Series 4887
District Court (Third District) U.S. Commissioner Harmel Pratt's civil case docket books
Dates: 1889-1894.
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
Under the 1887 Edmunds-Tucker Law, commissioners appointed by the supreme court and district courts in the Territory of Utah had and could exercise all the powers and jurisdiction held by justices of the peace in the Territory.
Harmel Pratt was one of the United States Commissioners appointed in Salt Lake. Dockets document various actions taken in civil cases such as non-payment of wages, promissory notes, personal property claims, etc. The names of the plaintiffs and defendants are given along with the attorney. For each case the date and actions taken, e.g. filing complaint, issuing summons, hearings held, etc., are given.
After statehood in 1896, jurisdiction passed from U.S. Commissioners to local justices of the peace. Pratt's successor was J.P. Alexander McMaster.
Arrangement
Chronological by date.
Related Records
U.S. Commissioner criminal case docket book from the District Court (Third District), Series 4662, available at this institution, contains information on other cases heard by U.S. Commissioners in the same era and region.
U.S. Commissioner W.C. Jennings civil and criminal docket book from the District Court (Third District), Series 4878, available at this institution, contains information on other cases heard by U.S. Commissioners in the same era and region.
U.S. Commissioner Harmel Pratt's criminal docket book from the District Court (Third District), Series 4879, available at this institution, contains information on other cases heard by U.S. Commissioners in the same era and region.
U.S. Commissioner John W. Greenman's civil case docket book from the District Court (Third District), Series 4891, available at this institution, contains information on other cases heard by U.S. Commissioners in the same era and region.
Access Restrictions
This series is classified as Public.
Preferred Citation
Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.
Processing Note
This series was processed by Jim Kichas in December 2009.
Finding Aids
Indexes: Several of the dockets have alphabetical plaintiff indexes.
Indexing Terms
Page Last Updated October 18, 2012.