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.

For a list of records by categories and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information for collections published in FamilySearch.org. Source citations include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

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 search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Record Catagory" ⇒Select the "Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" category which takes you to the images

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

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

Identify the record to be searched
From the Record Description list, identify the kind of record you would like to search (land, naturalization, probate, marriages, etc.) and click on the title link to select it.

Find the image
Start searching individual images or pages that you have listed. Compare the information in the records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

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.
 * 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * 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.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * 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 Vital Records
 * Utah Naturalization and Citizenship
 * Utah Probate Records
 * Utah Military Records
 * Utah Land and Property Box Elder County, Utah
 * Box Elder County, Utah

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Utah, Box Elder County Records, 1856-1960" images,FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 25 January 2012). r Wallace D Hunsaker,15 November 1923; citing County Records, Military records, Soldier's discharges vol 002 1942-1945, Image 3; Box Elder County Clerk, Brigham City, Utah, United States.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections