Historical Boundaries
The boundaries of Utah have changed over time.
The State of Deseret, formed by pioneer settlers, took up much of the western United States in 1850. This area was never authorized by the U.S. Congress. A copy of the constitution is available from the Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On September 8, 1850, Utah Territory, which was recognized by the U.S. Congress, was formed. This chopped the area substantially, but still covered all or part of four current states.
Some records from this era still exist, often from the courts, but others, too:
Secretary of State Legislative acts, resolutions, and memorial journals, 1850-1911.
In 1851, the counties within the territory were divided up into vast strips of land.
Compare that to today's boundaries:
Current Utah
Over the next few decades, until statehood in 1896, these county boundaries would change drastically, and be renamed sometimes. The shape now known as Utah came together in 1869. County boundary changes since that time have stayed within the edges of today's Utah.
This map shows county boundaries established between 1850-1880. To view the changes for any one location, click on the map at right and scroll through the different boundaries available for that spot. Use the arrows in the header bar when the metadata window pops up.
Metadata window
Individually, these counties tell interesting stories. In 1854, a county was set up within Utah Territory, which resides in present-day Nevada. Carson County was formed from Iron, Juab, Millard, and Tooele Counties. In 1856, additional land was taken from Desert and Weber counties to extend Carson County northward.
Records from Carson County reside at the Utah State Archives, as well as the Nevada State Library, Archives, and Public Records .
Carson County (Utah) Records, 1855-1862
Nevada. Secretary of the Territory. Carson County, Utah and Nevada (ter.) court records, probate records, etc.
In 1856, Cedar County was formed. It ended in 1862. Records for that county do exist, but don't look for them by this location's current county name, Utah County.
Cedar County (Utah). County Recorder Deeds, 1857-1862
Cedar County (Utah). County Court Minutes, 1858-1862
Cedar County (Utah). Probate Court Minutes, 1859-1862
From time to time, court district boundaries have changed. Shown here are Utah's judicial districts today. But in 1859, Beaver County was considered part of 1st District Court, and Cache County was considered part of 3rd District Court.
See chart of district changes:
Then realize that in 1859, Beaver extended far beyond its current boundaries. The Archives has some records from that era:
Beaver County (Utah). Probate Court Record Books, 1856-1897
These are Utah's counties today. The Archives has many county records available for research. Below are two examples.
Juab County (Utah). County Clerk Death registers, 1898-1905
Uintah County (Utah). County Recorder Mining records, 1889-1996
The Archives has records from cities and towns. One such municipality is Spring City, located in Sanpete County.
Spring City
Spring City (Utah) Council minutes, 1871-2011
Spring City (Utah) Ordinances, 1871-1941
Spring City (Utah) Election registration records, 1936-1952
The Archives also has records from school districts. Granite School District is shown at right, with Madison Elementary School pinpointed. This school closed in 1986. Note that student records often have access restrictions due to privacy.
Granite School District (Utah). Madison Elementary School Madison school student cards, 1930-1977
This is what the Granite School District looked like as recently as 2009. Note the differences in boundary shape from the 2020 version above.
When doing research about a time and place, remember to think about how boundary changes may impact how you find records. At the Archives, records are organized by the name of the entity that created them, even if that name has represented completely different areas over time.
We hope you have enjoyed this small walk through history. Contact the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service at archivesreference@utah.gov if you have any questions. Our website is https://archives.utah.gov .
