New Mexico, Records of the Bureau of Land Management - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
Records from various offices of the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico. Records digitally captured at the National Archives at Denver. Land records are primarily used to learn where an individual lived and when he or she lived there. They often reveal other family information, such as the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or neighbors. They may also include information about previous residences, occupations, military service, citizenship, and so forth. Most of the states in the United States are public domain states, which means the federal government controls the land. In state-land states, however, the state government appropriates all land within its borders.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include:


 * Name of land owner
 * Name of buyer
 * Date of transaction
 * Reference numbers to other land records
 * Legal description of land
 * Name of spouse, heirs, other relatives, or neighbors
 * Place of residence at time of purchase
 * Occupation

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search, it would be helpful to know:


 * The name of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor lived
 * The approximate date of the land transaction

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page. Select Record Type, Year Range, and Volume number or letter

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the https://www.archives.gov/denver National Archives].

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find county or New Mexico Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the United States Census, 1900 (FamilySearch Historical Records) records. Witnesses were usually family members.
 * Use the information found in the record to find Tax Records.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality Arizona Land and Property.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of New Mexico.
 * New Mexico Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

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