Step-by-Step Utah Research, 1850-1910
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Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.
What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
- 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
- Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki
What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.
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Step 2: Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
- A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
- For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
- Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
- Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.
Example of a census record.
Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
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For more information, see Utah Census and United States Census.
Step 3: Try to find additional details in death certificates, Social Security, obituary and cemetery records online.
When a person dies, several records will be created: death certificates, Social Security records, obituaries, and cemetery records.
- Death certificates can give birth information for people born before actual birth registration began. Death certificates frequently give the birth date and place, parents' names, and birth places of parents.
- The Social Security Death Index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled.
- The Social Security Applications and Claims Index provides information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names.
- Cemetery records can be as simple as the information on the headstone or, in some FindAGrave records, they can report more thorough information about birth, parents, spouses, children, and siblings.
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Example of a death index entry. |
Example of a full original death certificate.
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Example of a Social Security Death Index entry. |
Example of a Social Security Application and Claims index entry. |
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Example of a FindAGrave cemetery record.
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Example of an obituary index entry. |
Death Indexes
- 1847-1966 Utah, U.S., Death Registers, 1847-1966 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1848-1960 Utah Deaths and Burials 1848-1960 at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1888-1946 Utah Deaths and Burials, 1888-1946 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1904-1958 Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1958 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1904-1961 Utah, U.S., Death and Military Death Certificates, 1904-1961 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1904-1965 Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1905-1967 Utah Death Certificate Index, 1905-1967 at Utah Division of State Archives — index & images
Writing for Full Death Certificates
The full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).
- Where to Write for Utah Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
Obituaries
- 1850-2003 Utah Newspapers, 1850-2003 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1850-2005 Utah, Obituaries from Utah Newspapers, 1850-2005 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1933-1939 Utah, U.S., Daughters of Utah Pioneers Obituary Scrapbook, 1933-1939 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 2010-2013 Utah, ObitsUtah Obituary Index, 2010-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- Native American Obituaries : A Project of the Farmington, NM Family History Center, by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Farmington, New Mexico Family History Center. Farmington, New Mexico: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Farmington, New Mexico Family History Center, 2001. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Online Utah Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index
- The Salt Lake Tribune Obituaries at Legacy.com — index & images
- Utah Newspapers and Obituaries at LDS Genealogy — index
- Utah Obituaries at ObitsArchive.com — index & images ($)
- Utah Obituaries Help and Genealogy Resources at ObituariesHelp.org — index
Cemeteries
- 1847-2021 Utah, U.S., Cemetery Inventory, 1847-2021 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1848-2001 Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1949-1969 United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- Pre-1966 Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah, Territorial to 1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($), Findmypast ($), MyHeritage ($)
- BillionGraves — index & images
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
- FindaGrave — index & images
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- Names in Stone Cemetery Maps at NamesInStone — index & images
- Online Utah Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index
- Utah and Idaho Cemetery Records at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Utah Cemeteries and Burials Database at Utah State Historic Preservation Office, Utah.gov — index
- Utah Cemeteries at I Dream of Genealogy — index
- Utah Cemeteries at USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project — index
- Utah Cemetery Records at LDS Genealogy — index
- Utah Death Records and Utah Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
- Utah: Family History and Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records and More at Linkpendium — index
- Utah Gravestone Photo Project at UtahGravestone.org — index & images
U.S. Social Security Records
- The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
- The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
- You can search these records online at
- 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($); Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process
- 1962-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.
For more information, see Utah Obituaries and Utah Cemeteries.
Study any new information in these records for clues leading to more census searches.
Step 4: Search for county birth and marriage records online.
Vital records registration of births and marriages at the state level started in 1905. Prior to that the individual counties kept some records. The starting dates of those records vary from county to county, depending on when the county was formed.
| Example of county birth indexes.
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Example of an indexed county marriage entry.
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Online Records
Births:
- 1890-1908 Utah, Salt Lake County Birth Records 1890-1908 at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1890-1915 Utah, Salt Lake County Birth Records, 1890-1915 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1892-1941 Utah Births and Christenings, 1892-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
- 1892-1944 Utah, U.S., Birth Registers, 1892-1944 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1892-1951 Utah, County Birth and Death Records,1892-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Marriages:
- 1809-2016 Western States Marriage Records Index at BYU Idaho, Special Collections and Family History — index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1860-1944 Utah, U.S., Select Marriage Records, 1860-1944 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1871-1941 Utah, County Marriages, 1871-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1887-1935 Utah Marriages, 1887-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1887-1937 Utah, U.S., Select County Marriages, 1887-1937 at Ancestry — index ($); Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1887-1966 Utah, U.S., Select Marriages, 1887-1966 at Ancestry — index ($); Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1887-1999 Utah, Marriages, 1887-1999 at MyHeritage — index ($)
Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Utah Counties.
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Utah, see How to Find Utah Birth Records, How to Find Utah Marriage Records, and How to Find Utah Death Records.
Step 5: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records.
- An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
- Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
- Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.
Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.
FamilySearch
- 1915-1972 Utah, Church Records, 1915-1972 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 1830-1900 Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1835-1846 Seventy Quorum Membership, 1835-1846 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1836-1921 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members (Worldwide), 1836-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, index
- 1839-1913 Historian's Office Record of Members : Known as the "Minnie Margetts" File(*) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church History Library and Minnie Isabella Margetts at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1860-1937 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Missionary Registers (Worldwide), 1860-1937 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1877-1918 Utah, LDS Mission Calls and Recommendations, 1877-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1887-1935 Utah Marriages, 1887-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1887-1966 Utah, U.S., Select Marriages, 1887-1966 ($) index; Also at: MyHeritage ($))
- 1892-1941 Utah Births and Christenings, 1892-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
- 1914-1940 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church Census Records (Worldwide), 1914-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1915-1972 Utah, Church Records, 1915-1972 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Utah historically was founded as a settlement for early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). There are many varieties of records kept by the Church and published online:
- vital records,
- membership records,
- missionary records,
- migration records,
- Mormon Battalion records.
