Utah, Box Elder County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of images of county records located at the county courthouse in Brigham City for the years 1856 to 1960. Included in this collection are:


 * Marriages (1887-1960)
 * Naturalization/Citizenship (1869-1945)
 * Military (1917-1957)
 * Land and Property (1857-1942)
 * Probate (1856-1878)

Soon after they were formed, counties began recording vital records, court records, and land transactions. The records are generally well preserved. The records were made to establish legal rights and to help track the population for health and taxation purposes. The information is generally reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant. Some transcription errors may have occurred.

Record Content
Marriage licenses and certificates have the following information:


 * Name, age and residence of groom
 * Name, age and residence of bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Sometimes, name(s) of those who gave consent
 * Name of person who solemnized marriage
 * Names of witnesses

Military Certificates of Service included the following information:


 * Name of serviceman
 * Rank and military unit in which served
 * Period of service
 * Military specialty given
 * Character reference
 * Date and place of filing, recording
 * Signature of recipient
 * Signature of commanding officer

Petitions for Naturalization included the following information:


 * Court, city and county where petition was filed
 * Date of filing
 * Birth date and place of birth of petitioner
 * Complete physical description
 * Marital status and name of spouse
 * Number of children
 * Place of emigration
 * U. S. port of entry
 * Affidavits of witnesses

Other Box Elder County Records may contain the following information:


 * Date of event, transaction or recording with county
 * Names of individuals, family members and/or witnesses
 * Ages, relationships and residences
 * Occupations
 * Signature(s) or mark
 * Legal descriptions of land
 * Amount of money exchanged as part of business transactions.

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The type of event
 * The place where the event occurred
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals, such as the bride and groom or the deceased

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Record Category" ⇒Select the "Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the names, ages and residence church and census records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The name of the officiator at a christening, marriage, or burial may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

For a summary of this information along with additional research suggestions based on record types see the wiki article United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Related Websites

 * Access Genealogy
 * Utah Genealogy Records
 * Ancestor Hunt

Related Wiki Articles

 * Utah Genealogy
 * Utah Vital Records
 * Utah Naturalization and Citizenship
 * Utah Probate Records
 * Utah Military Records
 * Utah Land and Property

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image citation: