Santa Ana County, New Mexico Genealogy



Santa Ana was a former county of New Mexico from 1846 to 1876.

Parent County

 * Until 1821 New Spain controlled the 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 - Santa Ana County was created based on an old Mexican government partido  as one of seven original New Mexico counties under  of laws for the occupied Mexican territory. This code was named after General

Boundary Changes

 * 9 January 1852 - All New Mexico counties were redefined. Santa Ana county was extended west to the California border including land in present day Arizona and Nevada.  Residents who lived far from the county seat, probably sent few records to the county offices.
 * 29 December 1863 Arizona is created from the western half of New Mexico Territory. Santa Ana County was reduced in size to the portion that was still in New Mexico Territory.

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

Extinguished

 * 13 January 1876 - Santa Ana was discontinued and absorbed into Bernalillo County, For Santa Ana County records, see Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

County Seat
The first county seat was Fort Defiance just west of the current Arizona-New Mexico border. From 1847 to 1863, it was part of Judicial District 1, and thereafter Judicial District 2.