Series 24001

SAN JUAN COUNTY (UTAH). COUNTY RECORDER [904]

MINING LOCATION NOTICES (LODE CLAIMS) , 1900-1951.
4 microfilm reels

A separate agency history is available.

DESCRIPTION: The San Juan County recorder kept a separate set of books in which to record location notices for lode claims. Federal mining law outlined that the first step toward ownership of mineral deposits in the public domain was the discovery of a potentially productive site and recording a claim or notice of location. (see Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. XVII, chap. 152, also Revised Statutes of the United States, chap. 6, title 32). Lode location notices are defined in terms of identified sections of veins or lodes of quartz or other rock bearing gold, silver or other precious metals. By federal law, lode claims could not exceed 1500 feet along the lode. Each claim in these books serves as notification that the undersigned locator has complied with United States and local laws and is entitled to a certain specifically named claim. Each notice identifies the names of locators, names and describes the claim, and provides dates of location and filing. Most of the notices in these books do not identify a mining district, nor do they indicate the locator's objective. However, occasionally stated objectives were copper and uranium. A proliferation of notices recorded 1948-1951 can be attributed to uranium development which became important in San Juan County after World War II.

ARRANGEMENT: In general San Juan County location notices for lode claims are chronologically arranged in the order recorded.

RESEARCH NOTE: In addition to notices of location for lode claims, these books are sprinkled with placer notices, deeds, and affidavits showing proof of labor. Several mining or uranium leases were also recorded in books R 2-R 4. A large section of preprinted location notices was inserted near the end of Book R 4. These copies are too faded to be legible.

RELATED RECORDS: Location notices in these books are referenced by name of claim in MINING RECORDS INDEX (LOCATIONS), series 23583. Mining location notices for lode claims are also recorded in MINING RECORDS, series 84250, and in MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS, series 23400. Prior to 1897 many location notices for lode claims were recorded in the Blue Mountain District in MINING RECORDS, series 24035. After 1951 location notices for lode claims were recorded in San Juan County OFFICIAL RECORDS, series 6682. MINING MAPS, series 23905, depict groups of claims owned by uranium developers.

FINDING AIDS: San Juan County MINING RECORDS INDEX (LOCATIONS), series 23583, provides reference to the records in this series by name of claim.

PROCESSING NOTE: San Juan County mining location notices for lode claims were microfilmed by San Juan County in March and April 2001 and processed by Rosemary Cundiff in January 2002.

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	Apr 1900-Aug 1916 (Mining Claims Book D)
2	Mar 1916-Dec 1932 (Lodes Book R)
3	Apr 1933-Sep 1948 (Lodes Book R 1)
3	Sep 1948- Mar 1951 (Lodes Book R 2)
4	Mar-Jul 1951 (Lodes Book R 3)
4	Jul-Dec 1951 (Lodes Book R4)