Since the majority of early white settlers to Box Elder County (and Utah in general) were Mormon pioneers, it's easy to understand why most of the early religious congregations were of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In 1869, the railroad was completed and Corinne - a railroad boomtown - was settled by non-Mormons. There were several church start-ups, but few lasted for an extended period of time.

Reverand Malanchton Hughes held the first Presbyterian service there in June of 1869. By November, 1870, a Presbyterian Church was built.

The first Methodist Church in Utah was built in Corinne in 1870. Church records are limited for the time period 1870-1892, but it's obvious that the church struggled during that time. Services were discontinued in 1957 and the building was used sporadically afterwards. In 1994-1995, the Corinne Historical Society and Methodist church agreed upon the building being used as a living museum.

The Reverand Samuel L. Gillespie, who also served the Protestant Church in Evanston, Wyoming, arrived in Corinne in 1874. The town had been declining (due to Mormon opposition) and Rev. Gillespie found a larger following in Brigham City. Although opposition was also felt there, the Brigham City Church was formally organized in 1890 and the Gillespies became well respected citizens of the community. Today, this congregation is still known as the Community Presbyterian Church in Brigham City.

Many of the early settlers to Box Elder County were L.D.S. Scandinavian converts. Possibly as many as one-third of these converts left the Mormon Church after arriving in Utah. About 1885, the Scandinavian Methodist Church was organized in Brigham City. Services were held in Danish and English for a while. The Church was closed prior to 1910 and the buildings were sold by 1918.

In 1897, Methodists began meeting in Tremonton. They met in various places, and finally dedicated their church in 1906. After many years of activity, the membership dwindled and their doors were closed in the late 1980's. Since then, the building has been used by the Catholic church and the Baptist congregation.

Today, the majority of Box Elder County residents continue to be L.D.S. A 1999 church roster showed 353 ward/congregations in the county. It is unlikely much genealogical information can be found at the ward level, as boundaries have changed much over the years and most records are not kept at the local level. L.D.S. Church membership records are on file at:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Membership Department
50 E. North Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150

History of the Brigham City Tabernacle

Microfilmed copies of LDS Church membership, ward rosters, and other church-related records are available at the Family History Library and can be viewed at Family History Centers worldwide.

To locate records of other churches, contact them directly.

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Assembly of God - Victory First - est. 1970 Pastor Tom Perea 535 East 700 South  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 743-2176	First Baptist Church  617 West. 500 South  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-3604	Brigham City Bible Church - established 1956 634 South 200 East  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-5438
St Henry's Catholic Church Rectory - established 1943 380 South 200 East  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-2941	Living Hope Christian Fellowship - est. 1954 48 North Main St.  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-6469	Church of Christ - est. 1961 297 South 600 West  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-8453
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  Membership Department 50 E. North Temple Salt Lake City, Utah 84150	St. Michael's Episcopal Church - est. 1957 389 South 200 East  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-2352	Jehovah's Witnesses  516 South 500 East  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 734-2453
Holy Cross Lutheran - est. 1959 750 East 100 South  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-6332	Aldersgate United Methodist Church - est. 1963 235 East 850 South  Brigham City, Utah 84302 Phone: (435) 723-7022 Email: aldersgate@t-three.com	Community Presbyterian Church  304 South 200 East  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-6262
Gillespie & Fellowship Halls (Presbyterian) 150 East 300 South  Brigham City, Utah 84302 (435) 723-7061	Honeyville Buddhist Church - began meeting in 1912 3945 West 6900 North  Honeyville, Utah 84314 (435) 279-8477	Baptist Church - established 1908; closing date unknown
Baptist Congregation - established 1950's meets in the "Old Methodist Church" 200 North Tremont  Tremonton, Utah 84337	Methodist Church - began meeting in 1897; church house built 1906; closed late 1980's early ministers: Rev. Eugene H. Snow of the Corinne Methodist church, Rev. A. W. Hartshorn	Santa Anna Catholic Church  76- West 600 North  Tremonton, Utah 84337 (435) 257-0701