2023 in Review

Now that 2023 has come to a close, we look back on all of the changes and accomplishments from the past year. Records Management and Archives went through huge changes in our small staff throughout 2023. 

Retirement: Hugh Johnson, Records Clerk

Hugh Johnson worked as a Records Clerk for Salt Lake County Records Management and Archives for 23 years, assisting county agencies with retention schedules, record requests, and many other tasks. Prior to working with us, Hugh worked for the Utah State Archives in their microfilm department. Having reached his 30 years service for government, he retired in May of 2023. We were devastated to hear that shortly after his retirement, Hugh passed away. We miss his generosity and steadfastness every day at the Archives. 

Moving On: Daniel Cureton, Digital and Reference Archivist

Daniel Cureton, Digital and Reference Archivist, left the Salt Lake County Archives for a new position in September of 2023. Daniel worked with us for a little over four years, and was invaluable in setting up our new digitization lab along with providing excellent reference services to the public and county agencies. Many of our patrons will miss his insight and dedication to the research process. Daniel’s skills and knowledge will now benefit the Los Alamos National Laboratory as their Scientific and Technical Information Librarian. 

New Employees 

As detailed in an earlier entry, we also welcomed two new employees in 2023. Trey Coleman, Records Management and Archives Specialist, started in August and Kelsie Flack, Digital and Reference Archivist, joined us in September. Both have already seamlessly fit in at Salt Lake County, and readers will hear much more from them in the future. 

More Records Online

We continued to digitize and upload county records to our online digital archives, including:

• Tax Appraisal Cards (1970s) and Land Title Certificates to their online, searchable applications. 
• Land Claim Record Books
• Water Records Collection
• Tax Assessment Rolls (1853-1881)
• Additional Planning and Development records, including Board of Adjustment and Conditional Use Applications.

Additional records series will be digitized and uploaded to the online digital archives throughout 2024! 

Holiday Closure

Have a peaceful holiday season!

Please note: The Archives reading room will be CLOSED December 25 – 29.

Welcome To Our New Staff!

Salt Lake County Records Management and Archives recently hired two new employees, filling positions vacated by outgoing staff. The Records Management and Archives Specialist works with agencies to help manage county records, provides public reference desk support, and conducts special projects supporting the archives program.  Our Digital/Reference Archivist is responsible for Archives duties including reference, instruction, research, and collection management of a variety of physical records formats in the Archives.

Trey Coleman, Records Management and Archives Specialist

Trey Coleman is a 2023 graduate from Brigham Young University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. Being part of the county has quickly displayed the various career paths available to him for his future as he develops his records management and archival skills all while doing so in a work environment that is friendly and goal oriented. Prior to his employment with Records Management and Archives, he worked as an Archival Digitization Specialist with the genealogical organization Ancestry and as a computer technician for his university.  

During his studies, Trey chose the field of history because of his hobbyist nature and the freedom it offered at choosing topics from various time periods and the next day being able to learn something different. So, when outside of work, he enjoys pushing his talents and developing new hobbies from painting, reading, and writing to other things like skateboarding, website development, and woodworking. 

Kelsie Flack, Digital/Reference Archivist

Kelsie Flack has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Utah and a Master of Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archival Studies from Louisiana State University. Kelsie first started working in archives at the J. Willard Marriott Library in Special Collections when she was an undergraduate at the University of Utah. She immediately became fascinated with archives and developed a passion for the ways in which archives directly connect us to various histories. She used that interest to pursue a Master of Library and Information Science, which she completed in December of 2022. Kelsie began working as an official archivist as the Curating Indigenous Digital Collections Fellow at WiLS, which is a Wisconsin based library organization. She worked in collaboration with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians to promote Tribal sovereignty, ethical control and access, and proper organization of digital community archives. Kelsie has an immense passion for implementing change in how Indigenous communities have historically been treated by libraries, archives, and museums. She then went on to work at Densho, which is a non-profit organization based in Seattle that focuses on archiving materials from Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. This continued a passion for promoting ethical archival practices for marginalized communities who have been mistreated by traditional libraries, archives, and museums throughout history.

Kelsie is excited to take the next step in her career at Salt Lake County Archives as the Digital/Reference Archivist. She is looking forward to physically interacting with archival material and providing reference and access to a wide range of patrons.

