Series 19802

DESCRIPTION: These films from the Nevada State Archives contain records of Carson County. Carson County was initially organized in 1855 as part of Utah Territory; it became part of Nevada Territory in 1861. The volumes include record books, dockets, an account book, minute books, and their related indexes. Many of the volumes are record books of the county recorder and document real estate deeds; mining, land, water, and toll road claims; land and chattel transfers, sales, or mortgages; surveys, including plat maps of towns; and powers of attorney, agreements, and contracts. The occasional marriage or incorporation also may be recorded. Other volumes record the actions of the County Court which acted as a county commission granting land, timber, and water rights; issuing merchant and liquor licenses; laying out roads and school districts; and managing the budget and accounts of the county and its officers. The County Probate Court books record the actions of the Probate Court in civil (including divorce) cases, criminal cases, and probate cases dealing with the estates of deceased persons. A U.S. Marshal book records the actions of the U.S. Marshal in two cases: Martin v. Goodrich and Templeton v. Stevenson and Job. Finally, an account book records the accounts of the county clerk and county treasurer in collecting licensing and poll tax revenues.

ARRANGEMENT: The volumes are filmed in no particular order, however entries within the volumes are generally chronological.

RESEARCH NOTE: Although the title of a volume may imply that only a specific type of deed or other document is included, this is generally not the case; entries of various types may occur. The order of the filming is not the same order as the volumes discussed in the published index. Record book titles may differ on film and in the published index. A microfilm cross reference created by the Nevada State Archives provides a means of going from the published index to the film; that cross reference appears as Appendix B here. To go from the film to the published index, the page number where the volume is first noted in the published index appears in parentheses on the container list. Those items on the film which do not appear in the published index, often because they are simply indexes themselves, are also noted in the container list. The published index also indexes an 1851–1855 volume not found on this film.

The film in this series cannot be borrowed from the Utah State Archives. However, the Nevada State Library does have a copy for inter-library loan throughout the country. Nevada's reel numbering system appears in brackets on the container list; there was no 93-3 with this material. A copy of Nevada's content listing appears as Appendix C here.

FINDING AIDS: Many of the individual volumes have their own index. A published text, An Inventory & Index to The Records of Carson County, Utah & Nevada Territories, 1855-1861,compiled by Marion Ellison, Grace Dangberg Foundation, Inc. 1984, Reno., provides a more comprehensive index to some of the volumes. A copy of the book is available in the Research Center.

CUSTODY HISTORY: These record books are in the custody of the Nevada State Archives. A film copy of the books was given to the Utah State Archives on 5 March 1998. A copy of the correspondence appears as Appendix A here.

PROCESSING NOTE: This film and copies of the published index, microfilm cross reference, and content listing were given to the Utah State Archives by Jeffrey M. Kintop of the Nevada State Archives on 5 March 1998. A series inventory was written, and the necessary reformatting to correspond to the style and database of the Utah State Archives was completed, in June 1998 by A.C. Cone.

CONTAINER LIST