Box Elder County, Utah Genealogy

Guide to Box Elder 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 for the box elder trees that abound in the county. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Box Elder County Courthouse 43 N Main Street Brigham City, UT 84302 Phone: 435-734-4600 Box Elder Courthouse

County Clerk has birth and death records 1898-1905, marriage records from 1887, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1856.

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

 * 1800’s- The Bear River Valley was originally inhabited by the Fremont and Shoshoni Indians. Then French-Canadian trappers entered the valley.
 * 1851. First permanent homes in county at site of present Brigham City. Early name was Box Elder.
 * 1851. Willard settled by Latter-day Saint settlers.
 * 1852. Perry was settled by Orrin Porter Rockwell. Early name was Three Mile Creek.
 * 1853. Lorenzo Snow created first self-sufficient city (present-day Brigham City).
 * 1856. Box Elder County formed.
 * 1861. Honeyville settled. Agricultural community.
 * 1863. Mantua settled by Danish families called by authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to settle in valley.
 * 1864. Deweyville settled by William Empey.
 * 1868. Elwoodsettled by homesteaders and families with "squatter rights."
 * 1869 May. Golden spike driven at Promontory Summit to connect Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads.
 * 1869. Plymouthfounded. Named for imagined resemblance of nearby large rock to the Plymouth Rock.
 * 1869. Corinnelaid out by Union Pacific and settled by people of different religions.
 * 1871. Snowville settled at direction of Brigham Young. Named after Lorenzo Snow an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * 1886. Bear River City incorporated.
 * 1890. Penrose named for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Apostle Charles W. Penrose.
 * 1892. Town of Fielding erected. Named after Mary Fielding Smith.
 * 1929. Elwood established.  Early name was Manila Ward.
 * 1940’s. Economic boost during WWII, with creation of Bushnell General Hospital
 * 1950-1960’s. Major growth in county, with Thiokol plant built in 1957.

Biographies

 * History of Box Elder County
 * Box Elder County, Utah newspaper card index historical, biographical, vital records
 * Newspaper card index to births, deaths, divorces, marriages, and subject index, 1890-1915
 * Newspaper card index, locality index
 * Newspaper card index, biographies
 * Newspaper card index, subject and vital record index - Corinne newspapers, 1869-1875

Cemeteries

 * Territorial-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Utah Cemeteries Utah Division 0f State History

Census Records

 * Utah Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
 * Statewide printed indexes, including 1856.
 * Using the Census to find other records about ancestors

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Directories

 * Utah Directories

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * Gillies Funeral Chapel and Crematory
 * Myers Mortuary
 * Rogers and Taylor Funeral Home

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1884-1930 Indian Land Records, 1884-1930.
 * Box Elder County, Utah. Box Elder Mining District (Utah). Recorder. "Box Elder County, Utah Mining Notices of Location, 1889-1893" This is a digital version of Utah State Archives and Records Service. Series 18128. Collection provides the name of the claim, locators, location, legal description, and the mining district.
 * Box Elder County, Utah. Box Elder Mining District (Utah). Recorder. "Box Elder County, Utah Mining Records, 1890-1892" This is a digital version of Utah State Archives and Records Service. Series 18129. Collection provides the name of the grantee or grantor, mine name, date the record was made, and the page number on which the record can be found.
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Huchel, Frederick M. A history of Box Elder County, Utah Centennial County History Series.
 * Google Books has several online history books about Box Elder County.
 * Utah Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers
Utah Gazetteers

For historical maps of Utah and Box Elder County, see:
 * Perry-Castaneda Map Collection for Utah
 * 1876 Utah MapBox Elder County is in the upper left corner
 * Historical Maps of Utah has several maps of Utah counties
 * 1895 U S Atlas of Box Elder County
 * Google highway map of Box Elder County 2012
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Box Elder County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1848 to 1869 from Iowa to Utah
 * Central Pacific Railroad since 1869 from Ogden, Utah to Sacramento, California

Military Records

 * Territorial-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1856-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

 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
 * Casualties from Box Elder County in World War II (Army and Air Force)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1868-1869 Box Elder County, Utah. Box Elder County (Utah). Probate Court. "Box Elder County, Utah Certificates of Citizenship Record Books, 1868-1869" Ancestry.com ($) Collection provides the applicant's name, date certificate was issued, country of origin, and a page number referring to the location of the original record.
 * 1906-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1930 Utah, Federal Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at Ancestry- index & images ($)

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.
 * Box Elder News and Corinne Reporter, covering 1871-1926 are included.

Obituaries

 * 1850-2005 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & links to images
 * 2002-2005 USGenWeb Archives Box Elder County, Utah contains the obituaries of 2002-2005 from Box Elder Journal
 * 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

Public Records

 * 1856-1960 -How To Use this Record — index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1985 Utah Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1856-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 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

 * 1903-1914 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1917 1905-1917 online images (Vital records/Birth certificates)
 * Bear River Health Department

Marriage

 * 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1860-1944 Utah, U.S., Select Marriage Records, 1860-1944 at Ancestry — index & images ($); selected counties
 * 1871-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 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
 * 1903-1908 USGenWeb Archives Box Elder County, Utah provides the Death Certificates of 1903-1908
 * Utah State Burial Index for death before 1904

Divorce

 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Archives

 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bear River Valley Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Brigham City Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Huntsville Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Hyrum Utah North FamilySearch Center
 * Layton Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Newton Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Ogden Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Smithfield Utah YSA FamilySearch Center
 * Logan Library Utah - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Brigham City Library 26 East Forest Street, Brigham City, UT 84302 Phone: 435-723-5850 Email: [mailto:reference@bcutah.org reference@bcutah.org] Website


 * Garland Public Library 86 West Factory Rd, Garland, UT 84312 Phone: 435-257-3117 Website


 * Tremonton City Library 210 North Tremont Street, Tremonton, UT 84337 Phone: 435-257-2690 Website

Museums

 * Bear River City DUP Museum 4600 West 5900 North Bear River, UT 84301 Open on request; free admission 435-279-8350
 * Brigham City DUP (Restored Log Cabin) 200 North 300 West (Pioneer Park) Brigham City, UT 84302 Open by appointment; free admission
 * Brigham City Museum 24 North 300 West Brigham City, UT 84302 Phone: 435-226-1439 Website
 * Box Elder Museum of Art, History, and Nature Collections Website

Websites

 * Linkpendium
 * USGW Archives
 * Box Elder Gen Web part of Utah GenWeb
 * – 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.