Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy

Guide to Salt Lake County, Utah ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage and death records, cemeteries, census, church records, probate records, and obituaries—resources to find parents and family history since 1852, when the county was formed.

Utah Online Genealogy Records

Quick start:


 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death
 * Church

Description
The County was formerly called the Great Salt Lake County. The name was changed to Salt Lake 29 Jan 1868 The County is located in the north center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Salt Lake County Courthouse 2001 State Street Room S2200 Salt Lake City, Ut 84190 Phone: 801-468-3519

County Clerk has marriage records from 1887, divorce and court records from 1896, and probate records from 1852. County Recorder has land records.

Records Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Parent Counties
was created March 3, 1852 as an original county from Utah Territory.

See also Green River County (old)

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Utah County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Utah County Boundary Maps" (1849-1960) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.


 * Boundary changes timeline for from "UT: Index of Counties and Equivalents," Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries for Utah.

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Davis | Morgan | Summit | Tooele | Utah |

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

Resources
The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to entries with names, images, or information.


 * Christy Fillerup. Focus on Salt Lake County Crossroads (June, 2009): 62-74. Utah Genealogical Association

Bible Records
The term "Bible records" refers to the practice of keeping family dates and events in a family Bible. This was a common practice in many European countries and carried over to America. Many of these family Bible records are still in existence and preserved by the descendants of the immigrants. In some cases these family Bibles have found their way into libraries and other repositories.

For an explanation of how to find Bible records and for helpful links see Utah Bible Records. See also United States Bible Records.

Biography

 * Biographies public libraries.

Business Records and Commerce
See business records See also Utah Business Records


 * public libraries.

Cemeteries

 * To 1966 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1847-1976 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., Cemetery Records, 1847-1976 at Ancestry.com — images, ($)


 * Published transcripts of cemetery records are listed in the FamilySearch Library catalog at the (space, then select the town) or the  level (select Cemeteries).

See also:


 * Wiki list of Salt Lake County Cemeteries
 * Burials - Salt Lake City Cemetery by USGenWeb contains over 100 names. Includes where and when born; death dates and places; from the middle 1800's to the 1998's.
 * Names in Stone has not only a great database but is created by cemetery records. One great feature is the cemetery map showing who is buried in each plot.

Census

 * See Utah Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
 * See statewide printed indexes, including 1856.

Churches and Religious Groups
The information given in church records depends upon the practices of each religious group. Most include the names of members, often with ages and birth places. Several give birth, christening, or blessing dates for infants. See Utah Church Records for details about various denominations.


 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed for at the  (space, then select a town) or  (select Church topics) in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

 * 1877-1918 at FamilySearch — index

Salt Lake City Stakes (1930): Ensign Stake, Utah • Granite Stake, Utah •  Grant Stake, Utah •  Liberty Stake, Utah •  Pioneer Stake, Utah •  Salt Lake Stake, Utah


 * Salt Lake City Wards, 1930
 * Salt Lake City Wards formed after 1930 (to about 1948).

Stakes in the county (1930): Cottonwood Stake, Utah· East Jordan Stake, Utah· Oquirrh Stake, Utah· West Jordan Stake, Utah


 * Wards in Salt Lake County, 1930.
 * Wards in the County formed after 1930 (to about 1948).

Places in the County (1930): Click on the stake (in parentheses) for boundaries, history timeline, and records. Bennion (Cottonwood)· Bingham Canyon (West Jordan)· Bluffdale (West Jordan)· Butler (East Jordan)· Cottonwood (Cottonwood)· Crescent (East Jordan)· Draper (East Jordan)· Granger (Oquirrh)· Grant (Cottonwood)· Granite (East Jordan)· Herriman (West Jordan)· Holladay (Cottonwood)· Hunter (Oquirrh)· Lark (West Jordan)· Magna (Oquirrh)· Midvale (East Jordan)· Millcreek (Cottonwood)· Murray (Cottonwood)· Riverton (West Jordan)· Salt Lake City· Sandy (East Jordan)· South Jordan (West Jordan)· Taylorsville (Cottonwood)· Union (East Jordan)· West Jordan (West Jordan)·

List of Salt Lake County stakes and wards

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * }


 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Utah Court Records for the various courts through the years.