In her free time, Kelsie enjoys reading, traveling, and doing yoga.

A big welcome to our new employees!

It’s Summer Time: Lunch Stand Flashback

Becker’s hamburger and root beer stand, circa 1936. No address. Part of lot 9, block 21, 10 acre Survey A. Salt Lake County Tax Appraisal Cards, serial 16-2728.

Additional Records Now Available Online!

Image from Salt Lake County Civil and Criminal Court Minute Books, 1852-1887. Series PC- 305.

New records series that are now available on our Digital Archives page include:

Salt Lake County Civil and Criminal Court Docket Books and Minute Books, 1852-1887. Series PC-304 and PC-305. Includes divorce cases. The corresponding Civil and Criminal Court Case Files will be uploaded as they are digitized.

Salt Lake County Land Claim Record Books, 1871-1894. Series PC-010. Administrative records supporting the process leading to the granting of Land Title Certificates (see below).

Salt Lake County Land Title Certificates, 1851-1895 (bulk 1870s). Series PC-001. Now searchable and viewable online through last names beginning with “R.”

Salt Lake County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, 1944-2019. Series PD-027.

Salt Lake County Plat Maps, 1962-1963. Series RC-106. Includes some Pioneer Plat Maps, 1852-1892.

Excerpt from the George M. Cannon Plat Book, 1867. Salt Lake County Recorder. Pioneer Plat Maps, 1887-1888. Series RC-106.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a happy, safe, and snowy holiday season!

Please note: The Archives reading room will be CLOSED December 21 – 26.

Now Online!

Archives staff have been busy digitizing and creating indexes to make Salt Lake County records more accessible. We have four more record series/indexes online and available for research by anyone, anytime, anywhere in our Digital Archives!

Salt Lake County First Ledger Book, 1852-1856. Series CU-301

Salt Lake County Planning Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 1966-1970; 1982; 1988-2003; 2005-2006; 2008. Series PD-027.

Salt Lake County Health Department – Meningitis Record Book Index, 1929-1933. Series HE-340.

Salt Lake County Physician – Autopsy Record Book Index, 1913-1919. Series PH-301.

We are also continually adding records to the current online collections of Tax Appraisal Cards, 1970s-1991, and the Land Title Certificates, 1851-1895, which now include records for last names starting with “Re.”

New Online! Salt Lake County Commission Minutes

The Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB), administered by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service, awarded Salt Lake County Archives a grant in the amount of $2,240.00 to digitize Salt Lake County Commission Minutes from 1852-1972.  We are happy to announce that the records are now digitized and are available in our online Digital Archives! Check out an earlier blog entry that describes the Commission Minutes, the grant process, and the importance of this project.

The USHRAB’s grant program is funded by a State Board Programming Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) at the National Archives. The USHRAB assists public and private non-profits, as well as non-Federal government entities throughout the State of Utah in the preservation and use of historical records.

Thank you to USHRAB and the NHPRC at the National Archives for the opportunity to provide access to these records to anyone, anywhere, and at anytime.

Land Title Certificates: Update

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, we have been digitizing and uploading the Salt Lake County Land Title Certificates, 1851-1895 (bulk 1871-1873). An ongoing project, we have now made available all Land Title Certificates up through surnames starting with “P,” and are starting to upload records for surnames beginning with “R.”

The collection contains the Land Title Certificates granted to petitioners from 1871 to 1879 which finally provided federally recognized land title to the people of Salt Lake County.  Although issued in the 1870s, these records can retroactively document land possession back to the 1850s.

Please check our Digital Archives for continuing online additions to this record series!

Example of record for Abram Allen, Salt Lake County Land Title Certificates, series PC-001.

Flash Back: Salt Lake County Mountain Guard

The 1939 newspaper article above was part of an online exhibit that the Salt Lake County Archives created about the history of the Salt Lake County Mountain Guard. This 2008 exhibit focused on one little known aspect of Salt Lake County’s contribution to securing the safety of skiers at Alta ski resort. 

As the snow continues to fly here in Utah and skiers pack the mountain resorts, we wanted to highlight this important and always relevant part of Salt Lake County history once again. Everyone stay safe out there!