Series 23675

HARRISBURG MINING DISTRICT (UTAH). RECORDER [3100]

MINING RECORDS, 1871-1897.
2 microfilm reels

A separate agency history is available.

DESCRIPTION: The Harrisburg Mining District (originally the Union Mining District) was organized in 1871, after the discovery of silver in Silver Reef. In accordance with established practice, which Congress enacted into law the following year (1872), mineral deposits in the public domain were free and open to exploration, and locators of the same had exclusive right of possession. Local mining districts managed mining operations and kept a record of claims. (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. XVII, chap. 152). The Harrisburg Mining District record books contain the minutes of early meetings held by the miners and the by laws adopted for the district. Thereafter, they contain primarily mining claims or notices of location. For each notice the mining district recorder reported the names of locators, the name of the mining claim, and a legal description of the location. In addition to notices of location, the mining record books include other mining documents such as, mining deeds, documents validating labor performed on claims, documents about water rights, notices of relocation, protests against notices of location, amended notices, and maps identifying the location of particular claims.

ARRANGEMENT: The mining district recorder arranged claims and other mining documents chronologically as recorded.

RESEARCH NOTE: Harrisburg Mining District Record Book A sustained significant damage before it was microfilmed. Rodents or termites have eaten a large hole completely through the book. Most mining claims can be identified by name of mine, name of locator and date because this information is on the top or bottom of each page, however, location information has been essentially destroyed.

RELATED RECORDS: The Washington County recorder recorded deeds and other mining related documents for the Harrisburg District in DEEDS (SILVER REEF), series 23263; and also in DEEDS (TOQUERVILLE), series 23265 and DEEDS (WASHINGTON), series 23262. He historically documented ownership and activity on mining claims in the Harrisburg as well as other mining districts in ABSTRACTS (MINES), series 23670. After 1891 he recorded deeds and other mining documents in MINING NOTICES OF LOCATION, series 81372.

FINDING AIDS: Indexes have been included in at the beginning of books A-D, and G however the letters A and B are missing from the index to Book D, and the index to Book A has been essentially destroyed by pest damage. Indexes provide reference by the names of mining claims. Books E and F do not have indexes

PROCESSING NOTE: Harrisburg Mining District record books were microfilmed by Utah State Archives in April 1983 and processed by Rosemary Cundiff in June 2001.

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	Mar 1871-Feb 1876 (Mining Record Book A)
1	Jan-Dec 1876 (Mining Record Book B)
1	Dec 1876-Jan 1878 (Mining Record Book C)
2	Feb 1878-Jun 1882 (Mining Record Book D)
2	Jun 1882-Jun 1886 (Mining Record Book E)
2	Jun 1886-Aug 1896 (Mining Record Book F)
2	Aug 1896-Jan 1897 (Mining Record Book G)