Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-11-04 | Page 19 | Comprehensive Picture of Salt Lake County's Past Shown in Historical Records Survey Made by W P A

Comprehensive Picture of Salt Lake County's Past Shown in Historical Records Survey Suney Made by WP A. A gone By-gone days this section section section sec sec- sec sec- tion of of Utah was known as Great Salt Lake county and was governed governed governed gov gov- by a probate judge instead of commissioners were recalled Wednesday as L. L L. L Young assistant assistant as as- state field supervisor of the W P A historical records survey survey survey sur sur- vey made a progress report For the past several months several workers have been busy piecing together a more compre comprehensive picture of Salt Lake county's past Long lists have been compiled to show how where records of oZ mem y incidents in the county's past can be located A similar survey is being made in every county of Utah under direction of Martin C. C Graff Graft of Ogden state supervisor Complicating the work is Is' discovery discovery discovery dis dis- covery that records which may be kept by one otie department now were kept by an entirely different different different differ differ- ent department of the county government 50 60 years ago It was vas found for instance that part of the old records of the territorial district courts were Inthe Inthe in inthe the files of the United States district district dis- dis court court- here here while the the bal bal bal- I ance of the records were scattered scattered scattered scat scat- in various county files Reason for this Mr Youngs Young's w workers found was that in earlier earlier ear ear- lier her days county clerks were Instructed in instructed instructed in- in to forward all open cases to the federal court in Salt Lake City retaining in their possessIon possession possession posses posses- sion all records of closed cases The Deseret legislature named this section of Utah Great Salt Lake county and the Great was used 18 years before it was dropped the survey discloses Salt Lake county vas was first governed governed gov gov- ern d by bya a probate a-probate te jud judge e and I three selectmen instead of by a aboard aboard aboard board of county commissioners Among the interesting records uncovered was va the coroners coroner's re report report re- re report port on the deaths caused by the explosion of the powder magazine maga- maga magazine maga zine on Arsenal hill bill located a amile amile amile mile northeast of the L. L D. D S. S temple block April 5 1876 The entire city was shaken by the explosion resulting from the firing of a bullet bull t through thedoor thedoor the door of the powder magazine the record states and windows were blown out in downtown wn stores Four persons were killed 7 l