District Court (First District : Box Elder County) Probate case files

Dates: 1906-

209 microfilm reels

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Scope and Content

Probate case files from the First District Court in Box Elder County primarily involve the probate of estates for deceased persons and guardianship for minors and incompetent persons. Probate is judicial oversight of property in transition. Probate of estates is the process by which a deceased person's property is identified and maintained, his debts and taxes paid, and then remaining property distributed to beneficiaries as specified in a will or as required by law for persons who die intestate (without a will). In guardianship cases probate is the establishment of a guardian for minors or incompetent adults who hold property that needs management. In addition to probate these case files also include name changes and some adoptions.

Utah's Territorial Assembly established original jurisdiction over the probate of estates and the guardianship of incompetent persons with county probate courts in 1852 (An Act in Relation to the Judiciary. Acts, Resolutions, and Memorials passed by the First Annual, and Special Sessions of the Legislative Assembly. Great Salt Lake City, 1852, Brigham H. Young, Printer. pp. 38-48). That jurisdiction transferred to the probate divisions of District Courts when County Probate Courts were abolished at statehood.

The probate process includes three parts. First, a petitioner must file with the court the documents necessary to have the court appoint a representative. Documents relating to this process include wills, petitions, letters of administration, bonds, etc., and a court order appointing an administrator, executor, or guardian. Second, the appointed representative does all that is necessary to manage the property through the period of transition. Documents filed here might include a court order appointing appraisers, notices to creditors, estate inventories, various kinds of financial statements, receipts, bills, and the court-appointed representative's final report. Finally, when all requirements have been met, such as all bills paid or a minor has become of age, the court mandates a final settlement and releases the representative from any further responsibility.

The Territorial Legislature made provision for formal adoptions in 1884 and assigned jurisdiction to County Probate Courts (Compiled Laws of Utah, vol. II, 1888, part 5, chapter 4). Adoption case files include a formal petition, documents supporting the petition and the court's final decree. In this series adoption case files begin in 1893. Whereas early adoptions were open to the public and sometimes published in the newspaper, adoptions later became private. Most adoption records in this series are closed to public access (see access restrictions note). In addition to probate and adoption, case files this series also include official name changes.

Arrangement

Numerical by case number.

Research Note

Filming of this series took place in the late 1970's and was done by the 1st District Court in Box Elder County. These microfilm copies were provided to the Utah State Archives by the court. Original paper files were presumably destroyed after filming. Archival processing of the records did not take place prior to filming. This should be noted as cases on the first 25 reels frequently appear out of order and are not easily searchable.

Related Records

Probate record books from the District Court (First District : Box Elder County), Series 17456, contains copies of compiled judgments and orders from this series.

Probate registers of actions from the District Court (First District : Box Elder County), Series 26049, can be used to trace the history of individual actions from these case files.

Index to probate registers from the District Court (First District : Box Elder County), Series 26051, contains the complete case files indexed by the book in this series.

Probate minute books from the District Court (First District : Box Elder County), Series 26052, can be used to identify individual case files that appear in this series.

Additional Forms

This series is available on microfilm.

Access Restrictions

Utah law, enacted in 1941, sealed all adoption records with the exception that they can be released upon a court order expressly permitting inspection (Laws of Utah, 1941, chapter 17, 14-1-15). This restriction has subsequently been amended (1999) to allow public access one hundred years after the date of final decree or access as provided for in a mutual consent registry (Utah Code 78-30-15, 18). The probate division's jurisdiction over adoptions preceded the enactment of these laws and therefore many adoption records were filed and microfilmed among probate cases. Utah State Archives staff supervises access to this series in order to provide access to probate records, but not to adoption records.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Processing Note

The finding aid for this series was created by Jim Kichas in May 2006. Inventorying of individual microfilm reels and creation of the associated container list was completed by Allen Clark in January 2006.

