Selectmen
1856-1896

Box Elder County was established by act of the Territorial Legislature in 1856.  Governor Brigham Young signed the enabling legislation which provided for various county offices, including an administrative unit referred to as a County Court.  The court consisted of three selectmen elected by popular vote and a probate judge appointed by the governor of the territory.  The probate judges usually served as chairman of the court.
In 1896, the position of probate judge as a part of the county governing body was eliminated.  The County Court became the County Commission and members of the Commission were designated as County Commissioners, whereas, prior to 1896, they were called selectmen.  The County Commission selects one of the three members of the Commission to serve as chairman.

	NAME		TERM
	John D. Rees		1856-1866
	Dwight Harding		1856-1857
	Alvin Nichols		1856-1863
	Samuel Smith		1864-1865
	George W. Ward		1866-1887
	James Pett		1866-1880
	Lucius A. Snow		1880-1882
	William L. Watkins
	Peter Nebeker		1887-1889
	John D. Peters		1888-1889
	P.F. Madsen		1880-1880
	Carl Jensen		1882-1889
	E. O. Wilcox		1892
	T.W. Brewerton		1890-1891
	R. H. Baty		1890-1892
	William Lowe		1882-1886
	Christian Olson		1893-1894
	H.M. Jarvis		1893-1894
	Thomas Blackburn		1892-1894
	Jonah Mathias		1895-1896
	Lars F. Johnson		1895-1896
	Thomas D. Pett		1895-1896

The Office of probate judge was abandoned February 17, 1896, Jonah Mathias was appointed Chairman of the County Court (County Commission).    Minutes, Box Elder County, Book 2 p.156