Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Genealogy

Guide to Rio Arriba County, New Mexico ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Courthouse
Rio Arriba County Courthouse PO Box 158; Tierra Amarilla, NM 87575 Phone: 505.588.7254 County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1852.

Parent County

 * Until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become New Mexico and Arizona. Some records of early settlers may have been sent to an archives in Seville, Spain, or to archives in Mexico City.
 * In 1821 - Mexico had jurisdiction over the land that later would become New Mexico and Arizona. Some records of this period may have been sent to archives in Mexico City.
 * 22 September 1846 - Rio Arriba County was created based on an old Mexican government partido as one of seven original New Mexico counties under the  of laws for the occupied Mexican territory. This code is named after General
 * 1848 - New Mexico Territory formally became a part of the United States when the ended in 1848 with the signing of the.



Description
One of the Nine original counties formed in 1852. The county seat is Tierra Amarilla.

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of New Mexico - shows boundary changes for New Mexico Counties
 * New Mexico Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
 * 9 January 1852 - All New Mexico counties were redefined. Rio Arriba county was extended west to the California border including land in present day Arizona and Nevada.  Residents that lived far from the county seat, probably didn't send many records to the county offices.
 * 29 December 1863 - Arizona Territory created from the western half of New Mexico Territory. Rio Arriba county was reduced in size to the portion still within New Mexico Territory.
 * 24 February 1887 - RIO ARRIBA county lost land to creation of SAN JUAN county.

For animated maps illustrating New Mexico County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New Mexico County Boundary Maps" (1845-1981) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

See also Previous Jurisdictions to Land in Arizona for further details.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

City

 * Española

Town

 * Dulce

Villages

 * Chama

Census-designated places

 * Abiquiú
 * Alcalde
 * Canjilon
 * Cañones
 * Chimayo
 * Cordova
 * Coyote
 * Dixon
 * Dulce
 * El Rito
 * Ensenada
 * Gallina
 * Hernandez
 * La Madera
 * Los Ojos
 * Lumberton
 * Ohkay Owingeh
 * San Jose
 * San Juan
 * Santa Clara Pueblo
 * Tierra Amarilla (county seat)
 * Truchas
 * Velarde
 * Youngsville

Other communities

 * Arroyo del Agua
 * Cañoncito
 * Cebolla
 * Embudo
 * Las Tablas
 * Lindrith
 * Medanales
 * Navajo City
 * Ojo Sarco
 * Petaca
 * Rutheron
 * San Lorenzo
 * Vallecitos

Ghost towns

 * Hopewell
 * Riverside
 * Santa Rosa de Lima
 * Sublette

Neighboring Counties

 * Archuleta County, Colorado
 * Conejos County, Colorado
 * Los Alamos, New Mexico
 * Mora, New Mexico
 * San Juan, New Mexico
 * Sandoval, New Mexico
 * Santa Fe, New Mexico
 * Taos, New Mexico

Cemeteries

 * New Mexico Cemetery Records
 * AHGP New Mexico Cemetery Transcription &amp; Photo Project
 * New Mexico Cemetery Records, Luna to Valencia
 * New Mexico Cemetery Record Information Online
 * New Mexico Tombstone Transcription Project
 * New Mexico Cemeteries Project
 * New Mexico Vital Record Information: Cemeteries
 * Online New Mexico Death Records and Indexes
 * Cemeteries of New Mexico
 * BillionGraves.com - Provides photos and GPS locations of grave markers.
 * Cyndi's List - Cemeteries &amp; funeral homes
 * Findagrave.com
 * Interment.net
 * Rootsweb
 * UsGenweb.org

State Census Records

 * 1885 New Mexico Territorial Census 1885 at Ancestry (free)
 * Late 1800s 1800s Arizona and New Mexico Territories Census, Late 1800s ($)

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for New Mexico starting in 1850. For links to Federal census indexes, see New Mexico Census.

Church
The early population of New Mexico was generally both Spanish-speaking and Catholic. As such, the sacramental records of the towns and villages present an important avenue of research and may provide the names of several generations within one document. Catholic sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, and burials) are rich in vital record information and may prove a valuable alternative in cases where vital records are not available. The New Mexico Genealogical Society has published an online article titled, Locating Catholic Church Records in New Mexico, Rio Arriba County. This index of church records includes the parish, the location of the church, the missions included and microfilm dates and reference numbers in chart format. Some of the films are available in the Family History Library, and those that aren’t at the library have reel numbers found in the Santa Fe archives. New Mexico Genealogical Society

Catholic

Parish registers (baptisms, marriages, and burials) are available online for the following years:

Land
If you wish to search the recorded land records of Rio Arriba county you must visit the County Clerk's Office at 7 Main Street, Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico or 1122 Industrial Park Road, Española, New Mexico. Online Land Records
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Maps

 * 1895 map of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of New Mexico - shows boundary changes for New Mexico Counties
 * NMGenWeb - historical maps

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - New Mexico, World War I Records, 1917-1919 at Ancestry ($)
 * For more natiowide World War I databases, see US Military OnlineGenealogy Records.''

World War II

 * 1941 - 1945 - World War II Records, 1941-1945 State Summary of War Casualties from World War II for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel from: New Mexico
 * 1941 - 1945 - World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from: New Mexico
 * 1941 - 1945 - New Mexico, World War II Records, 1941-1945 at Ancestry ($)
 * For more nationwide World War II databases, see US Military Online Genealogy.

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1801 – 1993 New Mexico Wills and Probate Records 1801-1993 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Births

 * 1726 – 1918 at FamilySearch

Deaths

 * 1788 – 1798; 1838 – 1955 at FamilySearch
 * 1889 - 1945 at FamilySearch

Marriages

 * 1727 - 1900 New Mexico Marriages 1727-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1751 - 1918 at FamilySearch

Societies and Libraries
Rio Arriba County Historical Society PO Box 158 Tierra Amarilla 87575

Espanola Family History Center Corner McCurdy Rd and Fairview Espanola, NM. Telephone: 505-753-3751

Ghost Ranch Living Museum HCR 77, Box 15 Abiquiu, New Mexico, 87510

Rio Arriba County Historical Society PO Box 158 Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, 87575

Family History Centers

 * Espanola New Mexico Family History Center 1101 Fairview Dr Espanola, NM 87532 United States Location Map


 * Espanola, New Mexico.

Web Sites

 * Rio Arriba County, NM History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New Mexico Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New Mexico Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county. *