Indexing Terms

Container List

REEL	DATE	DESCRIPTION
1	1879-1886	A-R
2	1885-1899	R-Z
2	1885-1899	1-4
3	1899-1904	4-15
4	1900-1905	15-21
5	1888-1892	22-27
6	1888-1889	28-35
7	1889-1892	35-45
8	1892	45-52
9	1890-1892	52-60
10	1890	60-70
11	1891-1901	70-76
12	1893-1901	77-84
13	1893-1895	84-91
14	1895-1902	91-100
15	1902-1903	100-111
16	1902-1903	111-118
17	1903	118-131
18	1903	131-143
19	1897-1904	144-157
20	1897	157-167
21	1897-1898	167-184
22	1898-1905	184-194
23	1898-1905	194-201
24	1898-1905	201-215
25	1905-1906	216-232
26	1906	233-252
27	1906-1907	252-275
28	1907	276-296
29	1907	296-312
30	1907-1908	312-328
31	1908	328-336
32	1908	336-357
33	1908-1909	358-375
34	1909	375-409
35	1909-1911	409-437
36	1911	437-452
37	1911	453-478
38	1911-1912	478-501
39	1912	501-516
40	1912-1913	517-534
41	1913	535-555
42	1913-1914	556-582
43	1914	583-604
44	1914	605-624
45	1914-1915	625-638
45	1914-1915	1-10
46	1915	10-30
47	1915-1916	31-50
48	1916	50-65
49	1916	65-81
50	1916	81-93
51	1916-1917	94-108
52	1917	109-111
53	1917	111-114
54	1917	114-119
55	1917	119
51	1916-1917	120-121
55	1917	122-127
51	1916-1917	128
55	1917	129-135
56	1917-1918	135-137
51	1916-1917	138-147
57	1917	148-169
56	1917-1918	171
57	1917	172
58	1917-1918	172-173
56	1917-1918	174
58	1917-1918	175-183
56	1917-1918	184
58	1917-1918	185-193
56	1917-1918	194
58	1917-1918	195-199
59	1918	200
56	1917-1918	201
59	1918	202-204
60	1918-1919	205
59	1918	206
60	1918-1919	207-209
59	1918	210-218
60	1918-1919	219
59	1918	220-224
60	1918-1919	236
61	1918	237-253
62	1918	253-265
63	1918-1919	265-283
64	1919	284-291
60	1918-1919	292
64	1919	293-313
65	1919	314-327
60	1918-1919	328
65	1919	329-343
66	1919-1920	344-348
60	1918-1919	349
66	1919-1920	350-354
60	1918-1919	355
66	1919-1920	356-372
67	1920	373-393
68	1919-1931	394
67	1920	395-398
69	1920	399-416
68	1919-1931	417
69	1920	418-419
70	1920	419-425
68	1919-1931	426
70	1920	427-438
71	1920-1921	438-464
72	1921	464-481
73	1921	482-487
68	1919-1931	488-489
73	1921	490-500
74	1921-1922	501-520
75	1922	521-524
68	1919-1931	525
75	1922	526-543
76	1922	543-561
77	1922-1923	562-581
78	1923	582-603
79	1923	603-626
80	1923	627-648
81	1923-1924	648-679
82	1924	679-700
83	1924-1925	700-733
84	1925-1926	734-758
85	1926	759-780
86	1926	781-810
87	1926-1927	811-828
88	1927	828-858
89	1927-1928	859-883
90	1928	884-912
91	1928	913-926
68	1919-1931	927
91	1928	928
68	1919-1931	929
91	1928	930-941
92	1928-1929	941-966
93	1929	966-991
94	1929	991-1000
95	1929-1930	1000-1032
96	1930	1033-1057
97	1930	1057-1093
98	1930-1931	1094-1109
68	1919-1931	1110
98	1930-1931	1111-1113
99	1931	1114-1130
100	1931	1131-1148
101	1931-1932	1149-1173
102	1932	1173-1199
103	1932	1199-1209
104	1932-1933	1209-1236
105	1933	1236-1262
106	1933-1934	1263-1290
107	1934	1290-1319
108	1934	1320-1342
109	1934-1935	1342-1369
110	1935	1370-1397
111	1935-1936	1398-1422
112	1936	1422-1448
113	1936	1449-1478
114	1936-1937	1478-1507
115	1937	1508-1537
116	1937-1938	1538-1569
117	1938	1569-1596
118	1938	1597-1621
119	1938-1939	1621-1651
120	1939	1652-1670
121	1939	1671-1703
122	1939-1940	1704-1730
123	1940	1731-1763
124	1940	1764-1800
125	1940-1941	1800-1828
126	1941	1828-1865
127	1941-1942	1866-1894
128	1942	1895-1919
129	1942-1943	1919-1950
130	1943	1950-1971
131	1943	1972-2002
132	1943-1944	2003-2034
133	1944	2035-2062
134	1944-1945	2062-2088
135	1945	2089-2123
136	1945	2124-2142
137	1945-1946	2142-2169
138	1946	2170-2209
139	1946-1947	2210-2240
140	1947	2240-2269
141	1947	2269-2295
142	1947-1948	2297-2333
143	1948	2334-2370
144	1948-1949	2370-2396
145	1949	2396-2427
146	1949	2428-2458
147	1949	2458-2482
148	1949-1950	2482-2515
149	1950	2516-2552
150	1950-1951	2553-2586
151	1951	2587-2624
152	1951-1952	2625-2644
153	1952	2645-2677
154	1952	2678-2708
155	1952	2708-2732
156	1952-1953	2732-2765
157	1953	2766-2795
158	1953-1954	2795-2818
159	1954	2818-2853
160	1954	2854-2891
161	1954-1955	2892-2919
162	1955-1956	2920-2942
163	1956	2943-2991
164	1956-1958	2992-3021
165	1956-1959	3022-3061
166	1957	3062-3085
167	1957	3086-3127
168	1958	3127-3162
169	1958-1959	3163-3195
170	1959	3196-3225
171	1959	3225-3253
172	1959	3254-3281
173	1959-1960	3281-3318
174	1960	3318-3364
175	1960-1961	3364-3400
176	1961	3401-3424
177	1961-1962	3424-3459
178	1962	3459-3497
179	1962	3498-3537
180	1962-1963	3537-3575
181	1963	3575-3606
182	1963	3606-3642
183	1963-1964	3643-3672
184	1964	3672-3709
185	1964	3709-3744
186	1964	3744-3786
187	1965	3787-3821
188	1965	3821-3852
189	1965-1966	3852-3885
190	1966	3885-3936
191	1966	3937-3983
192	1966-1967	3983-4034
193	1967-1968	4034-4072
194	1967-1968	4072-4112
195	1967-1968	4113-4159
196	1968	4160-4193
197	1968-1969	4193-4228
198	1969	4228-4255
199	1969	4256-4303
200	1969-1970	4304-4350
201	1970	4350-4389
202	1970-1971	4389-4440
203	1971	4441-4479
204	1972	4480-4510
205	1972	4514-4539
206	1972	4541-4566
207	1972-1973	4567-4598
208	1973	4599-4635
209	1973-1974	4636-4675
210	1974	4676-4710