For specialized court records, see Divorce · Guardianship · Land · Naturalization · [[Salt Lake County, Utah#Probate_Records|Probate]


 * Salt Lake County, Utah Civil and Criminal Case Files, 1852-1887 Ancestry.com ($) This index was obtained from the Utah State Archives and is part of Series # 373 of their collection.
 * Salt Lake County, Utah Coroners' Inquest Case Files, 1870-1871, 1886-1937 Ancestry.com ($) Data from Third District Court. Utah State Archives Series 3851.

Directories
See Salt Lake City, Utah and Utah Directories


 * Utah Directory, 1890: Salt Lake City, Logan, and Provo Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1910 Salt Lake City, Utah, City Directory, 1910 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1847-1868 at FamilySearch — index

Funeral Homes
Funeral homes can have information that is not found on death records. There are several funeral homes located in Salt Lake County.

List of Salt Lake County Funeral Homes

Gazetteers
See Utah Gazetteers


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

Genealogy

 * Rees, Nesta, When the Parry Saints Went Marching Out. The author traces the John Parry family from Newmarket to Salt Lake City. Family Trees illustrated the article and a picture of a headstone, in SLC, showing John and wife Harriet, with year dates, and born North Wales. John worked as a mason on the Salt Lake Temple. Article in Hel Achau, #29, Christmas, 1989, pages 22-25. FS Library book 942.93 D25h

Guardianship
Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the Federal District courts. See Utah Court Records.

History

 * Sillitoe, Linda. A history of Salt Lake County, Utah Centennial County History Series (online)
 * Tales of a triumphant people: a history of Salt Lake County, Utah, 1847-1900 Ancestry.com ($)
 * Early Utah Families
 * Greeks in the West
 * The History of Salt Lake City and its Founders, By Edward William Tullidge 1886

History Timeline
NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Salt Lake County


 * Boundary changes timeline for from "UT: Index of Counties," Newberry Library's Utah Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1825 The first US explorer in the Salt Lake area is believed to be Jim Bridger.


 * 1843. U.S. Army officer John C. Frémont surveyed the Great Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Valley.
 * 1846.The Donner party, a group of ill-fated pioneers, traveled through the Great Salt Lake Valley in August.
 * 1847.Salt Lake County was settled when Mormon Pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.
 * 1847. On July 29, 1847 a group of Mormon Pioneers, known as the Mississippi Company, among them John Holladay of Alabama, entered the Salt Lake Valley. Within weeks, they discovered a free-flowing, spring-fed stream, which they called Spring Creek, now known as Holladay.
 * 1849.Herriman was established by Robert Dansie, Henry Harriman, and Thomas Jefferson Butterfield. A monument in the Herriman City Cemetery lists the original four families of Herriman as the Thomas Jefferson Butterfield, John Jay Stocking, Robert Cowan Petty, and Henry Harriman families.
 * 1849. The Mormon Pioneers organized a new state called Deseret and petitioned for its recognition.
 * 1850. The U.S. Congress rebuffed the settlers petition and established the Utah Territory,and designated Fillmore as its capital city.
 * 1850.March 3. Salt Lake County was created as an original county.
 * 1853. Construction started on The Salt Lake Temple.
 * 1857.The territorial capital was moved to Great Salt Lake City, when the name was shortened to Salt Lake City.
 * 1862. Fort Douglas was established on the east bench, near the University of Utah, to make sure that the territory maintained its allegiance during the American Civil War.
 * 1865. Alta was founded.
 * 1868.January 29: The original county name Great Salt Lake County was shortened to Salt Lake County.
 * 1878.An 1878 fire and an 1885 avalanche destroyed most of the original mining town of Alta.
 * 1885.The army established Camp Murray to house several companies of the Ninth Infantry Regiment.
 * 1935.In 1935, Norwegian skiing legend Alf Engen was hired to help develop the area, and Alta opened its first ski lift in 1938.
 * 1942.Camp Kearns, a massive military installation created for World War II, was created in what is now Kearns and Taylorsville on the western side of the valley.

Historical Facts
The area that was to become Salt Lake County was settled in 1847 when Mormon Pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fleeing persecution in the East, arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after traveling through Emigration Canyon. Brigham Young, their leader, declared "This is the right place" after seeing the valley, which was at the time arid, dry, and unpromising. However, they soon developed a flourishing, self-sufficient city, Great Salt Lake City, through extensive irrigation techniques. Thousands of Latter-day Saints from around the world followed in the next several decades. The county was officially formed on January 31, 1850, with just over 11,000 residents recorded.

