Utah, Box Elder County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The records conver the years 1856 to 1960.

Record Description
The collection consists of images of county records located at the county courthouse in Brigham city. The collection includes:


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

Record Content
The records generally include the following information:


 * Date of the event, transaction, or recording with the county
 * Names of individual, witnesses, family members, sometimes neighbors
 * Ages
 * Relationships
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Signature or mark
 * Legal descriptions of land
 * Amount of money exchanged as part of business transactions.

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

When searching the index 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, the infant, the deceased, or the grantor and grantees

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Some on-line indexes, such as indexes to FamilySearch Historical Records, will take you directly to an image. Compare the information in the record 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.

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 that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * 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.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information.
 * 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 a different 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).

Record History
Soon after they were formed, counties began recording vital records, court records, and land transactions. The records are generally well preserved.

Why the Record Was Created
The records were made to establish legal rights and to help track the population for health and taxation purposes.

Record Reliability
The information is generally reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant. Some transcription errors may have occurred.

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

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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of information for This Collection
"Utah, Box Elder County Records,1856-1960." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Box Elder County Clerk, Brigham City, Utah. FHL digital images. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.