Series 24152

A separate agency history is available.

DESCRIPTION: In August 1870 miners in the Tooele area organized the Tooele City Mining District in an area that had previously been part of the Rush Valley Mining District. According to established precedent, which was later validated when Congress passed a federal mining law, mineral deposits in the public domain were free and open to exploration, and locators of the same had exclusive right of possession. In local areas miners organized mining districts and elected district recorders to oversee mining operations and keep records of claims. (See Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America, vol. 17, 1872, chap. 152). Records for the Tooele City District begin with a copy of the by-laws for the district. These are followed by location notices and then a copy of by-laws as they were revised in October 1887. Each location 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 with a unique name. Early notices of location include several locators and identify the number of feet allowed to each.

ARRANGEMENT: Tooele City Mining District records are roughly chronological by date recorded.

RELATED RECORDS: After 1887 records for the Tooele District were kept by the Tooele County recorder, MINING RECORDS, series 6150. Prior to 1870 records of mining claims in this area were recorded by the Rush Valley Mining District: MINING RECORDS, series 24160 and TRANSFERS, series 24161.

FINDING AIDS: Tooele City Mining District Book A includes an index at the end of the book. It provides reference by name of claim.

PROCESSING NOTE: The records of the Tooele City Mining District were processed by Rosemary Cundiff in August 2002.

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