Land and Property
Land records (especially deeds) often give the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or other clues for further research. They often have other clues for further research, such as witnesses or the other parties who may be relatives or in-laws. See Utah Land and Property for more.


 * 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.


 * Some Land Claim books covering 1871-1894 and a Land Title Docket covering 1871-1891 are included in the FamilySearch Historical Records collection entitled Utah, State Archives

One example listing ownership is:


 * Morgan, Nicholas G. Pioneer Map: Great Salt Lake City, Great Basin, North America. N.p.: 1851?. (FamilySearch Library .) This map includes historical data and index to names of original owners and their locations by lot or lots and blocks. The index to this map consists of names of major land owners in various Salt Lake City wards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * Grundvig, David L.and Sharon Lauritzen. Index to Pioneer Map, Great Salt Lake City, for 1850s. N.p. 1981. (FamilySearch Library .)

Utah is a federal land grant state. Salt Lake County was the first one to exist in Utah and is the largest. Land was, at first, distributed as allotments. A settler could request a certain amount of property and then the land was distributed by lottery. There were town lots, farms of five acres, and further away from the center of town, farms of ten acres.

“For the first 22 years after settlement, land ownership was based on Utah territorial land policies. The Utah Territorial Assembly governed land ownership in Utah and established methods of surveying and acquiring title. These practices and the documents they created were recognized in Utah Territory, but did not provide Utah settlers with federally recognized legal title to land.

Reconciliation between the territorial and federal land distribution systems required Congressional legislation to establish a land office in Salt Lake City, integrate Utah Territory into the national land system, and provide relief to the inhabitants of cities and towns on the public domain. The federal government opened a land office in Salt Lake City on March 9, 1869.”(Source: Ronda Frazier, Probate Court Land Claim Record Books, 1871-1894, Salt Lake County Records Management &amp; Archives Series #PC-010, pg.3.)

A great way to learn about land records is to search for articles in the Utah Historical Quarterly Online. An example would be the following article: Lawrence L. Linford, “Establishing and Maintaining Land Ownership in Utah Prior to 1869,” Utah Historical Society Quarterly 42 no. 2 (Spring 1974):142.

Location of Land Records

Federal Land


 * See Utah Land and Property for more information on Federal Land. Check out the BLM online site for the Land Entry Case Files and the Utah BLM online site for records and maps. Around 60% of homesteads were not proved up - be sure to check the Cancelled, Rejected, and Relinquished Land Entry Files at National Archives.

Church History Library 


 * Original allotment records: possibly non-extant. The Church History Library has more information on the original land lottery held in 1847-1850 and an in house index.

Salt Lake County Archives


 * Land Title Cases: Salt Lake County Archives has Land Claim Record Books on Microfilm and Land Title Certificate Files in boxes, the average file is 7 pages, an alphabetical index to this collection is found online at their site: Link. These records are from The Probate Court, 1851-1895.
 * They also have surveyor records, tax records, even aerial photos of property. These were used to help straighten the surveying of property from historical times. There are also accessor tax records that often contain photos of buildings on a property.

Utah State Archives


 * Original Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
 * Guide to Researching Land Records in Utah

University of Utah


 * Online collection of digital Sanborn Maps

Salt Lake County Recorder's Office

The Recorder's Office has worked diligently to keep all the records at the Recorder’s office. At one time, parts of their collection had been sent to the State Archives and have now been returned. The Recorder’s Office has all records back to 1950 online, all plat maps available digitally, and are continuously working to digitize the rest of their 8,000,000 records. Their goal is to have anyone from anywhere, with an account, be able to trace land titles. The account is quite pricey, but can be accessed in the Recorders office for free. There are training sessions on Tuesdays that last 1 ½ - 2 hours but only available for account holders. Seating is limited. The FamilySearch Library has only a small portion of their collection on microfilm. They have deed books from 1855-1901 and a few plat maps. Unfortunately, there are only grantor/grantee indexes for the first two books and the film is a very poor quality. To access the rest of the indices it is necessary to visit the Recorder’s office. There are two areas to search: the abstract books in the main office and all the other records are located in the vault and can be viewed upon request.


