La Plata, Cache County, Utah Genealogy

Guide to La Plata, Cache County ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Quick History
La Plata is a class 4 mining ghost town, in Cache County. The area was first named Sundown when the claim was first struck discovered by a sheepherder from the Bear River Mountains. The name for the mine remained but the name of the town was later changed to La Plata, the Spanish word for silver. A silver rush quickly ensued after the find and soon the area was home to fifteen hundred prospectors, miners, and camp followers. The town totaled sixty buildings. Other mines were opened in the area including: Silver King, Lead King, Queen of the Hills, La Plata, Sunrise, Yellow Jacket, New State, Lucretta. Mountain Boys and Red Jacket. It was said the 100 men passed through Ogden every day headed to the new diggings. Due to several factors the mines closed and the town disappeared. By the time of the town's closing the mines had produced $3 million in galena ore.

Location

 * Coordinates: 41°26′38″N 111°40′47″W

Maps

 * 1895 Map of Cache County

Neighboring Communities
Liberty | Paradise

Time Line

 * 1890 Silver is discovered.
 * 1891 Town is populated with silver seekers and entourage growing the population to 1500
 * 1893-94 The last of the silver mines were closed.

Cemeteries
Check cemeteries in neighboring communities.
 * Cache County Gravestone Photo Project
 * Liberty Cemetery Findagrave.com

Historical Newspapers

 * Ogden Standard 1888-1908
 * Utah Journal 1879 - 1898
 * Special Courier short run in 1892

Marriages

 * Marriage information may be located at the Western States Marriage Database searchable by bride or groom.

Death

 * Utah Department of Archives 1903 to 50 years ago Choices of search types - name, date of death (year, month, day, or any combination) and county. Images of actual death certificates.
 * Utah Death Certificates 1904 - 1956 -A free internet access to the 1904-1956 death certificates can be viewed on the Family Search Historical Records. 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, birthdate, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence.  For information on death prior to 1904 you can search the Utah State Burial Index.

Suggested Reading

 * A history of Cache County
 * A History of Weber County, Utah Centennial History Series (Utah Historical Society) The Journal (Logan, Ut.)
 * ''Connecting the West : historic railroad stops and stage stations of Elko County, Nevada
 * The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.
 * La Plata, 1891-1893 : boom, bust and controversy
 * Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures
 * A History of Weber County, Utah Centennial History Series (Utah Historical Society) The Journal (Logan, Ut.)

Websites

 * La Plata History
 * List of Mines in Cache County
 * Silver Mining in the Beehive State
 * Utah Ghost Towns
 * Utah Mining