DESCRIPTION: These minute books record the actions of the county commission (known during the territorial period as the county court), the governing body of the county. The court was authorized to manage all county business and county property. This included auditing all claims against the county, reviewing financial reports of the treasurer and other officials, appropriating money for salaries, and authorizing the purchase of supplies and services. The court allocated water rights, timber rights, herdgrounds, and mill sites. The court supervised the lay out of roads and bridges and oversaw the erection of public buildings such as a court house in 1865. The court created election precincts, road districts, school districts, and by 1883, irrigation districts and appointed superintendents of such districts. In 1855, the court created fortification districts. Court members levied property taxes for county purposes and after 1878 served as a board of equalization. The y provided for elections and appointed other officials. They provided for the maintenance of the indigent, insane, orphaned, and incapacitated. They provided for the health and safety of their constituents through quarantine regulations and the building of a jail. They regulated fences, created estray pounds, and paid bounties on varmints. They authorized liquor licenses by 1864, and by 1884, general business licenses. The court granted franchises beginning in 1892. All these activities are noted in the minutes.

Tooele County (then spelled "Tuilla"), was created in 1850 by the legislature of the State of Deseret. Following the formation of territorial government, the legislature in 1852 passed acts relating to the formation and government of counties. There were no county commissions, but the probate judge in conjunction with the county selectmen were invested "with the usual powers and jurisdiction of County Commissioners" and as such were known as the county court. The probate court clerk (also known as the county clerk) was to keep the records of the court. With statehood in 1896, an actual board of county commissioners was created. The probate judge was removed, but the selectmen continued serving as commissioners until elections were held. The county clerk remained the clerk of the board, recording the minutes.