 * County Deeds from 1855-current, mining records, plat maps, federal tax liens, DD 214 military discharge records, water tax, lien and leases, and mortgages, some bounty land grants for military services, inheritance taxes: are located at the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office Vault. Working plat maps kept until the late 1980’s are restricted. They can be viewed if the staff retrieve them, copies are not allowed. The DD 214’s are restricted because they contain social security numbers. All other records are open for viewing.
 * Granter/Grantee Indexes There are granter/grantee indexes from 1855-1862; 1888-1975. Books C-2G indexes do not exist. The numbers on the books are alphabetical. The first book is A, then B – Z. Then it starts all over again 2A-2Z through 5A-5Z. These books cover 1855-1901. Books A &amp; B have the granter/grantee index in the front. I contacted Salt Lake County Archives, Utah State Archives, and talked with staff in the Recorder’s Office. No one knows what happened to these indices.
 * Abstract Books The red abstract books are a sort of granter/grantee index organized under the subdivision name and coordinates. One can trace the title of a property this way. Their computer system is not designed for alphabetical name searches. On the computer one must look up the address or coordinates of the property to be searched and it will state what abstract book to start in. These are very tiny print copy books of the real abstract books located in the vault. Luckily there are magnifying glasses on the counter one can use to see the tiny handwriting. The books contain the land transactions for specific subdivisions starting at the creation of the subdivision until 1981. These books also contain tax sales and mortgage information.
 * Original Plat Maps These have been digitized and can be purchased.

City Directories: can be found at the FamilySearch Library, Church History Library, Utah State Archives, University of Utah, and Brigham Young University, etc. There are a few early directories available on Internet Archive.

Mandatory Address Changes

It is very important to know that street address changes were made officially in the state in 1972. Street addresses, particularly on the south and north sides of Main Street were greatly affected. This is necessary to be able to recognize or locate any property before 1972. Two references are helpful in understanding the changes: a website article entitled Salt Lake City and County Street Names and Numbers and a pamphlet called Salt Lake City and County Streets and Their Numbers. All streets historically, to the west, were off by one number, for example, 400 West became 500 West. See Don Strack, “Salt Lake City and County Street Names and Numbers,” Utahrails.net and Richard R. Lyman, Salt Lake City And County Streets And Their Numbers (Salt Lake City, Utah: Wilson’s Book Store, 1951); Utah State History Utah State Archives Research Room, PAM 2317, Salt Lake City.

Maps
Google highway map of Salt Lake County 2012

Salt Lake City plot map, 1860. If you know the block and lot number, you can find it on the map and find the modern street address by counting from the Temple Block. This map will also indicate which ward the lot was in.


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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for emigrant 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
 * Mormon Trail to Southern California 1847 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles, California
 * Central Overland Trail 1859-1869 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Carson City, Nevada (and usually on to northern California)
 * Union Pacific Railroad 1869 Ogden, Utah to Omaha, Nebraska
 * Central Pacific Railroad 1869 Ogden, Utah to Sacramento, California
 * | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad 1883 Salt Lake City, Utah to Grand Junction, Colorado (and Denver)

Military

 * 1895 Utah, Salt Lake County, Enrolled Militia, 1895 at FamilySearch — index. Also at Ancestry.com, index & images, ($)
 * To 1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index

World War II

 * 1929-1954 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, his* foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Utah Naturalization and Citizenship for more information. (*Women were not naturalized until 1922 in the United States.)


 * 1848-2001 Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001, a FamilySearch digital collection, contains certificates of naturalization, 1878-1896 and 1896-1933; declaration of intentions 1874-1896 and a1904-1906; petition and record 1907-1942.
 * 1906-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1906-1930 Utah, Federal Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at Ancestry- index & images, ($)

On the following GenWeb link you will find the summary of the Court Petitions Index, volumes 1 - 9. In each index volume you will find the name of the petitioner, place of birth, location of court, volume and page number. As an example click on volume 1. Click on volumes 2 - 8 on the Court Petition Index.

