Series 23995

SAN FRANCISCO MINING DISTRICT (UTAH). RECORDER [3207]

MINING RECORDS, 1871-1896.
3 microfilm reels

A separate agency history is available.

DESCRIPTION: The San Francisco Mining District was organized in the San Francisco Mountains of Beaver County on 12 August 1871. The following year Congress passed a general mining law validating the already established precedent that mineral deposits in the public domain were free and open to exploration, and locators have exclusive right of possession (Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. 17, 1872, chap. 152). In local areas groups of miners organized districts to manage mining activity and keep records of claims. San Francisco Mining District Record Book A begins with a copy of the by-laws and an index (chronological list of claims recorded in the book). These are followed by notices of location, or mining claims. Since early claims were limited to 200 feet along a lode, several locators were generally listed on each claim. Location notices generally identified a claim by a unique name and provided a description of its location and dimensions. Each location notice was dated and signed by a San Francisco Mining District recorder or deputy. Early location notices also included, on the same page, validation that assessment labor has been completed. Later books include a variety of additional mining related documents. These include affidavits offering proof of the completion of annual assessment labor, and 'exemptions' filed in 1893-1894, when Congress temporarily suspended the requirement for annual assessment work.

ARRANGEMENT: Location notices and other records in San Francisco Mining District record books are chronological by date recorded.

RELATED RECORDS: Additional location notices for claims in the San Francisco District were recorded NOTICES OF LOCATION BOOKS, series 23992. A copy of by-laws as filed with the General Land Office can be found in MINING DISTRICT BY-LAWS, series 3651.

FINDING AIDS: The San Francisco recorder created an index which provides reference to claims recorded in books A-H. Book A also has a chronological list of the claims recorded in that book.

PROCESSING NOTE: San Francisco District mining record books were microfilmed in January 2002 as part of Utah State Archives Millennial Project. The series was processed by Rosemary Cundiff in 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	1871, Aug-1872, Apr ( Book A)
2	1872, Apr - Jun, 1872 (Book A cont.)
2	1872, Jun - 1874, Dec (Book B)
2	1875, Jan - 1879, Feb (Book C)
2	1879, Feb - 1882, Jan (Book D)
2	1882, Jan - 1886, Jan (Book E)
2	1886, Jan - 1888, Aug (Book F)
2	1888, Aug - 1893, Jan (Book G)
3	1890, Jan-1897, May (Book H)
3	Index to books A-H