Previous Jurisdictions to Land in Arizona

United States Arizona  Previous Jurisdictions to land in Arizona

Previous Jurisdictions and Record Repositories
Locating records of your ancestors


 * Find where your ancestor lived
 * Identify when your ancestor live there
 * Locate the jurisdiction covering the land where your ancestor lived
 * Determine the record repositories for that jurisdiction

For example, suppose you were told your ancestor lived in Tucson, Arizona Terrritory in 1861.


 * In the present day, Tucson is indeed located in Arizona. But Arizona didn't exist in 1861. Arizona Territory wasn't created until 1863. Before that, the land belonged to New Mexico Territory, which was created in 1850. So your ancestor lived in New Mexico Territory. This jurisdiction still exists today as the State of New Mexico.
 * In 1853, the US bought the Gadsden Purchase from Mexico, which contained land south of the Gila River. This is the land where Tucson is located. In 1854, this land was given to New Mexico Territory and in 1855 this land was added to Dona Ana county. Then in 1860, New Mexico created Arizona county from the land in Dona Ana county. Arizona County existed totally within the present day State of Arizona. So your ancestor lived in Arizona County in the New Mexico Territory.
 * But Arizona county was discontinued in 1862, then recreated in 1863 and finally discontinued again when Arizona Territory was created in 1863. The records from this extinct county reverted to Dona Ana County, which still exists in the State of New Mexico.

Putting this all together, your ancestor actually lived in Tucson, Arizona County, New Mexico Territory in 1861. Therefore look for records in the archives at Tucson, Dona Ana County, and the State of New Mexico.

Sometimes, records were recorded in a county or jurisdiction where your ancestor did not live. Maybe there was confusion as to where the borders lay. Or maybe it was a shorter distance to the neighboring county seat. There could be several reasons, so don't overlook records in nearby jurisdictions. But treat this as the exception to the rule and check the most obvious place first.

Spain laid claim to much of the land in present day southwestern US. But because of the great distances and the hostilities of the Indian tribes, Spanish rule extended only to the southern portion of present day Arizona, and sometimes not even that much. Tucson was the only permanent town established, because of the military garrison there.

Spain established the practice of giving land grants to encourage settlement on the fringes of their rule. Mexico continued this practice. All Spanish and Mexican land grants for present day Arizona were located in the Gadsden Purchase. Stand in downtown Tucson and and look toward the southeast corner of present day Arizona, then turn 90 degrees to the west. All of these Spanish and Mexican Land Grants are located in that triangle.

Look for records in the following places
 * Records relating to Cases Decided by the United States Court of Private Land Claims, Arizona District
 * The Thirteen-year Court
 * U of A Libraries Digital Collections
 * Land Claims.
 * Private land claims

From 1820 to 1846 - Spanish and Mexican land that would later become Arizona
1820 - The San Ignacio de la Canoa Grant. Two brothers petitioned the governor of Sonora/Sinaloa for four leagues (sitios) to raise cattle and horses. Title was issued by Mexico in 1849 and Court of Private Land Claims confirmed the grant for 17,204 acres in 1899. This land grand was located on both sides of Interstate 19 south of Green Valley (that town is in the northwest corner of the grant).

1820 - The San Bernardino Grant south of Bisbee was also applied for by Ignacio de Perez, a Spanish lieutenant, who paid $90 for four leagues. The grant was surveyed in 1821 and recorded in Arizpe, Sonora but no title was ever issued. Most of the grant is located south of the border. The Court of Private Land Claims confirmed 2,383 acres that are on the American side.

1821 - Southwest of Patagonia is the San José de Sonoita Grant, the smallest grant made in Arizona. It was applied for in 1821 by Leon Herreras, a resident of Tubac, who had it surveyed and who received a Mexican title in 1825 for 7,598 acres. Court of Private Land Claims rejected that title on the grounds that the treasurer of Sonora had no authority to sell land in that area, but U. S. Supreme Court overturned the rejection. However it only confirmed 5,123 acres.

1821 - The San Rafael de la Zanja Grant, just to the north of the Mexican border, east of the Patagonia Mountains. The four-league grant was sold at public auction for $1,297 and title was issued by Mexico in 1825. Court of Private Land Claims confirmed 17,352 acres of the grant in 1902.

24 Aug 1821 - The Treaty of Cordoba was signed by Spain, which recognized Mexico's independence. The land in present day Arizona became part of Mexico, north of the Gila River was in the State of Alta California and south of the Gila River was in the State of New Navarra. Look for records in the Spain and Mexico Archives.

1827 - The San Ignacio del Babocomari Grant looks on a map like a twenty miles long boomerang north and west of present day Fort Huachuca. In 1827, Ignacio Elías y Gonzales and his sister Lulalia paid $380 for this nearly fifty-three square miles grant. The title to the grant was issued by the treasurer general of Sonora, Mexico on 25 December 1832. The Court of Private Land Claims confirmed 33,792 acres for this grant.

1827 - The San Juan de las Boquillas y Nogales Grant is located along the San Pedro River west of Tombstone. Title was issued to Ignacio Elías y Gonzales in 1833. The Court of Private Land Claims confirmed 17,354 acres for this grant.

1827 - The San Rafael del Valle Grant is adjoined to the San Juan grant on the south. Title was issued in 1832. The San Rafael Grant was at first rejected by Court of Private Land Claims, but the rejection was overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court, who confirmed 17,475 acres for this grant.

24 October 1831 - The Buena Vista Grant straddles the international boundary just east of Nogales and two thirds of it is in Mexico. This Mexican land grant was made to Dona Josefa Morales. It consisted of 18,640 acres and was also known as the Maria Santissima del Carmen Land Grant. Following the Gadsden Purchase, the Court of Private Land Claims confirmed 5,733 acres of the grant to men named Maish and Driscoll.