Family History

Family History is the over-arching term that encompasses both geneaology (study of family pedigrees) and more specialized studies such as people with common surnames or who originate in one location. The Utah History Research Center contains many useful primary and secondary sources within the collections of the Utah State Archives and Utah State Historical Society.

Our staff will attempt to locate and copy records related to specific individuals, but we can only search those record series that are indexed or otherwise easily accessible. For extensive research, please visit the Research Center in person or make arrangements with an independent researcher to visit.

Follow the links below for more information about the subject or particular collection. If there is no link, search the online catalog.

Birth, Marriage & Death

• Birth Records
• Marriage Records
• Death Records
• Cemetery and Burial Records
• Utah Burials Database
• Obituaries
  • Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News Obituary indexes, 1850-1970 [microfilm]
  • Newspapers of Utah
  • Newspapers outside of Utah
• Utah -- Cemeteries

Census Records

• United States Census Schedules, 1850-1930 (1890 excluded)
• United States -- Census -- Indexes

Court and Probate Records

• Criminal Records
  case files, pardons, prisoner and arrest records
• Historical Jurisdiction
• Probate Court Records
  estates, wills, guardianships, name changes and Adoptions
• Utah Court System

Immigration & Naturalization

• Naturalization records
• Utah -- Emigration and immigration.

Land & Property

• Original Title in territorial Utah
• Property Research
• Researching your Historic Home
• Maps
  • Database of 30,000 maps searchable by title, location, date
  • Sanborn® Fire Insurance maps, ca. 1880-1960, hardcopy and microfilm
    also see Marriott Library Digital Collection, 1867-1969

Local & Community History

• Biographical Information
  • About 3,000 published autobiographies and biographies from books and pamphlets
  • Cache Valley Historical Society Collection
    Microfilmed diaries, autobiographies, journals and other primary materials relating to the history of Cache Valley, Utah, and Idaho
  • Joel E. Ricks Collection, 1847-1955
    Microfilmed notes and transcriptions on Cache Valley and Utah history, including diaries, biographies, town histories, and notes
  • WPA (Works Progress Administration) Biographical Sketches, ca. 1930-1940
    Short biographies generated by the WPA from and about Utah's remaining pioneers and historical figures.
• Business Incorporation Records
• City Directories, ca. 1850-2000
  R. L. Polk City Directories, located on microfilm and in hardcopy. These annual listings provide the names, addresses and occupations of everyone in the city
• Family histories numbering about 300 of families with a Utah heritage
• Local histories numbering about 400 from Utah city and towns
• Telephone Directories [PDF]
• Utah State Gazetteers, 1872-1928
  Annual volumes include virtually every community in the state, but unlike city directories they list only those who are involved with business enterprises and they do not give home addresses
• Yearbooks

Military

• Discharge and Benefit Records
• Service and Burial Records
• Wars and Conflicts
• Utah -- Military. History

Newspapers & Periodicals

• Newspapers of Utah
• Newspapers outside of Utah
• Newspaper Clipping Files
  • Subject (Index)
  • Biographical
• Utah Digital Newspapers Program (University of Utah/Brigham Young University)
  Salt Lake Tribune (1871-1900), Deseret News (1850-1900) and more fully searchable
• Periodicals Database
• State and Local Publications