Wayne County, Utah Genealogy

Guide to Wayne 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 from Wayne County, Tennessee. The County is located in the south center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wayne County Courthouse 18 South Main Street Loa, UT 84747 Phone: 435-836-1301 Wayne County Courthouse

County Clerk has some birth and death records 1898-1927 and marriage, divorce, and probate records from 1898. County Recorder has land records from 1898.

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:

History Timeline
NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Wayne County.
 * 1853-54 Fremont was named after the explorer John C. Fremont, who passed through on his last and near fatal winter expedition to the west. It lies along State Route 72just northeast of the town of Loa.
 * 1879 A.K. Thurber, built the first house in Thurber.
 * 1880s Torrey is established as a town by Latter-day Saint settlers, and initially known as Youngstown, after John Willard Young. Located on State Route 24 in, eight miles from Capitol Reef National Park.
 * 1881 More cattlemen settled along Fish Creek. These early settlers referred to their settlement as Carcass Creek (now Grover).
 * 1885 Hanksville took the name, after Ebenezer Hanks, who was the leader of the group of pioneers who established the small Latter-day Saint settlement.
 * 1887 The Latter-day Saint residents in Carcass Creek were organized into a congregation called the Carcass Creek Branch.
 * 1890s The growing town of Carcass Creek was granted a post office, and the name was changed to Grover in honor of U.S. President Grover Cleveland.
 * 1892 Wayne County was created 10 March 1892 from Piute County. Most of its towns were settled after 1880 because of the remote location and limited resources. County seat: Loa
 * 1893 Lyman was originally known as East Loa and became a distinct place from Loa.The original townsite was changed to the present location at the advice of Apostle Francis M. Lyman and was named in honor of him.
 * 1897 The town of Thurber moved to a new location due to sandy soil and poor water conditions and became Bicknell, a town along State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, United States.
 * 1900 The first log school/church/community building was built in Grover.
 * 1914 Thomas W. Bicknell, a wealthy eastern author, historian, and Education Commissioner for Rhode Island, offered a thousand-volume library to any Utah town that would rename itself after him. The town of Grayson also wanted the library prize, so in a compromise in 1916, Grayson took the name of Blanding, Mr. Bicknell's wife's maiden name, as a tribute to her parents. The two towns split the library, each receiving 500 books.

Cemeteries

 * Territorial-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Cemetery Records -- Wayne County, Utah, by Genealogical Society of Utah. (FS Library US/CAN Book #979.254, V3c)

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

Directories
See Utah Directories

Emigration and Immigration

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

Local Histories
The FamilySearch Library has histories in its collection in Salt Lake City, Utah which can be accessed by visiting the Library. These books may also be available through interlibrary loan. Hanksville was a supply post for Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, who would hide out at Robbers Roost in the desert southeast of town.
 * Murphy, Miriam B. A history of Wayne County, Utah Centennial County History Series
 * Grit Enough to Stick With It Stories from Blue Valley, edited and introduced by Kent Davis &amp; Kristen Rogers Utah Historical Quarterly Summer 2000 vol. 68 no 3 pg 223
 * A History of Wayne County online at Marriott Library Digital Archives.
 * Wayne County Histories
 * A History of Wayne County, by Mariam B Murphy (a Utah Historical Society publication) 979.254 H2m. It can also be purchased at the County Clerk's office in Loa.
 * Rainbow Views: a History of Wayne County, by Anne Snow (a Daughters of Utah Pioneers publication) 979.254 H2s 1977.

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

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
 * 1917-1918 USGenWeb Archives Wayne County, Utah lists approximately 426 names of WWI draftees from 1917 to 1918 and approximately 149 names of WWII Army enlistments.

 World War II
 * 1939-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * USGenWeb Archives Wayne County, Utah lists approximately 426 names of WWI draftees from 1917 to 1918 and approximately 149 names of WWII Army enlistments.

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 ($)

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 ($)
 * 1851 – 1961 at FamilySearch — images

Birth

 * 1898-1905 Series #84084 at Utah State Archives. Not online, no online index. The child's name is written in the remarks column 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

 * Boulder Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Circleville Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Escalante Utah Ward FamilySearch Center
 * Loa Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Monroe Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Panguitch Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Tropic Utah FamilySearch Center

Libraries
See also Utah Public Library Directory, which provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps. Does not mention holdings.
 * Tri-County Bookmobile 79 N 100 W Bicknell, UT 84715 Phone: 435-425-3170 Website

Societies

 * Wayne County Historical Society Facebook Page

Websites

 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Wayne County UTGenWeb, Utah GenWeb
 * Wayne USGW Archive, Utah USGW Archive


 * – 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.