Cache County records collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of the historic records of Cache County Government from 1860 to 1987. The materials in this collection provide a detailed log of early government activity, business operation, legal action, agriculture, and numerous other fields of study relating to Cache County. Although many ledgers in this collection concern Logan, Utah, numerous ledgers also concern smaller towns found throughout Cache County. Of particular interest is Probate Court Record # 20, with Judge Peter Maughan presiding. This record is one of the oldest records of this collection, yielding a glimpse of the first recorded legal actions taken in Cache County.
The materials in this collection have been organized in reflection of the provenance kept at the Cache County Courthouse prior to their transfer to Special Collections & Archives. Each ledger or group of similar ledgers has been assigned a number and arranged numerically. Loose correspondence and papers have been boxed and placed at the end of the collection. In addition to the below listed materials, this collection contains recent records of Cache County on microfilm, which is listed at the end of this collection. It should be noted that this collection is partly incomplete, since Cache County retained various county records. Those seeking records not found in this collection should contact the Cache County Courthouse for further assistance.
This collection consists of records from the Cache County Probate Court, including probate minute books (1860-1911), justice dockets (1856-1930s), registers (1865-1933), records of bonds and letters (1876-1905), fee accounts (1883-1898), and wills (1885-1906); Auditor's Office, including tax deed records (1893-1920); Board of Health records, including a dentist registry (1894-1917), optometrist registry (1907-1915), and minutes (1909-1910); animal bounty records (1909-1922, 1943-1972, 1968-1972) and bull register (1918-19230; Logan polygamy oath record (1887-1894); correspondence of the County Clerk (1876-1904) and County Treasurer (1920-1935); historical records survey field notes (1939-1940); maps of Bear River (100 maps, 1957-1961). It also includes an incomplete record of mining activities with Paradise Mining District deed books, miscellaneous records, minutes, record of transfers and deeds, and Richmond Mining District records; and incomplete sets of justice dockets for several individual townships (1888-1933); business licenses (1934-1952); naturalization records (1884-1979, bulk 1884-1929); death registers (n.d.); birth record book (1898-1904); and miscellaneous records. Other items include inheritance tax and lien book (1905-1932), register of Cache County Officers (1909-1971), LDS marriage licenses (1892-1906), chattel mortgage record books (n.d.), mortgage record indices (n.d.), deed record indices (n.d.), warranty deed indices (n.d.), warranty registers (n.d.), township plats, and townsite deeds and abstracts.
Dates
- 1860-1987
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
Open to public research.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Permission to publish material from the Cache County records collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Historical Note
Though others had been in the valley some time previous, the first real settlement of Cache Valley began in 1856 at the direct counsel of Brigham Young, who made the decision after hearing of the severe problems in the Tooele settlement to the west of Salt Lake City. Brigham Young wrote to Peter Maughan inviting him to "pick out a location in Cache Valley for a settlement" (34). A group of approximately nine men and their families went to the valley where they camped at the southern end and built two rows of small cabins, this settlement was later became Wellsville. During that first year more families came and by 1857, thirteen houses were erected.
When the President of the United States ordered troops to march on Utah to ‘put down the Mormon rebellion', known as the Utah War, Cache Valley settlers fled south to rendezvous with fellow Latter-day Saint near modern day Provo, Utah. After the Utah War had ended, the original settlers returned to Cache Valley in 1859 accompanied by several new families, making a total of thirty families. That year, settlers migrated to Cache Valley in greater numbers and founded the North Settlement (later Mendon), Providence, Logan, Richmond, and Smithfield. The 1860 U.S. Census listed the total population as "2,605 persons in the valley" (48). By 1890, Logan was a "beautiful modern city and had become the business, educational, political, and religious center of Cache Valley" (59).
An act passed January 6, 1856, established the boundaries of Cache County and authorization to organize the county given to an elected probate judge upon his election. In 1857 Peter Maughan was duly elected and empowered to organize. From then on the new county began to accumulate records of which this collection is but a small part.
Source: The History of a Valley, editor, Joel E. Ricks. Logan, Utah : Cache Valley Centennial Commission, 1956.
In 1938 he married Ruth Cuttler and the couple would have four children.
Extent
30 boxes and microfilm and 482 ledgers (414 linear ft.)
Abstract
This collection consists of the historic records of Cache County government from 1860 to 1987. These materials provide a detailed log of early government activity, business operation, legal action, agriculture, and numerous other topics relating to Cache County. Although many ledgers in this collection concern Logan, Utah, numerous ledgers also concern smaller towns found throughout Cache County. Of particular interest is Probate Court Record # 20, with Judge Peter Maughan presiding. Although some materials in this collection have been boxed, the collection primarily consists of ledgers.
Arrangement
Arranged in numeric sequence according to item, box and folder, or drawer number.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials in this collection were transferred from the Cache County Courthouse, of Logan, Utah to the Utah State University Special Collections & Archives according to Cache County Ordinance No. 88-10 and the County Records Management and Custodial Agreement dated 3 January 1989.
- Agriculture
- Agriculture--Utah--Cache County--History--Sources.
- Medicine--Utah--Cache County--History--Sources.
- Mines and mineral resources--Utah--Cache County.
- Mormon Church--Utah--Cache County--History--Sources.
- Paradise Mining District (Utah)--Records and correspondence.
- Polygamy--Utah--Cache County--History--Sources.
- Richmond Mining District (Utah)--Records and correspondence.
- Sheriffs--Utah--Cache County--Records and correspondence.
- Title
- Guide to the Cache County records collection 1860-1987
- Author
- Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
- Date
- ©2008
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding guide is in English in Latin script.
- Sponsor
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu