town lots in the Lewiston town site and at least one "Water Location!!!!" These books include amended location notices, agreements, and mining deeds, as well as a few affidavits showing proof of labor. The bulk of records were recorded either in the early 1870s when silver mines prospered, supporting the Lewiston mining camp, or they were recorded in the 1890s when the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company flourished, supporting the mining town, Mercur.

ARRANGEMENT: Camp Floyd Mining District recorders ordered documents chronologically, however unused pages in Books A and B, which were originally recorded in the 1870s, were used to record location notices in 1892-1894.

RESEARCH NOTE: When the Camp Floyd Mining District was organized the miners recorded minutes, by-laws, and early location notices on the blank pages left in a book that had been previously used as an account book for Albert Sydney Johnston's army stationed at Camp Floyd. The accounts, dated 1859, itemize the supplies used by specific soldiers. Supplies include such things as whiskey, tobacco, coffee, calico, thread, combs, candles, soap, suspenders, socks, sugar, rock candy, apples, etc. Mining records begin on page 352.

RELATED RECORDS: By-laws for the district as filed with the General Land Office in 1894 are included in MINING DISTRICT BY-LAWS, series 3651. The Tooele County recorder kept additional and subsequent records for the Camp Floyd District in MINING RECORDS, series 6150. The Tooele County recorder made a complete transcript of Camp Floyd Mining District Book B. This transcript is Book B of Tooele County mining records (series 6150).

FINDING AIDS: Indexes are included with all Camp Floyd Mining District books. These indexes provide reference by claim name.

PROCESSING NOTE: Mining records for the Camp Floyd District were processed by Rosemary Cundiff in August 2002. Utah State Archives refilmed these records and updated the inventory in January and February 2003.

PREFERRED CITATION: Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

CONTAINER LIST

Reel	Description
1	Book A (Camp Floyd military account records, 1859; mining claims 1870-1871; 1893-1894)
2	Book B (1872, Jun-1893, Dec)
3	Book C (1893, Dec-1894, Nov)
3	Book D (1894, Nov-1895, Aug)
4	Book E (1895, Aug-Nov)
4	Book F (1895, Nov-Dec)
4	Book G (1895, Dec-1896, Jan)
5	Book H (1896, Jan-Feb)
5	Book I (1896, Feb-Mar)
6	Book J (1896, Mar-Apr)
6	Book K (1896, Apr-Jul)
6	Book L (1896, Jul-1897, Jan)
7	Book M (1897, Jan-Feb)
7	Book N (1897, Feb-Jun)
7	Camp Floyd West (1897, Jan-May)