1909 Berthrong / General Land Office Map of the New Mexico Territory

An engrossing map of the Territory of New Mexico produced three years before statehood in 1909 by I. P. Berthrong and his colleagues at the U.S. Government's General Land Office. As the title indicates, it is based on an earlier larger-format map of the territory, which was continually updated by the G.L.O. in the late 19th and early 20th century.

A Closer Look

The map highlights private land grants, American Indian reservations (shaded yellow), military bases, forest reserves (shaded green), and the boundaries of land districts (purple outlines). Of greatest interest are the illustrated land grants, including the Tierra Amarilla Grant, the Maxwell Grant, and the Mora Grant. Topographic features are noted throughout, including elevation, waterways, and terrain. Cities and towns, railroads, springs, and archaeological ruins are also indicated.

Land Grants in the New Mexico Territory

Before the New Mexico Territory became part of the United States after the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848), New Mexico (Nuevo México) was a part of the Spanish Empire from 1598 - 1821, and then a territory of independent Mexico from 1821 until the 1846 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded it to the United States. First the Spanish and then the Mexican government granted land concessions to individuals as a reward for meritorious service, as well as communal settlement grants - mostly in an effort to develop the sparsely populated region. More than 150 land grants were awarded by the Spanish and Mexican governments, totaling some 9.3 million acres. After the U.S. gained control of New Mexico, they did not have a process for recognizing the land grants, even though they were guaranteed in the treaty.

The Contentious History of the Tierra Amarilla Grant

In 1832, Manuel Martinez petitioned the Governor of New Mexico for a tract of land called Tierra Amarilla, now along the northern border of New Mexico (just east of the 'Jacarilla [Jicarilla] Apache Indian Reservation' here). Situated on the Chama River, Martinez sought the land for agricultural and ranching purposes on behalf of himself, his eight sons, and all who may accompany him. After a dispute between Martinez and the town council of Abiquiu, the closest settlement to the proposed grant, the Provincial Deputation granted the land to Martinez, although the Alcalde of Abiquiu failed to deliver possession of the grant (the paperwork) to Martinez because they feared attacks from the local Native Americans.

History Pertaining to the Grant

In 1856, following the annexation of the territory that now makes up New Mexico and Colorado into the United States, Francisco Martinez, one of Manuel Martinez's heirs, filed a petition with the Surveyor General's office seeking confirmation of the Tierra Amarilla Grant. Surveyor General William Pelham investigated Martinez's claim and in a September 25, 1856 decision stated that his office was satisfied that

the Provincial Deputation had authority under the laws of Mexico to make donations of land to individuals, that the title papers evidencing the grant had been proven to be genuine, and that the Failure of the Alcalde of the Town of Abiquiu to deliver possession to Martinez did not invalidate the grant since such a failure had been satisfactorily explained

and recommended its confirmation by Congress. The grant was confirmed as Private Land Claim No. 3 by an act of Congress approved June 21, 1860.

Land Survey Results

John M. Isaacs, one of the owners of the grant at the time, submitted a request to the Surveyor General on June 30, 1875 that the grant be surveyed in order that a patent might be issued. After another legal battle, the grant was surveyed by Deputy Surveyors Sawyer and McBroom in July 1876. The survey concluded that 594,515.55 acres were contained within the grant and that part of said grant lay within the State of Colorado. On February 21, 1881, the grant was patented to Francisco Martinez.

General Land Office Maps of New Mexico

The General Land Office began producing both large and reduced format maps of the New Mexico Territory from as early as 1879 through 1911, just before New Mexico became a state. Numerous editions were published, with each subsequent edition illustrating a greater degree of detail throughout the state. Compared with an 1896 manifestation of the map also sold by us, the present work reduces the focus on private land grants (some of which had still not been well demarcated at the end of the 19th century) and instead reflects the designation of more lands as national forests as well as the greater development of towns and railroads.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled and drawn by Andrew F. Dinsmore and traced and lettered by William Bauman, under the direction of Ithamar P. Berthrong. It was printed by the Eckert Lithographing Co. This map is well represented in institutional collections but is rare on the private market.