Arizona Land and Property

Portal:United States Land and Property >Arizona

History

The first land grants in Arizona were given by Spain and Mexico. Some of the early records were kept by the Secretary's Office of New Mexico at http://www.sos.state.nm.us/. A helpful published source of information about these grants is:

•  John R. and Christine Van Ness, Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in New Mexico and Colorado. Manhattan, Kansas: AG Press, 1980. (Family History Library book 978 R2s).

When the United States acquired the area in 1848, it agreed to recognize prior claims. The claims were processed by the U.S. Surveyor General from 1855 to 1890, and by the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims from 1891 to 1903. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the following records which are located at the Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office. Most of the documents are indexed and written in either English or Spanish:

• Miscellaneous records for 1695-1842. (Family History Library films 1016947-48; use Vigil's Index, 1681-1846, on film 1106949.)
• Land titles kept by the Secretary of the Territory for the years 1847-1852. (Family History Library film 1016950; use Vigil's Index, 1681-1846, on film 1016949.)
• U.S. Surveyor General's records for 1855-1890. (Family History Library films 1016950-74 items 2-4; the index is on film 1016950 items 2-4.)
• U.S. Court of Private Land Claims 1891-1903. (Family History Library films 1016975-96; the docket listing the cases is on film 1016975.)

Public Domain Land

Unclaimed land became public domain and was surveyed and sold to private owners through land offices. The first General Land Office was established in 1870 at Prescott. Other offices were at Florence, Tucson, and Phoenix, Arizona. Most of these records, along with mining, timber, and homestead entries, are at the National Archives—Pacific Region (Laguna Niguel). at http://www.archives.gov/pacific/laguna/. A few are at the National Archives—Rocky Mountain Region (Denver).

Land entry cases and indexes to pre-1908 patents are located at the National Archives.  Patents and tract books are at Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office

Subsequent transfers of land between private owners were recorded in each county.

The Bureau of Land Management has an index and digital images of the original survey maps for Arizona. The original survey creates land boundaries and marks them for the first time.

References

Arizona Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.