Utah. District Court. (Salt Lake County). Naturalization Records 1853–1936, index 1858–1980, Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Archives and Records Service 1980–1981, 1989–1990. An index covering territorial and district courts from about 1858–1980 is on the first film in the series. It includes most northern Utah counties. Also in the series is declarations and petitions from 1851–1936. The territorial minutes indexed in this record are found in:


 * Utah. District Court. (Salt Lake County). Court Minutes, 1858–1920. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Archives and Records Service, 1981–1982. These early minutes include naturalizations which are arranged chronologically in each volume.


 * On this link you will find three different pages://files.usgwarchives.net/ut/saltlake/court/nats/1906/ Index of Intention - 1906] Vol. 2 (1907-1908); Salt Lake County, Utah. You will find applicant name, place of birth, location of court, and volume and page numbers. Index Volume 2; Index Volume 3; Index Volume 4.

Newspapers

 * 1850-2003 Utah Newspapers, 1850-2003 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * Several newspapers covering various dates from 1850-1960 are included. Including the Salt Lake Tribune (1871 - 1914). For Salt Lake Tribune (1923-1977) text coverage see Salt Lake Tribune, The (Salt Lake City, Utah) Ancestry.com ($)
 * BYU Digital Collections has Vol 41 of Woman's Exponet and a description/history of this which ran June 1, 1872-Feb 1914. Click on Newspapers in right hand box.
 * Google News Archive has hundreds of newspapers in digital form from all over the United States. These are easily searched by the title of the newspaper. The dates available are listed under the title. For example, one of the largest newspapers in Utah is called, "The Deseret News" and is available from 1832-2003. If looking for an obituary and it isn't online then check the microfilm form of the newspaper - a few places to look are Salt Lake County Library Whitmore Branch, Brigham Young University, and Church History Library.
 * Call the local public library for the town newspaper archive information. Often, they hold the original papers, microfilm, or information leading to the current location of the newspaper.
 * Call the local public library for the town newspaper archive information. Often, they hold the original papers, microfilm, or information leading to the current location of the newspaper.

Obituaries

 * 1850 – 2005 at FamilySearch


 * 2010-2013 Utah, U.S., Obituary Index, 2010-2013 at Ancestry - index ($)


 * Newspapers of
 * Local Funeral Homes, Societies, Libraries, or in family records.


 * Obituaries of neighboring counties


 * Newspapers of major cities: Deseret News and/or The Salt Lake Tribune both in Salt Lake City

Websites for death records in the state of Utah and specifically for Salt Lake County include:


 * From the GenWeb site (scroll down from the top of the page) you will find individual obituaries, obituaries from the Desert News (2004 - 2005 selected months), and from the Salt Lake Tribune (2004 - 2005 selected months).
 * . This title is misleading, because all the deaths were recorded in the City of Salt Lake City. There are no deaths recorded in any other places within the county in this County Death Records group.
 * Utah Death Certificates 1904-1956: A free internet access to the 1904-1956 death certificates can be viewed at certificates. Utah requires a death certificate before a burial is completed. A death certificate may contain information as to the name of the deceased, date of death, and place of death, as well as the age, birth date, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence.
 * Utah State Burial Index for death before 1904 - Utah Burials Search
 * In this link Salt Lake City Deaths Jan 1 to Nov 1, 1892: you will find a list of deaths in Salt Lake of person eighteen years of age upward from Jan 1 - Nov 1, 1892

Occupations

 * Kennecott Miner Records: personnel records of employment from 1900-1919. Over 40,000 records from the Utah Copper Company are handwritten and contain the following employee information: name, date employed, address, dependents, age, weight, height, eyes, hair, gender, nationality, engaged by, last employer, education, occupation, department, pay rate, date leaving employment, and reason for leaving. Also known as Bingham Canyon Mine and Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine.

Prison

 * 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
Probate cases include court actions regarding property and estates of individuals who have died. Records may locate relatives, provide death dates, and identify property. See Utah Probate Records for more information.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1800 – 1985 Utah Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1851 – 1961 FamilySearch
 * Salt Lake County, Index to Probate Case Files, 1852-81 Ancestry.com ($). Cites as it's source: Salt Lake County, Utah. Utah. District Court (Third District: Salt Lake County).Index to Probate Case Files 1852-96. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: Utah State Archives and Records Service. Series 1621.