A comprehensive list of links can be found at Latter-day Saint Online Genealogy Records.
Dutch Reformed
- 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Presbyterian
- 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
For help with church records kept in Utah, see Utah Church Records.
To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.
Step 6: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards online.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.
Example of a World War I draft card.
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Example of a World War II draft card.
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Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- 1917-1918 United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1942 United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
For more information and additional collections, see Utah Military Records.
Step 7: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.
Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.
Utah Immigration Records
- 1840-1932 Mormon Migration Database, 1840-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1846-1868 Utah, Sons of Utah Pioneers, Companies Index, 1846-1868 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1847-1850 Sons of Utah Pioneers - Card Index, 1847-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1847-1868 Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1847-1868 Utah, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1847-1868 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1850 Utah, U.S., Pioneer Index, 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
- Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — index & images
- Pioneer Immigrants to Utah Territory at Ancestry — index ($)
- Saints by Sea, Latter-Day Saint Immigration to America at BYU Library — index & images
- Sons of Utah Pioneers Membership Applications, Utah, U.S. at Ancestry — index ($)
Utah Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records
- 1858-1959 Utah, U.S., Naturalization and Citizenship Records, 1858-1959 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1868-1869 Box Elder County, Utah, U.S., Certificates of Citizenship Record Books, 1868-1869 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1878-1895 Utah, U.S., Declarations of Intent for Naturalization, 1878-1895 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1906-1930 Utah Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Research Naturalization and Citizenship Records at Utah Division of State Archives, Utah.gov — index & images
For more information, see Utah Emigration and Immigration and Utah Naturalization and Citizenship.
Step 8: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.
Local histories
- Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
- Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
- Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Utah; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
- Google Books. Use keywords "Utah" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
- Family History Books
- Internet Archive. Use keywords "Utah" and the county name.
- Genealogy Book Links, Utah. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
- Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Utah and the name of the county.
- Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.
- Also, in Step 11, you will be contacting a county history society. Societies often have a good selection of printed histories about the area. Some may be search history for you for a fee.
Biography Collections
- 1548-1995 Sons of the Utah Pioneers, Biography Files at Ancestry — index ($); Online at: (A-G), 1584-1995; (H-P), 1548-1947; (R-Z), 1548-1947
- 1830-1900 Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; includes "Mormons and Their Neighbors"
- 1847-1850 Sons of Utah Pioneers - Card Index, 1847-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1847-1868 Utah, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1847-1868 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Daughters of Utah Pioneers and Their Mothers at Ancestry — index ($)
- More than Petticoats: Remarkable Utah Women, by Karras, Christy. Guilford, Conn. : Globe Pequot Press, 2010. Online at: Internet Archive
- Pioneer Immigrants to Utah Territory at Ancestry — index ($)
- Pioneer Index - History Card at International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers — index & images
- Pony Express Riders at National Pony Express Association — index & images
- Portrait, Genealogical and Biographical Record of the State of Utah : Containing Biographies of Many Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Chicago: National Historical Record Co., 1902. Online at: HathiTrust
- Sons of Utah Pioneers Membership Applications, Utah, U.S. at Ancestry — index ($)
- Utah Since Statehood; Historical and Biographical, by Warrum, Noble. Chicago-Salt Lake: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919. Online at: HathiTrust
- Utah, the Inland Empire : The Story of the Pioneers, Resources and Industries of the State, Attractions of Salt Lake City, Leading Men of the Community, by Sargent, Arthur T. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News, 1902. Online at: HathiTrust
- Worth Their Salt, Too : More Notable but Often Unnoted Women of Utah, by Whitley, Colleen. Logan, Utah: State University Press, 2000. Online at: USU.edu
For more information, see Utah Biography.
Step 9: Search for wills and probate packets.
- County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
- In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
- Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.
Search these indexes and images for probate records.
- 1800-1985 Utah, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1985 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1848-2001 Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1851-1961 Utah, Probate Records, 1851-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Probate Records at Utah Division of Archives and Records, Utah.gov — index & images
Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Utah county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Utah Counties
For more information, see Utah Probate Records and United States Probate Records.
Step 10: Search land records online.
These records will give the
- names of the buyer (grantee) and seller (grantor),
- previous or new residence of the parties to the deed
- the date they obtained the land,
- the description of exact location of the land, sometimes mentioning neighbors.
They can contain clues to
- family members who shared ownership of the land,
- sold or gave land to a child, or
- officially witnessed the sale.
Search for any ancestor's land records.
- See United States Land and Property for more databases and resources.
- 1788-Current U.S. Land Patent Search at Bureau of Land Management — index
- 1800-1955 United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1861-1932 United States, Cancelled, Relinquished, or Rejected Land Entry Case Files, 1861-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1863-1908 U.S., Homestead Records, 1863-1908 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Putting Family History in Its Places at HistoryGeo.com — index & images ($)
- Survey Plats and Field Notes at Bureau of Land Management — index
County Records
- 1855-1956 Utah, Tooele County Records, 1855-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1869-1953 Utah, Davis County Records, 1869-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
For more information, see Utah Land and Property and United States Land and Property.
Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
- County or local historical or genealogical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
- Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
- Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.
- Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area. Posts there from relatives might lead to additional family information.
- Find the society on the internet, where they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collections.
- For more information, see Utah Societies.
The online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the list to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings.
Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.
Step 12: Use other FamilySearch tools.
Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Utah, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Utah, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Utah Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Utah Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Utah Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Utah.
This article focused more on Utah state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Utah. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.