Fine Source for Spanish and Mexico Land Grants in New Mexico Territory
Scarce promotional tract for the territory of New Mexico, published by the Bureau of Immigration.
The pamphlet includes 2 large folding maps, including (1) New Mexico and its land grants (2) Santa Fe Railroad Route and connections.
The text covers a wide range of subjects, such as the land and its energy resources, farming (with a chapter on "Agriculture Along the Rio Grande"), cattle raising, manufacturing, irrigation projects (especially in the Pecos Valley), a chapter on the New Mexico Hot Springs, schools, population statistics, and a long section of detailed descriptions of the New Mexico territory county by county.
The map of New Mexico shows the location, boundaries and grantees of all the numerous early Spanish and Mexican Land Grants, prepared by the Bureau of Immigration. The legal status of land grants in New Mexico was a hotly contested issue at in the late 19th Century. The map of New Mexico provides a remarkable accounting of the current and prospective landowners in the territory.
Warren Heckrotte opined that "The [New Mexico map] was evidently made in Santa Fe... [It] locates the Spanish and Mexican land grants. This map is not a finely produced map, but has much information. (PBA Galleries, Ma 19, 2016, Warren Heckrotte Sale, #33)
The map of the Santa Fe Route and connections provides an excellent overview of the transit lines servicing New Mexico, which at the time were relatively limited, coming only from Southwest Colorado in the north and the Pacific Coast via Arizona from the west.