Rio Virgin County, Utah Genealogy

United States Utah  Rio Virgin County

Rio Virgin County, Utah Territory (or Rio Virgen) was created by the Utah legislature on 18 February 1869 from part of Washington County. This was in response to the US federal government on 18 January 1867, moving the western boundary of Utah territory east, giving that land to Nevada. But when all legal recourse had been exhasted, Utah accepted the change and discontinued Rio Virgin County on 16 February 1872.

Rio Virgin County was created to serve the residents of Mesquite, St. Thomas and Bunkerville which the legislature wanted to keep in Utah, resisting the transfer to Nevada. The US federal government surveyed the land, which showed Rio Virgin County was mostly in present-day Nevada, with a little bit in Utah Territory and Arizona Territory. When the county was dissolved, the tiny sliver actually in Utah was restored to Washington County.

Some records for the short-lived Rio Virgin County, Utah Territory may have been transferred to, or may have been re-recorded in these new counties formed where Rio Virgin County had been:


 * Clark County, Nevada
 * Lincoln County, Nevada
 * Mohave County, Arizona (before 18 February 1871 Pah-Ute County, Arizona)
 * Washington County, Utah

For records of Rio Virgin County see also:


 * Utah State Archives may have a few records from the Utah Territory's Rio Virgin County courts and deeds.