AGENCY: Box Elder County (Utah). County Clerk

SERIES: 14947
TITLE: Incorporation case files of LDS church wards
DATES: 1886-1901.
ARRANGEMENT: Alphabetical by LDS Church Ward

DESCRIPTION: These case files contain Articles of Incorporation filed with the Box Elder County Clerk by LDS Church Wards. The articles of incorporation were required to be filed with the County Clerk and State to ensure that the laws which pertained to the organization were adhered to. The actual articles of incorporation record the following: names of the corporation officers including the President which was filled by the Bishop of the ward, names of the ward members, and oaths of office. The Articles of Incorporation state that the members of the ward "desired to become a body corporate, under and in accordance with the existing laws of Utah Territory, and had met for that purpose." The law of the Utah Territory stated " that any number of persons associated together for religious, social, scientific, benevolent or other purposes...when pecuniary profit is not their object...may incorporate themseleves as provided in this Act (Laws of Utah, 1878, chap., 18, sec., 1).

Under current Utah law and the laws of the territorial legislature, individuals desiring to incorporate, were to file and record articles of incorporation with their respective county clerk. These agreements specified the nature and place of business, amount of stock to be issued, terms for officers, etc. The clerk in turn issued a certificate of incorporation and recorded the final articles of incorporation in these record books.

RETENTION

DISPOSITION

RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION

Retention and disposition for this series is proposed and has not yet been approved.

FORMAT MANAGEMENT

Paper: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.

Microfilm master: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.

Microfilm duplicate: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.

APPRAISAL

Historical Legal

Because of the importance of incorporation information, which documents the organization and existence of companies, the county clerk is required by law [UCA sections 3 and 16] to maintain incorporation case files and record books (and likewise their corresponding indexes).

PRIMARY DESIGNATION

Public