Wasatch County, Utah Genealogy

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Guide to Wasatch 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 a Ute Indian word meaning mountain pass or low place in the high mountains. The County is located in the north center area of the state.

County Courthouse
 Wasatch County Courthouse 1361 South Highway 40 Heber City, Ut 84032 Phone: 435-654-4676 Wasatch County Courthouse County clerk has birth and death records 1898-1905, marriage records from 1879, divorce and court records from 1898, probate Records from 1897, and land records from 1862.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

History Timeline
NOTE: Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Wasatch County.
 * 1850's. Heber City was founded by English emigrants who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1850s, and is named after the apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Heber C. Kimball.
 * 1858. A wagon road was completed through Provo Canyon, which brought the first settlers to the area. Two small communities were established: Mound City and a lower settlement sometimes referred to as Smiths Grove. Smiths Grove was first settled by the Robey, Epperson, Bronson, McCarroll, and Smith families. Indian hostilities grew, and territorial governor, Brigham Young, encouraged settlers to build forts for protection. The two settlements built a fort, "midway" between the two communities.
 * 1859. The first house was built by William Manning late in the year. Manning and George Noakes were the only residents until 1863. Heber City was first settled in 1859 by Robert Broadhead, James Davis and James Gurr. John W. Witt built the first house in the area. The area was under the direction of Bishop Silas Smith who was in Provo.
 * 1860. Joseph S. Murdockbecame the bishop over the Latter-day Saints in Heber City and vicinity.
 * 1860's/1870's. A large number of Swiss immigrants arrived, including the Gertsch,Boss, Huber, Kohler, Probst, Zenger, Durtschi, Krebs, Murri, and Abegglen families. Descendants of some of these families still live in Midway. The finding of silver, gold and lead sparked the first silver mines in Park City.
 * 1861. John H. Van Wagoner constructed the first commercial gristmill. Bonner Mercantile Store was the first retail store.
 * 1862. Wasatch County was created 17 January 1862 from Davis and Green River Counties (old). There is no longer a Green River County. County seat: Heber City
 * 1862. Wallsburg was established.
 * 1877. The Charlston Ward was formed in July, with Nymphus C. Murdock as bishop.
 * 1898. Once the site of the largest silver-mining camp in the country, Park City was virtually destroyed by fire.
 * 1900's. The basin at the top of the canyon in Park City was good for grazing, and a few families settled there. Early on, the area was deeded to Samuel Snyder, Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah oGrant. The settlers named it "Parley's Park City", which was shortened to "Park City" in the early 1900s.
 * 1902. Tragedy struck when 34 miners were killed in an explosion in the Day West Mine in Park City.
 * 1947. Midway Swiss Daysbrings thousands of people to the town. The event was started through the efforts of Luke's Hot Pots Resort owners, Joseph B. and Pauline S. Erwin and was originally called Harvest Days.
 * 1950's. While silver was thriving in Utah, other mines across the world were depleted, drawing many of these miners to Park City. The town flourished with crowds of miners and wealth. However, the city nearly became a ghost town by the end of the 1950s because of a drop in the price of silver, and the determent of World War I and the Great Depression.

Cemeteries

 * Territorial-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Cemeteries at the Utah State Historical site
 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Church Records
 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Historically, most people in Utah were Latter-day Saints. Their records are, therefore, very important for early Utah research. For additional information, see Tracing Latter-day Saint Ancestors and Utah Church Records.
 * 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

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes
Olpin-Hoopes Funeral Home 288 North Main St. Heber City, Utah 84032 Phone: 435-654-1161

Genealogies
UTGenWeb has an index to pedigrees found in "Bookcase A."

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories
Named for a Ute Indian word, meaning mountain pass or low place in the high mountains. The county seat is Heber City. It is largest city in the county.
 * Embry, Jessie L. A history of Wasatch County, Utah Centennial County History Series

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Utah Gazetteers
 * Google highway map of Wasatch County 2012
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

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

 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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1896-1906 Wasatch County, Utah Naturalization Record Books, 1896-1906 Ancestry.com ($) Cites as its data source: Utah State Archives and Records Service. Series 84056.
 * 1906-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1930 Utah, Federal Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at Ancestry- index & images, ($)
 * 1907-1924 Wasatch County, Utah Citizenship Certificate Stubs, 1907-1924Ancestry.com ($) Cites as its data source: Utah State Archives and Records Service. Series 85182.

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.
 * Wasatch Wave, covering 1889 - 1922 is included.

Obituaries

 * 1850-2005 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & links to images
 * 2010-2013 Utah, U.S., Obituary Index, 2010-2013 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * To Present Wasatch County Obituary Index at Heber City Utah FamilySearch Center. An index for 2003-2012 [can be found here]. Lookups available upon request.
 * Pre-1960 Wasatch County Pre-1960 Obituary Index at UTGenWeb - free.

Prisons

 * 1892-1949 Board of Pardons Prisoners' Pardon Application Case Files, 1892-1949 at Utah Division of Archives and Records Service – index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1985 Utah Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1851 – 1961 at FamilySearch — images

Birth

 * 1898-1905 Series #83881 at Utah State Archives. Not online, no online index.
 * 1903-1914 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1910 1906-1910 online images
 * Wasatch County Health Department, 55 South 500 East, Heber City, Utah 84032, Phone 435-657-3307.

Marriage

 * 1805-1992 Utah, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index $
 * 1887-1937 Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1871-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1887-2001 Wasatch County Marriage Licenses Index (1887-2001) at UTGenWeb - free.
 * 1916-present Marriage License Lookup at Wasatch County Government site - free.
 * 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
 * Pre-1904 Utah State Burial Data Base This site includes information on many Utah residents, who died before 1904.
 * 1917-1918 USGenWeb Archives contain the vital records of births in Wasatch County 1917-1918

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alpine Utah North FamilySearch Center
 * American Fork Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Heber City Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Lindon Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Timpanogos Utah FamilySearch Center
 * Orem Utah Geneva Heights FamilySearch Center
 * Orem Utah Sharon Park FamilySearch Center
 * Orem Utah Stonewood FamilySearch Center
 * Pleasant Grove Utah East FamilySearch Center
 * Provo Utah Edgemont North FamilySearch Center
 * Provo Utah Wasatch (Tongan) FamilySearch Center
 * Orem Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Wasatch County Library 465 East 1200 South Heber City, UT 84032-3943 435-654-1511 Website See also Utah Public Library Directory, which provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps. Does not mention holdings.

Websites

 * 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Wasatch GenWeb, Utah GenWeb
 * Wasatch USGW Archive, Utah USGW Archive
 * Linkpendium
 * – 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.