Public Records

Vital Records
Salt Lake City County Health Department


 * 200 East 610 South Street
 * Salt Lake City, UT 84111-99
 * Telephone: 801-534-4657
 * Internet: Salt Lake Valley Health Department

Pre-1905 records are often incomplete.

See also How to order Utah Vital Records or download an application for Utah Birth Certificate, Marriage or Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.

Birth Before 1852

 *  was formed on 3 March 1852.

parent counties

Birth 1852 - 1890

 * [[Salt Lake County, Utah#Churches and Religious Groups
 * See also other records that give birth information, such as Death records, Census, Cemeteries, Obituaries
 * See also [[Salt Lake County, Utah#Neighboring_Counties
 * See also [[Salt Lake County, Utah#Neighboring_Counties

Birth 1890 - present

 * Though not required to do so, Salt Lake City began registering births in 1890.


 * Salt Lake County Birth Records. (Online, free) Published by FamilySearch.
 * 1890 - Present Salt Lake City birth records through Salt Lake Valley Health Department. You will find parents' names, child's date of birth, and the child's name, if known. Later records show age of parents, address, etc.


 * 1903 - 1914 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * FamilySearch Library copy on 76 microfilm reels, starting with
 * Microfilm copies at FamilySearch Library.


 * Salt Lake Valley Health Department Vital Records Offices: Salt Lake City Health Center, 610 South 200 East, Suite 115, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, 385-468-4230. Ellis R. Shipp Health Center, 4535 South 5600 West, West Valley City, UT 84120, 385-468-3712. Southeast Public Health Center, 9340 South 700 East (directly behind McDonald's), Sandy, UT 84070, 385-468-4329.

Marriage
Marriage registers from 1887 through 1950's microfilmed and then destroyed. Microfilm copy available at the FamilySearch Library and centers. Microfilm copy is not available at the county clerk's office.


 * 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1847-1929 58,919 marriages from 1847 to 18 September 1929 are listed on the Western States Marriage Index. Index is incomplete as there are few civil government recorded marriages in Salt Lake County prior to 1887. Many entries were taken from alternative sources, such as . Some early divorce records were also indexed and included. This is not a complete database. Linkpendium contributors list marriage year span as 1888 to 1970.
 * 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1887-1940 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1887–1965 — Salt Lake County (Utah). County Clerk. Marriage Records, 1887–1965. The first 18 films index the licenses and certificates. These records have been indexed in the Early Church Information File up to 1914.

There is an additional index from 1887 to 1987 available on fiche:


 * 1887–1987 — Salt Lake County (Utah). County Clerk. Alphabetic Marriage Listing 1887–1987. There are 24 fiche for each number. The first set of fiche is an index to the grooms and the second is an index to the brides. These will lead you to the above record.FS Library fiche 6052848 male 6052849 females

Divorce
Divorce records give the names of the parties and may give the date and place of their marriage. See Utah Vital Records for excellent information.


 * Archives, Libraries, etc.


 * 1852–1856, 1877–1887 — Utah. Probate Court (Salt Lake County) Divorce Records, 1852–1856, 1877–1887. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. This record is unindexed and is in chronological order. It gives names of each spouse and reason for separation or divorce, and date of court action.

Death
Copies of death records and indexes for Salt Lake City and County are available at the FamilySearch Library.

Online


 * 1904-1964 - at FamilySearch — index and images . Utah requires a death certificate before a burial is completed. A death certificate may contain information as to the name of the deceased, date of death, and place of death, as well as the age, birth date, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence.


 * Pre-1904 - Utah State Burial Data Base This site includes information on many Utah residents, who died before 1904.


 * An index of sites providing Death and Marriage Notices at Newspaper Obituaries.net. Some have $
 * 1909-1949 (FamilySearch Historical Records). Free. Description of collection

Microfilm


 * 1848-1950 - Salt Lake City (Utah). Office of Vital Statistics. Death Records of Salt Lake City, Utah, 1848–Sept 1950. These records provide name, birth and death information, address or city, and sometimes burial information.
 * 1897–1905 — Salt Lake County (Utah). County Clerk. Register of Deaths, Salt Lake County, Book A, 1897–1905. These records are for the county only and do not have Salt Lake City death records. They are indexed. The record gives name, birth and death information, address or city of residence, and sometimes burial information.

