Summit County, Utah Genealogy

Guide to Summit County, Utah ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named because it includes 39 of the highest mountain peaks in Utah. The County is located in the north center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Summit County Courthouse 60 N. Main Street Coalville, UT 84017 Phone: 435-336-3200 Summit County Courthouse County Clerk has birth records 1898-1905, death records 1898-1901, marriage records from 1888, divorce, and probate records from 1896. County Recorder has land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

History Timeline
NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Summit County.
 * 1850 A Mormon Pioneer, Parley P. Pratt, was sent to this valley from Salt Lake City by Brigham Young to check on the possibility of establishing settlements along the Weber River and the nearby Provo River. His report was, ". . . a good valley, abundant grass and plenty of water".
 * 1853 The first white man to winter in Oakley, was Thomas Rhodes. An explorer, trapper, prospector, part-time farmer, and close friend of Brigham Young, he was occasionally called from his California prospecting by Brigham Young when there was a need for money for the church. Rhodes would disappear for a week or so into the Uinta Mountains and return with a supply of gold.
 * 1854 January 13 - Summit County was created from Salt Lake County and Green River district (old) which extended into what is now southwest portion of Wyoming at the time.
 * 1854/1858 In 1854 the territorial government in Utah offered a $1000 reward to anyone who could find coal within 40 miles of Salt Lake City. Four years later, Thomas Rhodes found a coal vein in the Chalk Creek area, and coal mining began in earnest. Hundreds of tons of coal were shipped to Salt Lake City, and soon a narrow gauge railroad was built. The settlement was renamed Coalville as a result of this early success mining coal.
 * 1859 Coalville was founded by William Henderson Smith, an early Latter-day Saint freighter. He noticed that wheat spilled by other wagons moving through the area would grow to maturity. He subsequently convinced four families to settle in the area with him. The settlement was originally called Chalk Creek.
 * 1868 The first settlers in Oakley were William Stevens and wife, Emma Crowden Stevens. Soon to follow were relatives and friends, among them the Fraziers, Hortins, Richards, Wildes and Gibbons, to name a few; all these names are still prominent in the town.
 * 1880 Oakley's land was originally purchased from the Union Pacific Company by the early settlers in the land sale of the 1880s.
 * 1886/1887 Oakley's original name was "Oak Creek", derived from the name of a creek that ran just east of the present town site and that was thickly overgrown with oak trees. The town changed its name to "Oakley" in late 1886 or early 1887; the new name was chosen from many names submitted by the settlers in a contest.

Cemeteries

 * Territorial-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Summit county cemeteries at the Utah State Historical site

Church Records
 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Historically, most people in Utah were Latter-day Saints. Their records are, therefore, very important for early Utah research. For additional information, see Tracing Latter-day Saint Ancestors and Utah Church Records.
 * 1877-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1847-1868 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & links to images

Funeral Homes
Walker Mortuary 168 South Main St., Coalville, UT 84017 Phone: 435-336-5521

Crandall Funeral Home 105 Center St. Kamas, UT 84036 Phone: 435-783-4786

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * County Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.
 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories
The county is so named because it includes 39 of the highest mountain peaks in Utah. Its mean elevation is 8,388 feet (2,557 m) above sea level, which is the second-highest of any county outside of Colorado.
 * Hampshire, David, Martha Sonntag Bradley, and Allen Roberts. A history of Summit County, Utah Centennial County History Series

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Utah Gazetteers
 * Google highway map of Summit County 2012
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Summit County for European and African American settlers included:
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

Military Records

 * Territorial-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images at Partner site

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 World War II
 * 1939-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1930 Utah, Federal Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at Ancestry- index & images ($)

Newspapers

 * 1850-2003 Utah Newspapers, 1850-2003 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Utah Digital Newspapers Project gives newspaper images online. Search All Newspapers by name or keywords, or Browse by County to view the digitized newspapers.
 * Park Record covering 1881-1970 is included.

Obituaries

 * 1850-2005 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & links to images
 * 2010-2013 Utah, U.S., Obituary Index, 2010-2013 at Ancestry - index ($)

Prisons

 * 1892-1949 Board of Pardons Prisoners' Pardon Application Case Files, 1892-1949 at Utah Division of Archives and Records Service – index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1985 Utah Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * State and County Probate Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1892-1897 Park City birth register inventory of series 85147 by the City Recorder at Utah State Archives. Not online, no index.
 * 1898-1905 Series #84238 at Utah State Archives. Not online, no online index. There are no names of children in the records.
 * 1903-1914 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1910 1906-1910 online images

Marriage

 * 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1871-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho — includes some divorces and alternative sources

Death

 * 1904-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Pre-1904 Utah State Burial Data Base This site includes information on many Utah residents, who died before 1904.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Coalville Utah FamilySearch Center
 * East Mill Creek North FamilySearch Center
 * Kamas Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Morgan Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Canyon Rim FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Mount Olympus Utah FamilySearch Center
 * FamilySearch FamilySearch Library - Main Family Search Library

Libraries
Summit County Library System - Kimball Junction Branch &amp; Administration; 6505 North Landmark Drive Park City, UT 84098 Phone: 435-615-3900.Website

Park City Library 1255 Park Avenue P.O. Box 668, Park City UT 84060 Phone: 435-615-5600 Website

Utah's Online Library Provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps. Akron-Summit County Public Library Website

Societies
Summit County Historical Society Website

Websites

 * Summit GenWeb, Utah GenWeb
 * USGW Archive Summit, Utah USGW Archive
 * Linkpendium
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.