Websites

 * Salt Lake County, UT History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Utah Genealogy Network Group on Facebook

Links to indexes or images of records:


 * FamilySearch.org. Collections are growing at record rates. If the county is not listed, check later.
 * Utah State Archives records, 1848–2001 Probate, land, etc.
 * Also see Utah to search items that include.

Links to collections:


 * FamilySearch Library Catalog
 * (Select topics)
 * (Space, then select town)

Sites that gather links to the Internet


 * Linkpendium
 * CyndisList

Archives, Libraries, etc.
Resources for are available in repositories (such as libraries and archives) at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.

Check websites and catalogs of archives and libraries for items for this county. Examples: items in  (Utah).

See Courthouse·FamilySearch Centers·Libraries·Museums·Societies sections.

Salt Lake County Archives

 * Salt Lake County Archives. Phone 385.468.0820 "Research is by appointment only."

Courthouse
County seat: Salt Lake City

Salt Lake County Courthouse 2001 State Street Room S2200 Salt Lake City, Ut 84190 Phone: 801-468-3519

County Clerk has marriage records from 1887, divorce and court records from 1896, and probate records from 1852. County Recorder has land records.

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 * Murray Utah West FamilySearch Center
 * North Salt Lake Utah FamilySearch Center
 * North Salt Lake Utah Parkway FamilySearch Center
 * Riverton Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Big Cottonwood FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Canyon Rim FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Granger North FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Hillside FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Holladay South FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Jordan North Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Millcreek FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Monument Park FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Mt Olympus FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Olympus FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Rose Park FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Sugar House FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Temple View FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Utah South (Tongan) FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Utah Stake FamilySearch Center (Tongan)
 * Salt Lake Wasatch FamilySearch Center
 * Salt Lake Winder FamilySearch Center
 * Sandy Utah Cottonwood Creek FamilySearch Center
 * Sandy Utah Crescent FamilySearch Center
 * Sandy Utah Crescent Ridge FamilySearch Center
 * Sandy Utah Granite FamilySearch Center
 * Sandy Utah Granite South FamilySearch Center
 * South Jordan Utah Parkway FamilySearch Center
 * South Salt Lake FamilySearch Center
 * Taylorsville Salt Lake Community College FamilySearch Center
 * Utah Correctional Facility - Oquirrh FamilySearch Center
 * Utah Correctional Facility - Promontory FamilySearch Center
 * Utah Correctional Facility - Timpanogos FamilySearch Center
 * Utah Correctional Facility - Wasatch FamilySearch Center


 * FamilySearch Library - Main FamilySearch Library

Libraries
Salt Lake City Public Library has many resources for history and genealogy, such copies of local newspapers and much more. While many libraries in Utah have an area dedicated to local collections and manuscripts, this is exceptional.


 * Salt Lake Community College Library Phone: 801-957-6202
 * Collections:
 * Salt Lake City Public Library 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. Phone: 801-524-82002. The main library in the county system.

A directory of branches of the Salt Lake City Library System can be found at Public Libraries.


 * Salt Lake County Library System has a directory of individual branch libraries at Library Branches.

See also Utah's Online Library, which provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps.

Museums

 * Church History Museum


 * Pioneer Memorial Museum *Daughters of the Utah Pioneers 300 N Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah List of satellite DUP museums The museum history department has documents about Utah pioneers online at Index of pioneers.


 * West Jordan Historical Society has a museum and library. 2053 West 7800 South West Jordan, Utah 84088 Phone: (801) 568-0938

Societies
See also a List of Utah Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical Genealogical Societies


 * Utah State Historical Society has a good library and photograph collection. 300 S Rio Grande Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 Phone: (801) 533-3500 Cemetery and Burial database
 * Sons of Utah Pioneers 3301 Louise Ave. Salt Lake City, UT 84109 Phone: (801) 484-4441
 * Daughters of the Utah Pioneers 300 N. Main St. Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1699 General Phone: 801-532-6479 Fax: 801-532-4436 General email: info@dupinternational.org
 * West Jordan Historical Society has a museum and library. 2053 West 7800 South West Jordan, Utah 84088 Phone: (801) 568-0938
 * Emigration Canyon Historical Society is a non-profit organization preserving the history of Emigration Canyon. 6463 Emigration Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 Phone: 801-583-4833